Insights on sports media landscape changes, NBA media rights predictions, decline of legacy media outlets, ideas to enhance NBA All-Star weekend, innovative antennas for fan experience at venues, challenges in motivating star athletes, evolving audience engagement strategies, tech giants' role in sports media rights, and impact of 5G in sports
The partnership between ESPN, Fox Sports, and Warner Brothers Discovery as super streamers marks a significant shift in sports media rights landscape.
Striking the right balance between traditional broadcast platforms and social media engagement is crucial for advertisers to effectively reach their target audience.
Viewership patterns among younger demographics are evolving, with increased interest from women and impactful figures like Taylor Swift influencing sports consumption.
Deep dives
The Challenge of Measuring Viewership in the Digital Age
Measuring audience size has become more complex in the digital age. Viewership numbers now include broadcast, streaming, and social media platforms. Networks are combining the viewership from multiple sources to present larger numbers. This is done to satisfy advertisers and to provide a more comprehensive view of the viewership. However, comparing viewership numbers from different eras can be challenging due to the inclusion of additional platforms. Streaming platforms like Paramount+ and Peacock are also providing their own viewership numbers, which adds complexity to the measurement process. Advertisers value engagement and reaching a younger demographic, so platforms like TikTok and Instagram play a role in their marketing strategies. However, there are concerns about the unpredictable nature of advertising on social media. Overall, measuring viewership in the digital age requires considering various platforms and understanding their strengths and limitations.
The Impact of Social Media on Sports Advertising
Advertisers recognize the importance of engaging with a younger demographic who consume sports content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Short video clips and highlights on social media serve as a marketing vehicle to attract younger viewers to the actual games. However, advertising on social media presents challenges as ads may appear alongside unrelated content, leading to less control over brand alignment. Advertisers value the potential reach and engagement on social media, but also consider traditional broadcast platforms as a reliable avenue for advertising. Striking the right balance between various platforms is crucial for advertisers to effectively reach their target audience while maintaining brand safety and visibility.
The Shifting Landscape of Audience Measurement
Audience measurement has evolved due to the rise of streaming platforms and changes in viewing habits. Networks now combine broadcast, streaming, and social media viewership to present a more comprehensive audience size. This approach serves the dual purpose of satisfying advertisers and providing a more accurate view of audience engagement. However, the introduction of streaming platforms has introduced challenges in measuring viewership, as third-party verification becomes more difficult. Advertisers seek ways to reach younger demographics and are interested in engaging with viewers on social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube. While social media clips serve as marketing tools, traditional broadcast remains a valuable platform for advertisers due to its wider reach and established measurement methods.
Engaging a Younger Demographic through Social Media
Advertisers recognize the importance of capturing the attention of a younger demographic, who often consume sports content through social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Highlights and short clips on these platforms serve as a marketing vehicle to attract younger viewers to sports events. However, advertising on social media presents certain challenges, such as lack of control over ad placement and alignment with unrelated content. Advertisers are constantly seeking the right balance between traditional broadcast platforms and social media engagement to effectively reach their target audience. While social media offers significant potential for engagement, traditional broadcast platforms still provide wider reach and stability for advertisers.
Changing Viewership Patterns Among Younger Demographics
Viewership patterns among younger demographics are changing, but not as dramatically as expected. Super Bowl numbers among younger viewers were actually up, suggesting that younger demographics are still engaged in watching sports. There is also a significant increase in women watching sports, possibly due to popular figures like Taylor Swift and sports stars like Caitlin Clark. Outside storylines and recognizable teams like the Kansas City Chiefs are attracting younger viewers as well.
The Rise of Super Streamers and the Challenges of Sports Media Rights
The emergence of super streamers, such as ESPN, Fox Sports, Warner Brothers, and Discovery teaming up to create a multi-channel video provider, signifies a major shift in sports media rights. However, while these streamers aim to target cord nevers and cord cutters, there are challenges to overcome. These streamers may not offer a comprehensive sports streaming service, requiring viewers to subscribe to multiple platforms to access certain games. Additionally, the impact on rights fees and the negotiation process for leagues like the NBA and Major League Baseball remain uncertain. Legacy media outlets are also facing challenges, with declining viewership and struggles to adapt to the digital landscape.
PODCAST: John Ourand (@Ourand_Puck), Sports Media reporter for Puck News, joins Sports Business Radio to provide insight on the ever-changing sports media landscape. We discuss the new “Super Streamer” partnership between ESPN, Fox Sports and Warner Brothers Discovery, John makes his predictions on who will land the upcoming NBA media rights, we discuss the College Football Playoff media rights and we reflect on why sports legacy media outlets like Sports Illustrated and the Los Angeles Times are on the decline.
Sports Business Radio Host Brian Berger also shares his ideas for how to fix NBA All-Star weekend.
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This week’s edition of Sports Business Radio is presented by Matsing (www.matsing.com). Matsing’s multi-beam antennas are deployed in over 100 venues globally, including 50% of NFL venues, 35% of NBA and NHL arenas, several F1 race tracks and even at the upcoming 2024 Olympics in Paris. Venues such as AT&T Stadium (home of the Dallas Cowboys), Alegiant Stadium (home of the Las Vegas Raiders and Super Bowl LVII) and Amalie Arena (home of the Tampa Bay Lightning) all have Matsing’s innovative lens antennas.
