

StreamTime Sports
SportsPro
A weekly podcast profiling the people, businesses and technologies driving the sports media revolution. The go-to place for sports industry professionals seeking ideas, insights and inspiration in these times of rapid transformation across streaming, OTT and digital.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 4, 2023 • 55min
A health check on the state of the European soccer rights game
The hosts discuss the challenges in increasing the commercial value of media rights in European soccer leagues, highlighting potential competition from Amazon and DAZN. They also explore the impact of celebrities on athletes' marketability and the introduction of new features and technologies in the NFL to improve fan engagement.

Sep 27, 2023 • 51min
Has OTT delivered on its promises?
On this episode of StreamTime Sports co-hosts Nick Meacham and Chris Stone are joined by Aarti Dabas, the chief media officer at Formula E. They discuss how successful OTT has been for disruptor sports, the growth of cricket, and will India become the next big market for sports.
• How effective is OTT for disruptor sports like Formula E? - (7:46)
• Can a sports OTT platform survive? - (15:06)
• For disruptor sports what is more important – reach or revenue? - (25:35)
• How much larger can cricket grow? - (30:38)
• Will incoming sports be able to crack the Indian marketplace? - (39:35)

Sep 20, 2023 • 50min
NFL v Premier League: Grading early season starts
On this episode of StreamTime Sports co-hosts Nick Meacham and Chris Stone look at how two of the world’s biggest sports properties have kicked off their seasons, new streaming platforms, and future broadcast negotiations.
• Is the NFL’s streaming strategy with Amazon, Peacock, and YouTube working? - (5:00)
• Can the NFL expand its international presence? – (10:52)
• Will DAZN win over fans with NFL GamePass? - (23:53)
• Should the Premier League have concerns over their upcoming domestic rights negotiations? - (33:29)
• Are subscription fatigue and piracy at a breaking point for the Premier League? - (41:33)

Sep 13, 2023 • 1h 12min
Introducing the sports broadcast fantasy draft... the only way to celebrate 100 episodes
A milestone for StreamTime Sports as co-hosts Nick Meacham and Chris Stone proudly to deliver their 100th episode. For the occasion, SportsPro’s technology editor Steve McCaskill joins the pod to partake in a twist on a fantasy draft that sees the trio each look to construct the best global sports broadcast.
Working with an unlimited budget and following a traditional snake draft the contestants picked sports properties under the following conditions:
1x US sports property
1x European sports property
1x Rest of world domestic sports property
1x Women’s sports property
1x International sports property
1x Annual sports property
1x Biennial or quadrennial sports property
1x Disruptor sports property
Listen in as they build their lineups and decide who you think has the best roster!

Sep 6, 2023 • 39min
The Astro CEO’s how to guide to building a local sports audience
On this episode of the StreamTime Podcast our guest is Euan Smith, the CEO of Astro, who shares insights into Malaysia’s changing audience and how the broadcaster is taking a hands on approach to growing the popularity of domestic sports.
Talking points:
• What makes the Malaysian market unique? – (7:50)
• In a diverse market how do Astro hyper localize their approach? (14:09)
• How has Astro committed to growing local sports to compete with international brands like the Premier League and NBA? - (22:08)
• How Astro leverage advertising and FAST support to diversify their business model? – (22:08)

Aug 30, 2023 • 49min
How Roku is trying to solve the biggest challenge in sports
StreamTime Sports co-hosts Nick Meacham and Chris Stone are joined by Roku’s director of sports products, Drew Adams. The trio discuss how Roku’s platform approaches solving discoverability and fragmentation in the sports ecosystem.
• Why is Roku is platform unique and how can it help with discoverability? - (5:23)
• What role does AI and personalisation play in the user experience on Roku? - (18:08)
• What is the opportunity for FAST channels? - (26:11)
• How are connected TVs changing sports consumption? - (37:45)

Aug 23, 2023 • 52min
Discovery, Meta and the Saudi Pro League… insights with Peter Hutton
Peter Hutton, veteran sports executive, discusses the biggest changes in the sports industry, the approach of companies like Discovery and Meta to sport, the possibility of a sports rights media bubble, evolving monetization models in sports, and the broadcast strategy of the Saudi Pro League.

Aug 16, 2023 • 45min
Sports industry trends from APAC and ONE’s Chatri Sityodtong
StreamTime Podcast co-hosts Nick Meacham and Chris Stone discuss the sports media landscape in APAC including its challenges and opportunities for properties looking to enter the market. Later, the founder and chief executive of ONE Championship, Chatri Sityodtong, discusses the Singapore-based MMA promotion’s journey in taking on established sports properties overseas.
• How does the sports industry in APAC differ from western markets? - (4:31)
• What are the biggest challenges for the APAC region? – (10:15)
• How has ONE successfully been able to monetise markets in APAC where others have failed? - (17:06)
• How has the relationship with Amazon helped ONE grow in the USA? - (29:37)
• How to develop a direct to consumer relationship with your fans? - (33:36)

Aug 9, 2023 • 45min
MLS exclusive on securing the Apple deal and Messi’s impact
On this episode of the StreamTime Podcast co-hosts Nick Meacham and Chris Stone are joined by Seth Bacon, the executive vice president of media at MLS, to discuss the YS soccer league’s growing media strategy.
• How did the relationship between the MLS and Apple come together? - (3:04)
• Taking on the production of the games - (10:00)
• What are Apple’s objectives and how to meet those goals? (18:49)
• How has the arrival of Lionel Messi impacted MLS? - (24:08)
• How will the 2026 World Cup influence growth? - (33:28)
• Can the MLS compete globally with other soccer leagues? - (41:35)

Aug 2, 2023 • 43min
Disruptor sports: The OTT opportunity
On this episode of the StreamTime Podcast co-hosts Nick Meacham and Chris Stone discuss the challenges and opportunities for emerging sports through OTT. This is followed by an interview with the president of the Drone Racing League Rachel Jacobson, vice president of strategy and new business development at the Professional Fighters League Allie Dinsmore, as well as the co-founder and chief executive of the Premier Lacross League, Mike Rabil, on how they have built their media distribution strategies.
Talking points:
• How does OTT offer non-premium sports a chance to access broadcast revenue? - (5:42)
• How can new sports properties compete with established brands? - (13:42)
• What advantages do new sports properties have when distributing their own content? (22:59)
• What metrics should disruptor sports use to measure themselves internally and versus established sports? - (30:15)