Henry Alexander’s Post

📣 New Article Alert! 📣 Explore the fascinating world of 'Media Evolution in Sports Industry: Navigating the Digital Age' in this insightful article. Discover how media is transforming sports, from the dynamic role of social media to the latest innovations in live streaming. Don't miss out on these game-changing insights! 💡🏆 Check out the article here: https://lnkd.in/dH5wPbRT

Over-the-top (OTT) platforms such as DAZN, Amazon Prime and Apple TV+ accounted for 21% of media rights value in 2023, up from 13% in 2022. For younger audiences in particular, digital services are now their preferred platform for consuming content. This is not just about a shift from traditional linear consumption to streaming, but about young people wanting a much more holistic experience with sports media. Read on for more: https://bit.ly/3VgNVtt #OTTSports #SportsMedia #DAZN #StreamSports

The buzz around FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) channels continues to gain momentum over in The States, especially with college sports. 🏉⚽️ FAST channels are unique in that they offer free content sprinkled with ads, much like traditional telly, but with the freedom of digital streaming. It's a win-win 🏆. For us consumers, it means more sports action without having to pay for another streaming service. 👏🏻 The relatively low barrier to entry means that even smaller sports leagues can now rally a sizeable audience and generate additional revenues. 💰 In Europe, FAST channels are less common in the sports world but this is changing... Keep an eye on this space, how do you see this playing out in the coming years? #SportsBroadcasting #FASTChannels #Streaming

Stats can paint a compelling picture, but in isolation, they rarely tell the full story. Since moving away from the FA Player and onto YouTube, the Women's Super League has generated solid numbers, reaching way more fans than ever before. While the growth in audiences is encouraging, it's important to recognize that not all views are created equally! Even in today’s sports industry, we're still working out how to truly value a "view," as everyone measures it slightly differently. However, a view on a platform like YouTube should never be directly compared with one on a gated platform like the FA Player. Given this, it’s crucial to look beyond basic metrics and consider your broader objectives and internal setup. For instance, if you don’t have a large in-house content and marketing team to leverage first-party data, or if you're still focusing on awareness and discoverability, then opting for the scale of a platform like YouTube is a wise choice. YouTube helps get you in front of more people, and you can rely on their monetization tools and sponsorship opportunities to offset the lack of direct customer relationships. There’s no "wrong" approach—it’s simply a matter of differences. Just as the platforms vary, so too do the ways we measure consumption and views. #Streaming #sportsbiz

✅🖥️ Financial Times (7/29): “Much of that, he said, was due to viewers embracing a more traditional TV experience to watch the online video app. “We’ve seen the growth of YouTube being watched, being consumed on television screens. It’s not just the largest screen in the house, it’s our fastest-growing screen,” said Neil Mohan, who took over as YouTube chief last year. “It’s not surprising because if you put yourself in the shoes of a consumer or a sports fan . . . that’s a great screen to actually consume that sort of content.”YouTube, part of Google parent Alphabet, is not an official partner of the International Olympic Committee. However, it has deals with some of the biggest Olympics broadcasters, including NBCUniversal in the US and Warner Bros Discovery’s Eurosport in Europe, to carry highlights from Paris 2024. The platform is also working with influencers to offer behind-the-scenes Olympics footage and other “shoulder content” from on the ground in Paris. In Latin America, YouTube is live-streaming some sports in collaboration with Brazilian influencer Casimiro and Mexican broadcaster Claro Sports, offering viewers the option of watching four events simultaneously on one screen.  Last year YouTube began showing live NFL matches, through a seven-year contract worth $14bn to carry the league’s Sunday Ticket supplement across the US. Since then the platform has also signed deals with two sports competitions hoping to broaden their reach: the Women’s Super League, the top tier of professional women’s football in England, and F1 Academy, a new motorsport series for female racing drivers.” ⬇️🔥 #streamingtv #socialmedia #ctv #ott #olympics #upfronts #vmvpd https://lnkd.in/gD-tHhbq

