George Wescott’s Post

Earlier this week I wrote about the wealth of value creation opportunities developing around #womenssports. The latest example of this is the NY LIBERTY's launch of the direct-to-consumer streaming platform “Liberty Live” - a bold and strategic move by team owner Clara Wu Tsai. For $4.99 a month, fans of this WNBA team will be able to stream locally televised games while also receiving access to exclusive content, discounts and promotions.   Going D2C is a way to overcome one of the biggest headwinds to the growth of women’s sports – the inability to find games. (Just search for “How to watch all of Caitlin Clark’s games” to see what I mean. Spoiler alert: you’ll need multiple packages). At the same time, it’s a methodical way to collect granular intel on the most loyal and monetizable portions of the fanbase. This intel helps develop more efficient marketing campaigns and finetune the team’s fan loyalty program.   That’s why I believe it won’t be long before every team has a similar service. The approach enables them to aggregate eyeballs, build deeper relationships with consumers and keep a bigger slice of the commercial pie from ads and sponsorships. It’s a situation where everyone wins.   https://lnkd.in/egDk8zRW   #WNBA #streaming #fanenaggement

The intersection of sports and streaming is transforming how fans experience live events. From the rumored $1 billion FIFA deal with Apple to Roku's MLB streaming and the NBA's colossal media rights deal with NBC, Amazon, and Disney, the landscape is buzzing with excitement. Streaming platforms are not just showing games — they’re reshaping sports consumption with flexibility, exclusive content, and deep fan engagement. Sports are driving new subscriptions and ad revenue. With sports becoming a key player in the streaming world, the future looks bright for fans, athletes, and advertisers alike. Read on for more: https://heyor.ca/suyiiU #SportsAndStreaming #DigitalMedia #LiveSports #StreamingFuture #SportsAds

🚀 StreamEast on FireStick: Features, Legality, Usage & Alternatives 🔥 StreamEast has gained popularity among streaming enthusiasts for its extensive range of live sports, TV shows, and movies. With a user-friendly interface, it offers easy navigation and HD streaming, making it a go-to for cord-cutters. However, questions about its legality remain a concern. StreamEast is not available on official platforms like Amazon App Store due to copyright issues, and accessing it may violate laws in some regions. 🔍 Features: HD streaming, multiple sports channels, no subscription fee. ⚖️ Legality: Use caution, as streaming copyrighted content without authorization may lead to legal consequences. 🛠️ How to Use: Install via third-party apps (consider a VPN for privacy). 📺 Alternatives: Pluto TV, Sling TV, Hulu Live, and FuboTV offer legal streaming options with varied content and subscription plans. For a hassle-free and legal experience, consider exploring verified alternatives. 📡📺 #StreamEast #FireStick #Streaming #CordCutting

Insightful recommendations from Deloitte Digital on how streaming is disrupting sports entertainment. Who have you seen that does this well? For sports streaming to go the distance, sports organizations and entertainment companies should consider several key things: Put the fan first. Skillfully use first-party data to understand fans’ needs and preferences and deliver the right amount of quality content, easy access, an engaging user experience, and exclusive perks, all at a reasonable cost. Expand the streaming service’s influence. Consider integrating it with social media, sports betting, gaming, fantasy sports, and other digital engagement channels. Improve streaming’s technical aspects. Enhance broadcast quality (for instance, by eventually moving from 4K to 8K resolution), reduce latency, and eliminate service interruptions.

The intersection of sports and streaming is transforming how fans experience live events. From the rumored $1 billion FIFA deal with Apple to Roku's MLB streaming and the NBA's colossal media rights deal with NBC, Amazon, and Disney, the landscape is buzzing with excitement. Streaming platforms are not just showing games — they’re reshaping sports consumption with flexibility, exclusive content, and deep fan engagement. Sports are driving new subscriptions and ad revenue. With sports becoming a key player in the streaming world, the future looks bright for fans, athletes, and advertisers alike. Read on for more: https://heyor.ca/suyiiU #SportsAndStreaming #DigitalMedia #LiveSports #StreamingFuture #SportsAds

Exciting times for sports streaming! Our very own Kenny Ager, Global Head of Commercial Development at WePlay, was recently featured in Digiday by Sam Bradley, discussing the evolving landscape of sports streaming. Kenny highlighted how the shift to more flexible, pay-as-you-go models is reshaping fan engagement and monetisation strategies for sports leagues globally. Key highlights from the article include: 📈 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬: As Kenny pointed out, sports streaming is moving away from fixed-term subscriptions, offering fans more flexibility. 💡 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬: Increasing focus on offsetting consumer costs through ad monetisation, commercial partnerships, and fan engagement credits. ⚽ 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬: The National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), LFP - Ligue de Football Professionnel, and Lega Serie A are investing heavily in their streaming platforms to simplify fan access and increase engagement. 🔮 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠: Direct-to-consumer services are becoming a core part of sports rights holders' media portfolios, opening the door for even more innovation. Great insights, Kenny! 🎉 Full article here: https://lnkd.in/eat_wkzj If you want to chat about all things OTT, feel free to reach out at [email protected]. #SportsStreaming #FanEngagement #SportsTech

