StreamTime Sports

Social media and sports go hand in hand, but the sports industry has yet to realise the reach and value of fan generated content. On this episode of StreamTime host Nick Meacham is joined by Videocites chief executive and founder Eyal Arad. The two discuss how the likes of the NBA are using new technology to track and monetise UGC. Talking points: How much exposure does UGC create for leagues, teams, and athletes? How can rights holders monetise UGC? Do highlights help or hurt live sports value? What challenges do social media platforms and UGC present for piracy? Why UGC is perfect for brand partnerships in sports?  

Fan data and shifts in media consumption suggest that the major football clubs and leagues should be bypassing traditional broadcasters and seeking to directly monetise their supporters via digital channels. On this episode of StreamTime Sports host Nick Meacham is joined by Neil Joyce, chief executive at CLV Group, to discuss the opportunities of going direct to consumer. Talking Points: How to measure the lifetime value of fans? – (3:40) How can clubs overcome the challenge with the lack of live rights? – (12:00) What are the barriers holding the industry back from direct to consumer? – (21:38) What role does sponsorship play within direct to consumer? – (25:04) Which is more valuable to sponsors, a club’s brand or a club’s fans? – (37:36)

The launch of the Apple Sports app signals the global technology giant's intent to take a larger stake in the fan's digital ecosystem. StreamTime Sports host Nick Meacham is joined by SportsPro technology editor Steve McCaskill to discuss the significance of this move, as well as a few other news items in the sports media space. Talking points: How significant is the launch of Apple Sports? - (7:04) What legal action is Fubo taking against ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros Discovery? – (31:27) Why is the CW shifting into sports? - (42:08) Is putting the FA Cup behind TNT Sport’s paywall in the UK the right decision? - (50:08)

The Dyn Media streaming platform launched in Germany in the summer of 2023 with a unique offering of popular, but second-tier, sports. Backed by the Axel Springer publishing house, it is the digital home of handball, domestic basketball, volleyball, table tennis and hockey. Here, the platform's CEO Andreas Heyden talks to StreamTime host Nick Meacham about Dyn's journey so far. Talking Points: How and why Dyn was set up (4:16) The technology that makes the economics work (14:11) Distribution and monetisation models (20:11) How are fans using Dyn? (28:47) The role of social media (37:09) Unique challenges of the German market (40:52)

When Aura first announced itself in the sports streaming space it wanted to change the game. It still does, but in a different way. StreamTime Sports host Nick Meacham speaks to Aura CEO Anthony Arena about the Australian-based technology company's next move. Talking points: How Aura has developed its streaming technology offering (3:00) Serving different types of fans (16:26) Creating new revenue streams (23:44) Positioning Aura as a tier-one product (30:00) Why the sports industry is different (38:18) AI and what's next for Aura? (47:10)

Patrick Crakes, a sports media expert and former long-time Fox executive, joins SportsPro CEO Nick Meacham to discuss the significance of ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery's joint venture in the US media landscape. They explore the impact on stakeholders, the economics of the streaming product, competitors' reactions, and potential risks.

SportsPro reporter Josh Sim recently wrote about the big questions for women’s football in 2024 and the major changes on the horizon that could change the commercial model. Here he joins SportsPro CEO Nick Meacham to discuss what the right approach is for a sport on the verge of becoming big business. Key topics: Comparing and contrasting the approaches top women’s football leagues take to sports media (6:08) Pros and cons of the free-to-air approach (15:08) Ways the leagues could drive revenues without going behind the paywall (17:15) Why did DAZN U-turn on putting the Women’s Champions League behind a paywall? (18:24) What role can athletes and social media play? (28:56) Should private equity play a role? (38:10)

George Pyne's Bruin Capital recently sold its stake in the Two Circles marketing agency at an internal rate of return of more than 60%. That deal was just the latest exit to turn a profit for Bruin in recent years, with the respective sales of On Location to Endeavor and Deltatre to Bain Capital also generating big payouts. Here, Pyne, the founder and CEO of Bruin, talks to SportsPro CEO Nick Meacham about how the firm has struck gold with its investments in the sports industry.

Netflix has agreed a ten-year, ‘$5bn’ deal with WWE to become the exclusive global broadcaster of Monday Night Raw, including in the US, from 2025. The agreement also covers the international rights to WWE’s other programming and premium live events – including Wrestlemania. The announcement is by far and away Netflix’s biggest investment in live sports and so an emergency podcast was convened featuring SportsPro's Nick Meacham and Steve McCaskill alongside Minal Modha research director at Ampere Analysis to discuss what it all means. Talking points: The detail behind the deal (0:59) Why this works for Netflix (8:32) Who will Netflix go after next? (16:58) The role of advertising on Netflix and what next in sports? (20:30) TKO's hand in securing this deal (24:54)

With the digital marketing sector facing the phasing out of third-party cookies, the sports industry needs an alternative for collecting and leveraging data that will allow a greater connection with fans. Sportradar has a solution and here, Mike Falconer, the sports technology company's vice president of strategy, explains to SportsPro CEO Nick Meacham how it works.