Sports is widely accepted as one of the last bastions of appointment-to-view programming as the media landscape continues to experience profound disruption and audience fragmentation. Eighty-five of the top 100 most-watched telecasts in the United States were sporting events last year – up from 48 in 2011 according to analysis conducted by Nielsen and MoffettNathanson. Meanwhile, research from Parks Associates indicates that for 27 percent of US pay-TV households, sports programming is the primary reason they own a cable subscription.
However, as linear TV ratings trend downward as consumers shift their viewing to mobile and a plethora of other connected devices, there is a heightened urgency for sports rights holders to reach and engage fans beyond linear broadcast. Moreover, fans have indicated they are willing to pay for direct digital access to their favorite teams, league or sport. According to the Center for the Digital Future at USC Annenberg and ThePostGame, 63 percent of all sports fans are interested in paying for an OTT service.
Making Sense of the Crowded Sports Video Landscape
With OTT having rapidly become the norm, the global D2C streaming market has been flooded with a dizzying array of new video platforms. Just this year, Disney, Turner, and CBS all bolstered their digital operations with the launch of multi-sports OTT services, rolling out ESPN+, Bleacher Report Live (B/R Live), and CBS Sports HQ, respectively. Meanwhile, other US broadcasters have built tailored video offerings around specific sports or content verticals. NBC Sports Group, for example, now offers a range of single-sport “passes” as part of its NBC Sports Gold digital platform.
In addition, sports channels now form part of every major vMVPD’s basic offering, and some have put sports front and center. One example is FuboTV, a sports-first service that provides coverage of more than 30,000 sporting events per year, with programming split across two base packages and an array of add-on channels offered at various price points.
Harnessing the Power of Sports Video: Our Playbook
There’s no denying the growth potential of sports video, and the opportunity for rights holders of all sizes to leverage the power of video to amplify engagement, reach and revenue. At Brightcove, we’ve seen firsthand the success our customers around the world have experienced and the real results its driven for their organizations.
To that end, we’re excited to share a new playbook: Harness the Power of Sports Video. We partnered with SportsPro , the leading international media company for the sports industry, to provide a comprehensive guide to the sports video landscape with best practices and learnings from our customers as well as the leading players and disruptors in the market. Get insight on expanding audience reach with shoulder programming, live clipping, social and more – and how to convert that reach into revenue. We hope this content is useful toward helping build or enhance your sports video experience and delight fans across all devices and platforms.