🚨 **Venu Sports Streaming Service Temporarily Halted: Key Insights** 🚨 In an unexpected move, Venu Sports, a beloved streaming service for sports fans, has been temporarily halted. This has left many users scrambling for information and alternatives. So, what led to this pause? The main culprits include technical glitches, legal troubles, and financial hurdles. Users have faced buffering, poor streaming quality, and even total loss of service during live events. Simultaneously, Venu is tackling legal issues involving content licensing and broadcasting rights, impacting its operational capacity. Financial concerns, particularly around securing investments, have also complicated the situation. So, what does this mean for Venu's loyal user base? The company has promised to offer refunds for the affected subscription period and is exploring ways to keep users engaged, such as loyalty programs and discounts once service resumes. Alternative streaming platforms like ESPN+, DAZN, and FuboTV are recommended for sports enthusiasts during this downtime. Venu is committed to regular updates and communication, keeping its users informed about the steps being taken for service restoration. 🔗 **Next steps?** Reach out to Together CFO for expert tax-saving strategies or set up a call at https://lnkd.in/gEhBUk3S. We’re here to help you navigate your financial journey.

From DTVE: #Sports-themed #streaming brand, Fubo, has filed an antitrust lawsuit against The Walt Disney Company, Fox Corporation, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), following its plans to form a joint #US #sport streaming giant, alleging that the joint project will destroy competition and inflate prices for consumers. Fubo claimed the #Disney, #Fox and #WBD have engaged in a long-running pattern of stymying Fubo’s sports-first streaming service by engaging in anti-competitive practices. The #streamer described the trio as the “sports #cartel” which has “leveraged their iron grip on sports content to extract billions of dollars in supra-competitive profits”, creating an unfair competitive market. In the lawsuit, Fubo highlighted tactics by its rivals such as “unfair #bundling” and charging higher licensing rates which has created a financial burden for the streaming service. It comes following earlier comments made by Fubo which it shared its concern about the planned streamer. #PayTV operators who carry the three partners’ programming have also expressed concern privately, according to a report by CNBC.[...] According to recent reports, the planned US sport streamer is set to be investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice with concerns that it could negatively impact consumers, sports leagues and rivals. #mergersandacquisitions #mergersacquisitionsdivestitures #ownership

The untitled streaming platform, set to launch this fall, is making waves in the world of sports streaming. With live linear channels like ESPN, Fox, ABC, TNT, and TBS, as well as games and other sports rights, this platform is set to offer a lot to consumers. It will be available directly to consumers or as a bundle with WBD’s Max, Disney’s ESPN+, and Hulu. During a morning analyst call, FuboTV spoke candidly about the upcoming competition, stating "This is a duel to the death. We are fighting for consumers. We are fighting for our customers. We are fighting for the tens of billions of dollars that are wasted annually by consumers paying for the same content multiple times." FuboTV's lawsuit claims that the licensing rates for the rival sports streamer are 30% to 50% higher than other distributors like Hulu and YouTube, as those streamers receive rebates that lower their content rates. Despite this, FuboTV's global revenue rose 28% to $410.2MM, with $401.8MM of that coming from North America. The sports and entertainment streamer hit 1.61MM subscribers in North America during the fourth quarter, up 12% year-on-year. #fubo #espn #warnerbros #fox #sportsmedia #sportsbusiness #sportsbiz #streaming #meniso #hive

✅🖥️ The Streamable (10/31): “Football season is Fubo season, as the live TV streaming service’s latest quarterly earnings report makes clear. Fubo reported its third quarter 2024 earnings on Friday, Nov. 1, and in the process revealed that it had picked up 142,000 subscribers during the quarter, landing at 1,991,000 million an increase over its second-quarter total of 1.849 million. Fubo’s North American customer total now numbers 1.613 million a year-over-year increase of 9%. Fubo is still in the preliminary stages of an antitrust lawsuit against Venu Sports, but it has scored a very big win in the case already. Fubo has won a preliminary injunction against Venu, which means the streamer cannot be sold to customers until it either wins an appeal to have it lifted, or it wins a jury trial against Fubo. Fubo has continued to change up the channel plans it provides, introducing the “Elite with Sports Plus” and “Deluxe” packages in August. Fubo has also begun allowing customers to sign up for sports-themed subscriptions like FanDuel Sports Network, NBA League Pass and others without the need for a base channel package. The service has also made a big update to its multiview feature, allowing customers who stream on select Roku devices to watch multiview on their TV screens for the first time.” ⬇️ ⚾️🏈⚽️🏀🏄♂️🏒🥊🏐 #livesports #vmvpd #cordcutting #ctv #avod #ott https://lnkd.in/eAJZVQwy