In a fast-changing media world, the premium attached to quality ‘live’ content shows no signs of diminishing anytime soon. And while soaps and other types of content have, from time-to-time, turned the clock back three decades to capture the ‘edge’ of live broadcasts, the plots and outcomes remain controlled by writers and directors.
Live sport remains the best unscripted drama on the market and so long as there is competition for audiences among broadcasters, it is likely that there will be significant competition for rights, continuing to drive-up prices for the most popular content. The big question facing our experts is who these ‘broadcasters’ will be and how they will package, deliver and support their expensively-acquired live content.
The emergence of HD as a global standard for sports broadcast, together with the increasingly confident strides being taken by 3D, means that the televised sports experience is more immersive and compelling than ever before. As directors work to develop a 3D playbook that allows them to deliver all the benefits of the technology with none of the nausea-inducing side effects, there is an even more persuasive case for arguing that television offers a better sports experience than the stadium.
But to wring every last ounce of value out of their rights, broadcasters will have to look beyond live and provide a comprehensive support package of news, information, statistics and even betting opportunities which grab the attention and loyalty of consumers and never lets them go. Inevitably that means developing more content for a wider range of devices, including apps for iPhones, iPads and competitor products.
Sport has its best ever chance to be where the consumer is 24/7, and while it may be true that fans will tend to watch sport on the biggest, highest quality screen available to them, the supporting narrative and background conversation about the main events is likely to take place on mobile handheld devices. There are also inevitable issues about who the broadcasters of the future will be.
With Telcos and major internet brands already playing roles in delivering sports content, there is a school of thought that these are the power-houses of sports distribution in the years ahead. But who will they be, how will they operate and what will become of the broadcast brands the public has come to love?
Here’s what our experts think.
Seamus O’Brien CEO, World Sports Group: “I predict that the Telcos will effectively become the major players, the content aggregators of the future. This is already happening in some parts of the world and the pattern will continue.”
Niclas Ericson Head of TV and New Media, FIFA: “We’ll see aggressive inroads of new entrants into the media landscape which will create fresh opportunities for sports. This will not only generate a higher evaluation of media rights but also offer effective sponsorship opportunities.”
Oli Slipper Joint-CEO, PERFORM: “Technologies will make it far easier for rights owners to broadcast and market television offerings directly to the consumer, cutting out the broadcaster.”
Neil Oughton Director of Content, Input Media: “Stronger, more robust and increasingly more flexible technical solutions will be required if we are to meet all the demands asked of us. Producers will need to become more technical, and technicians more editorial.”
For the full debate see the latest edition of SportBusiness International published October 1.