As we know, Netflix has chosen to avoid live sports streaming rights, focusing instead on a strategy that includes sports-related docuseries. Over the course of a couple years, Netflix has boomed in this field, debuting popular series such as "Last Chance U",  "Sign Stealer", "Hope Solo vs. U.S. Soccer", "Icarus" and more. This approach differentiates Netflix from its competitors and contributes to its overall success. Rightfully, Netflix has found that these docuseries attract wide audiences and generate a sustained viewer engagement over time. This strategy allows Netflix to capitalize on sports' popularity without the significant costs and logistical challenges associated with live sports broadcasting. I am very excited to follow along their journey and keep a look out for other rising docuseries. With each release, Netflix continues to push boundaries and redefine how we engage with sports content. This innovative approach not only offers in-depth storytelling but also provides fresh perspectives on  professional athletes. Esquire Group Inc.

🥇 While athletes were vying for gold at the Paris Olympic Games, another champion emerged – discovery+! Crowned the UK’s fastest-growing streaming service in August, they saw huge gains as audiences flocked to the platform to watch the events. But now comes the ultimate challenge: retention From offering experiences to effective retention strategies, Recurly CMO, Lina M. Tonk, shares her insights with Broadcast Now on how subscription businesses can leverage major events like the Olympics to build a long-term subscriber base. #CustomerRetention #CustomerExperience #SubscriptionGrowth

From the Super Bowl to the Olympics, streaming is reshaping the way sports fans watch and engage with sports—meaning advertisers need to recalibrate how to connect with fans. Check out our recent blog post with The Drum on what brands should be considering when advertising as people's favorite athletes take the screen. 📊🏅 👉One key tip: the 30-second ad spot isn’t the only option. Brands can enhance sports fan experiences by advertising directly on the Home Screen and including a countdown clock or QR code to order food for the game! 🍕📲 Read it here: https://hubs.ly/Q02zxx-P0

#Advertising during live sports has historically been through the lens of mass reach and limited targeting via traditional linear channels. Sports themselves in the #D2C era have not been able to tap into this marketplace at all. Well all that's being flipped on its head thanks to #streaming and new technology facilitating its evolution - and media buyers are starting to take note. On this week's #StreamTimeSports,I was joined by Paul Gelb from the HAUS EFFECT, and Scott Young, co-founder and chief product officer at Transmit Live, to share their first hand experiences on how brands can make the most of sports advertising in this new era, and how media buyers are adopting the the power of live streaming sports to be more targeted in their marketing. Transmit is one of these businesses that have been flying underneath the radar for some time - but they're technology is opening up the playbooks for sports rights holders and streaming platforms to generate way more ROI on their live sporting events. We've seen that a subs-only approach doesn't work - and ad lead approaches are the way for sports to regain the scalability it's been achieving through linear - but with the power to be hyper-targeted and ultimately bringing in way more ad dollars from across the industry now that the tech is there to facilitate it. Key points on the pod: - How can ad-supported streaming complement subscription models? - Why is live sports still the top destination for advertising? - How can technology help small brands maximise their returns? - What are the new opportunities streaming presents for media buying? - What impact does ad technology have on the consumer? Take a listen and let me know what you think: https://lnkd.in/efYvPiHt

Every few weeks, we hear about the next extraordinary sum a streaming platform has paid for exclusive rights to stream a premium sports event. But as Media Universe Cartographer Evan Shapīro Shapiro says, "Everybody has a National Football League (NFL) game now," so is it worth it? Are streamers really gaining or retaining enough subscriptions by licensing these events to justify what they're paying for them? Shapiro and Hub Entertainment Research Principal Jon Giegengack debate the value of sports vs. scripted content and other subscriber plays in this clip from #StreamingConnect #streamingmediamagazine #streamingmedia #ott #ctv #ctvadvertising #sportsstreaming