StreamTime Sports

The second instalment of the StreamTime Podcast’s Gen Z series sees host Nick Meacham sit down with Jayne Peressini, vice president of growth at NBA Top Shot creator Dapper Labs.  First, Meacham and SportsPro senior content manager Chris Stone discuss what the Netflix subscriber decline could mean for sport, as well as Endeavor Streaming’s new one-stop shop for content creators and Warner Bros Discovery’s decision to shut down the CNN+ service. Then, Peressini gives Meacham the rundown on the various pillars of Dapper Labs’ business and explains how the blockchain technologies firm is working with sports properties to develop non-fungible token (NFT) offerings that provide real value to fans.  In a wide-ranging conversation covering how sports can better engage with Gen Z consumers, Peressini also highlights some of the user consumption trends around NFTs and live action.  

Jon Miller, president of programming at NBC Sports, joins StreamTime Podcast host Nick Meacham to discuss one of the most extensive rights portfolios in all of sports broadcasting. In part one of the show, Meacham and SportsPro senior content manager Chris Stone reflect on the launch of Fifa+, the new direct-to-consumer streaming platform announced last week by soccer’s global governing body. Then, Meacham gets an inside view on NBC’s sports rights strategy from Miller, who joined the network in 1988 and has been instrumental in helping the company secure coverage of some of the world’s top sports properties.   Now serving one of the longest tenures in NBC Sports history, Miller explains how the broadcaster measures value from its coverage of events like the Olympic Games and premium properties such as the National Football League (NFL), Nascar and the Premier League. The wide-ranging conversation also covers Peacock’s ground-breaking deal to carry the WWE Network and what that means for sports and broadcasters moving forward, as well as the halo effect premium sports rights can have on other content.

This week’s StreamTime Podcast features the first instalment of a new series about engaging with Generation Z.  In part one of the show, SportsPro chief executive Nick Meacham and senior content manager Chris Stone review some of the top stories from the past week, including the launch of LaLiga Pass in Southeast Asia, the fragmentation of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) live rights, and the increasingly saturated world of sports documentaries. Then, Nick is joined by Buzzer chief executive Bo Han and TJ Adeshola, the head of global content partnerships at Twitter, for a conversation covering how sport can address its ageing audience problem.  The trio identify the consumption problem that needs solving, discuss what sports properties are currently doing wrong, and talk through how the existing subscription model can be improved to cater for younger audiences.  

For this week’s StreamTime Podcast, SportsPro chief executive Nick Meacham dials in with Jonathan Licht, the managing director of UK pay-TV broadcaster Sky Sports. Up front, senior content manager Chris Stone returns to review other developments in the streaming space, including Viaplay’s UK entry, Ampere Analysis’ latest research on European sports rights spending, and record viewing figures in the Uefa Women’s Champions League. Then Licht, who joined Sky in 1998 before moving to Sky Sports in 2005, lifts the lid on the broadcaster’s multi-billion dollar partnership with the Premier League and how the company was able to build its business around English soccer’s top flight. The pair also talk about the impact of Sky’s decision in 2017 to shift from numbered to sports-specific channels, the challenge of new competition entering the UK market, and sports going direct-to-consumer.

SportsPro chief executive Nick Meacham is joined by David Levy, best known for his 30-year career at US broadcasting giant Turner, where he spearheaded the company’s investment into premium sports content. Now chairman of Genius Sports, Levy discusses the process of taking the data and technology company public, as well as the firm’s major partnership with the National Football League (NFL). The pair also look back on Levy’s time at Turner, discuss the role of betting and streaming in sports, and pinpoint the trends that will shape the future of sports media. Before that, Nick and SportsPro senior content manager Chris Stone catch up on some of the biggest stories from the past week, including private equity firm CVC’s seemingly imminent investment in French soccer’s Ligue 1, while they also debate whether every sport should have its own version of NFL RedZone.

This week's StreamTime Podcast features a session from our recent Ignition event, when SportsPro chief executive Nick Meacham was joined by Monica Robbins, the director of sports partnerships at Microsoft. The US technology giant has been actively growing its presence in sport and provides its services to some of the world's top leagues and organisations, including the likes of the National Football League (NFL), the National Basketball Association (NBA), Spanish soccer's LaLiga, and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Now approaching ten years at Microsoft, Robbins outlines the role sport is playing for the company and how it works with its partners to showcase its technology - both at the elite level and all the way down to the grassroots.

SportsPro chief executive Nick Meacham sits down with Motasem El Bawab, head of digital at Volleyball World, the new commercial entity set up by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) off the back of its groundbreaking, nine-figure investment from private equity firm CVC Capital Partners. A seasoned marketing, product development and data expert, El Bawab delves into the digital moves Volleyball World has been making since the CVC deal, where the investment is being targeted, and the content strategy underpinning a venture that is poised to transform the sport of volleyball from the ground up. The pair also look at how the FIVB is working to connect, engage and monetise the global volleyball fanbase - whether that be through the federation’s own channels or through third parties.

Fittingly given SportsPro has decamped to New York for OTT Summit USA, the latest StreamTime Podcast sees Nick Meacham speak to with Matthew Duarte, vice president, strategy and Business at YES Network and Kevin Sullivan, regional sports network's (RSN) head of digital. The New York-based media company operates one of the leading RSNs, with pretty much all of the major local sports properties - excluding Madison Square Garden Sports (MSGS) teams - invested in or being broadcast on YES. The conversation takes in the role of an RSN, why YES launched a direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform, what impact it is having on fan consumption and what technology is being tapped to enhance the broadcast experience.

SportsPro chief executive Nick Meacham and senior content manager Chris Stone return for the latest StreamTime Podcast with some discussion up front about the billions in losses reported in the latest financial figures published by sports streaming specialist DAZN. Then Meacham is joined by WSC Sports chief executive Daniel Shichman for a conversation about the artificial intelligence-powered (AI) video platform and its impact on content creation. Schichman lifts the lid on WSC's latest US$100 million Series D fund raising round and what it allows the company to do next. As co-founder, Schichman offers an insight into WSC's journey up to this point and discusses the possibility of a future acquisition. The discussion also dives into why Israel is such a hot bed for technology, and sports technology in particular, as well as some of the challenges of the sector. And more good news! The SportsPro Podcast has been nominated for a Sports Podcast Award. If you like what you hear, please vote for us in the Best Sports Business Podcast category here. Please note that you will have to register first.

SportsPro chief executive Nick Meacham is joined by a returning (and somewhat broken hearted) Chris Stone for a StreamTime Podcast which dives into a topic that infuriates fans, broadcasters and rights holders in equal measure - the UK's Saturday afternoon live soccer blackout. As Stone tries to move past the defeat of his beloved Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl, the StreamTime regulars are joined by SportsPro digital editor Tom Bassam for a initial review of Meacham's interview with Socios chief executive Alexandra Dreyfus on the previous week's episode. The discussion then moves on to the UK's peculiar live soccer broadcast rules, with Bassam providing some context via his recent feature on the English Football League's (EFL) iFollow streaming platform. The pod then opens up the discussion to the wider possibilities for the industry should the UK ditch the blackout, including what a Premier League 'RedZone' might look like. Finally, the trio close the show with some analysis of the DAZN's recent deal with mobile live look-in streaming platform Buzzer. In part two, SportsPro media and technology editor Steve McCaskill speaks to Matthew Duhig, the co-founder and managing director of FX Digital about the streaming solutions firm's work in the space. And more good news! The SportsPro Podcast has been nominated for a Sports Podcast Award. If you like what you hear, please vote for us in the Best Sports Business Podcast category here. Please note that you will have to register first.