Screen Digest's The Global Business of Sports Television suggests the industry will aggressively pursue alternative revenue streams via interactive broadcasting.
Says author Rachael Church: "As more and more interactive technologies entice audiences this is expected to result in significant increases in related gambling, advertising, sponsorship and merchandising revenues.
"Over the next two years these new revenue streams are forecast to increase substantially reaching $1.39bn by the end of 2005 and $2.79bn by the end of 2008.
"Globally sports broadcasting is at a crossroads. Television audiences for certain major sports have decreased dramatically over the past few years.
"Furthermore, the industry has faced an escalation in television sports rights and witnessed the collapse of key rights agencies. Several pay-TV sports specific channels and networks have ceased operations including AOL Time Warner’s CNN/Sports Illustrated cable sports news channel due to over-spending on sports rights and lack of consumer demand.
"The broadcasting industry’s rapid adoption of new technologies makes it inevitable the sports industry will follow suit."
Author Church is managing director of ArkSports, a London-based sport research and consultancy company.
Sport's relationship with TV and new media is just one of the topics to be discussed at SportAccord, the leading industry conference taking place in Madrid between May 12-16.
To find out how YOU can attend, click on the link below to visit the official SportAccord website.
