UP425 The Bundle Live - The StreamAMG Direct-to-Fan Playbook Event @ Amazon
Oct 1, 2024
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Join industry experts Murray Barnett, founder of West26 Consulting and former ESPN executive; Andrew Ryan, Managing Director of FIBA Media; and David Dellea, Sports Practice Director at Altman Solon, as they explore the evolving sports media landscape. They discuss the rise of 3x3 basketball, the impact of grassroots innovations, and strategies for engaging modern sports audiences. The conversation also highlights the need for flexible media solutions in response to changing consumer behaviors and the significance of enhancing the spectator experience.
European football's dominance contrasts with unique challenges faced by other sports leagues, emphasizing the need for market-specific strategies.
Australia's sports broadcasting thrives on competitive free-to-air networks and robust anti-siphoning rules, enhancing viewer engagement and consumption.
Innovative offerings and grassroots movements are essential for lesser-known sports to attract audiences and enhance visibility in a crowded market.
Deep dives
The Evolving Sports Marketplace
Football dominates the sports landscape in Europe, but other sports often face unique challenges depending on their market context. For instance, while the English Premier League is a monolithic power, leagues like the Bundesliga and Serie A operate under different dynamics and commercial issues in Germany and Italy, respectively. Additionally, in places like Australia, rugby and Australian rules football have significant media rights value, demonstrating that sports' prominence varies by geography. This highlights the importance of recognizing diverse sports markets and their individual characteristics rather than generalizing based on European football's dominance.
Australia's Unique Sports Media Landscape
Australia has a vibrant sports broadcasting scene, marked by lucrative TV deals for rugby and Australian rules football, which often involves a mix of free-to-air and pay TV agreements. Unlike the UK, where the BBC largely controlled sports broadcasting for years, Australia's market thrives on major commercial networks providing a competitive free-to-air landscape. The country’s strict anti-siphoning rules ensure key sporting events remain accessible to the public, boosting viewer engagement and media consumption. As the National Rugby League (NRL) prepares to enter media rights negotiations for 2027, its current deals highlight a growing market, underscoring the potential for significant revenue increases.
Product Innovation in Sports
To remain competitive, lesser-known sports must innovate their offerings, leading to inquiries on how to enhance core products and attract audiences. Grassroots movements can foster new formats that capture interest, such as paddle tennis, despite debates about their television viability. Establishing access to content is another critical factor for engaging audiences, emphasizing the need for discoverability, digital presence, and innovative marketing strategies. As complacency within established governing bodies presents stagnation, embracing product innovation can unlock new opportunities for sports to engage fans and secure higher visibility.
Three-on-Three Basketball as a Case Study
Three-on-three basketball serves as a compelling example of how sports can evolve organically while addressing market demands. The format's origins lie in grassroots play, making it widely relatable, as many people play it informally before transitioning to organized club basketball. While this sport shares fundamental components with traditional basketball, it possesses distinct dynamics that cater to various audiences, including potential newcomers. By providing opportunities for less dominant basketball nations to excel within the sport, three-on-three represents a strategic move to diversify competitive engagement and garner broader interest.
The Future of Sports Broadcasting and Monetization
As traditional sports broadcasting faces challenges from evolving viewer behaviors, exploring new monetization pathways becomes crucial, especially for niche sports. Adopting a hybrid strategy can help sports organizations capture fragmented audiences by leveraging both free-to-air partnerships and direct-to-consumer OTT services. Engaging younger viewers requires experimentation with pricing mechanisms and innovative content distribution, such as unique viewing experiences or short-form highlights. Addressing the complexities of modern sports consumption habits while promoting audience interaction can foster engagement, ensuring that sports remain relevant and financially sustainable.
This is a live episode recorded at StreamAMG's excellent Direct-to-Fan Playbook event, held at Amazon's Liverpool Street headquarters in London. A big thank you goes to the team at StreamAMG for inviting us along, we learnt loads.
Joining Richard on stage was Murray Barnett, one half of the regular Bundle presenting team, founder of West26 Consulting and formerly ESPN, F1 and World Rugby.
We were joined by Andrew Ryan and David Dellea.
Andrew is Managing Director of FIBA Media, the joint venture between basketball's global governing body and DAZN, which produces, commercialises and promotes the biggest events of the FIBA calendar. Andrew previoulsy held senior roels at the IOC and Perform.
David Dellea is Sports Practice Director at Altman Solon consulting group in Zurich, and previously led the sports practice at PwC.
Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry. To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner
