Mike Hauptman’s Post

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

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

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

Fubo stops Venu's sports platform - what next? "Sports-first live TV streaming platform fuboTV Network has been successful in stopping the launch of The Walt Disney Company, Fox and Warner Bros Discovery’s Venu Sports joint venture (JV) after its request for a preliminary injunction was approved by the US District Court, Southern District of New York on August 16th." "Fubo had sought to stop the launch of the JV that would have controlled roughly 60 per cent which to 80 per cent of live broadcast sports content, according to its partners. Fubo presented evidence of the JV’s primary effect of limiting competition, removing consumer choice, and ultimately leading to steep price hikes for consumers and boosting profits for the partners. Fubo’s goal is to ensure a competitive sports streaming marketplace that offers consumers choice, affordable pricing, flexibility and innovation." So, the JV is on hold at the moment, the biggest shift to change the #media landscape with #streamingplatforms has hit a huge setback. What will happen next? The concerns that Fubo brings up are completely legitimate about price fixing, anti-competitive concerns, and under normal circumstances, it would seem like a clear monopolistic practice. And yet, given the changing state of the market, it seems that we will have to get used to more legacy businesses joining forces. In the long-term, it seems like it's one of two ways to survive, that and bundling. Traditional moves that would be considered monopolistic, like Discovery and Warner joining forces, has to be seen in the context of the current market, their traditional business model is changing and their losing money. Perhaps the sports platform, with its inelastic demand, is too big an issue, and domination of rights will allow for abuse. However, on other platforms, general entertainment and even some more sports, it seems inevitable we will see further market consolidation. How do you move towards the future without threatening anti-trust practices? #streamingmedia #streaming #tvindustry #sportsmedia #broadcastmedia #broadcasting #mediaindustry #antitrust https://lnkd.in/eJ6_U6VF

Upcoming sports streaming service, Venu, announced its pricing today-- $42.99/month. -Warner Bros. Discovery, Fox and Disney's ESPN joined forces earlier this year in this streaming joint venture, which plans to launch this fall and include 14 live traditional TV channels and all of the sports these three media giants currently offer. -This price point shouldn't come as a surprise. Direct-to-consumer sports streaming services are typically offered at higher prices so it won't shake up the traditional pay TV bundle, which shells out big fees for sports content channels. Live sports remain the most watched TV, and media rights valuations have ballooned due to this. -Those who sign up at the $42.99/month will have access to that entry pricing for 12 months, Venu noted Thursday — signaling there could be price increases ahead. -Venu's leadership has said the platform is targeting sports fans outside the bundle. Read more on CNBC:

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

As sports rights increasingly shift to premium streaming video platforms, and as those platforms focus on advertising, some experts say the global appeal of sports could define the next phase of streaming. #livesports #streaming #connectedtv

🏀 The upcoming sports streaming partnership among Disney's ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox Corporation officially has a name: Venu Sports. 💻 The streaming service, announced in February, is set to debut sometime this fall and comes as media companies face increased pressure from investors to scale their platforms and achieve profitability. 🤝 Venu Sports will bring together the three companies' respective slates of sports networks. Collectively, the new service encompasses about 55% of US sports rights, according to Citi Research. Who plans to subscribe to this service? I lay out the details on Yahoo Finance #streamingwars #bundle #jv #sports #business #finance #venusports

"In the competitive world of live sports streaming, Netflix is taking another step into the arena." CNBC reports our take regarding the streamer's live sports strategy: "Netflix may even have a leg up on its sports #streaming peers, according Brandon Katz, an entertainment industry strategist at Parrot Analytics. The company’s huge content repository can help retain viewers who might have subscribed just for live sports, he said, and Netflix’s knowledge of its niche audiences can really strengthen targeted advertisements. Although its ad-tier growth has been slow going, Katz said advertisers generally remain excited about Netflix’s long-term potential. As of January 2024, Netflix’s ad-supported tier had more than 23 million monthly active users. “I think there is still a strong, strong affinity for the platform in the long term — I believe advertisers see the upside,” he said. “I believe they see Netflix has, for better and for worse for the industry, managed to overcome every challenge and every setback that’s been thrown at it as an original content producer.” Read the full article: https://hubs.ly/Q02xsyWf0

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.