Media
Features
Unsuccessful initial tender raises questions over K-League’s domestic media strategy
Pooling media rights to Korea’s K-League with national-team matches was supposed to create a property more valuable than the sum of its parts. John Duerden investigates why it isn’t working yet.
Automated production and user-generated content will help FIH monetise new OTT service
Fifa's former director of marketing and current FIH chief executive Thierry Weil looks back on a year in which the hockey federation launched its own OTT platform and outlines his plans to monetise the new service. Ben Cronin reports.
2019 – a year in sport business
Four Inside Track contributors from around the world reflect on what they saw as the key industry developments of 2019 .
Uefa and Team get off to winning Champions League start but caution prevails
Media rights increases for the Uefa Champions League in the UK, US and France have vindicated Team Marketing's decision to start its sales process early in these markets. But the agency won't be getting carried away just yet, writes Frank Dunne.
As global piracy starts to bite, Asian solutions need cooperation and government
Surveys show that public attitudes to content piracy are positive and ingrained in Southeast Asia. Kelvin Tan asks broadcasters and rights-holders what can be done to head off a growing problem.
Uruguayan Football Federation ‘receives two bids’ for domestic rights
The Uruguayan Football Federation (AUF) has received two bids for the domestic broadcast rights to its national team’s qualifying games for the 2022 World Cup, according to media reports in the country.
Globo and Flamengo fail to agree Campeonato Carioca rights deal
Brazilian broadcaster Globo has been unable to reach an agreement with Campeonato Brasileiro Série A football club Flamengo for rights to this year’s Campeonato Carioca state championship, which gets un…
World Surf League adds Sky NZ as broadcaster and event sponsor
Pay-television broadcaster Sky Sport New Zealand has signed a wide-ranging sponsorship and media-rights deal with the World Surf League
WarnerMedia commits to All Elite Wrestling in three-year rights deal
US media and entertainment company WarnerMedia has expanded its rights agreement with the All Elite Wrestling (AEW) promotion following a successful initial collaboration
Sinclair president Ripley: “There’s a real commercial logic” behind buying more RSNs
The Maryland-based owner of local TV stations has rapidly become a major player in the US sports media landscape, and has aggressive goals for more growth.
OTT viewership is increasing steadily, but linear still rules
A greater variety of sports are now available due to OTT offerings but OTT rights fees still fall well short of those paid by linear TV companies. Eric Fisher asks how soon it will be before live streaming makes up the majority of the sports media landscape, if ever.
The Athletic: Friend or Foe?
Jon Tibbs, chairman and founder of JTA considers the impact of The Athletic’s first move outside its US homeland.
After Leoz’s death, South American football is still battling the ghosts of its corrupt past
The death of former Conmebol president Nicolás Leoz has brought South American football one step closer to closing the book on an era of corruption. As global agencies and investment funds are taking advantage of the power vacuum, Callum McCarthy examines the current landscape and asks if and when that book can be closed for good.
Stills life | Photography as important as ever in the digital age
In association with Getty Images
Tom Hill, World Rugby | Dual award of 2015 and 2019 World Cups helped mitigate Japan risks
Tom Hill, chief commercial officer, World Rugby speaks exclusively to SportBusiness about the commercial programme for the 2019 World Cup in Japan
ICC targets younger audiences with digital-first, data-led broadcasting approach
Adam Nelson reports on how the International Cricket Council revamped its broadcast coverage ahead of the 2019 Cricket World Cup, focusing on storytelling to attract new audiences and break digital engagement records
The challenge facing the next Premier League chief executive: media-rights growth has stalled
The search to replace Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore, who announced his resignation over a year ago, has proved arduous. Frank Dunne looks at the issues surrounding media-rights growth and the challenges Scudamore's succesor should expect.
Euroleague Basketball’s quest to become the real European super league
Euroleague Basketball's revenue has more than doubled over the past three seasons, and it's now expanding the competition across western Europe, Callum McCarthy delves into how the plan is being put into action.
Free-to-air exposure brings new audiences to cricket, but F1 and Wimbledon still deliver
Sky Sport’s decision to share coverage of the Cricket World Cup with Channel 4 meant an additional 4.8 million are estimated to have watched the Cricket World Cup final. Ben Cronin, global head, Publicis Sport & Entertainment, interprets the viewing figures for a memorable Sunday of sport.
Media beyond football highlights – SDMS London
Highlights of our 'media: the world beyond football' at SDMS London. How are rights owners outside the big money football bubble are developing effective media strategies?
Play Sports Group acquisition allows Discovery and Eurosport to ‘super serve’ cycling fans
Discovery’s acquisition of the Play Sports Group in January this year served further notice of its strategy to focus its energies on cycling. Ben Cronin speaks to Sameer Pabari, SVP, content & business development, Discovery, and Simon Wear, CEO & founder of PSG ahead of the Tour de France.
The Long Read | Potential investors will do well to look closely at the football deals of Endeavor and Wanda Sports
With Endeavor and Wanda Sports both preparing for IPOs, Frank Dunne looks at how the media rights strategies of their respective buying arms, the IMG and Infront agencies, fit into the two groups’ portfolios and explains why potential investors would be advised to look carefully at the small print around some key football deals.
College sports carve out a commercial niche on OTT platforms
The Colonial Athletic Conference’s $4.5m streaming deal with FloSports is helping the conference to build audiences and close the gap on the Power 5. Eric Fisher reports.
Brazilian club football is shown the light, but chooses to remain in the dark
The Campeonato Brasileiro Série A will be the only major football league in the world without international, local-language distribution in 2019. Callum McCarthy looks at why Brazilian club football lags behind its European counterparts.
Digital, direct and driven
The launch of iX.co, a digitally native company which unites the strength of Infront’s digital operations and Omnigon, is designed to offer brands and sports bodies an opportunity to talk to consumers directly and in new ways.
Can new Bundesliga domestic and international deals prove 50+1 isn’t holding it back?
German football has earned praise for its blend of ideological purity and commercial nous, but calls to reform restrictions on private ownership and investment are growing. With the Bundesliga’s media rights coming to market, Callum McCarthy explores how the league’s commercial performance over the next 18 months could shape its long-term future.
US boxing deals promised a revolution, but it’s business-as-usual for the sweet science
Last year, broadcasters and promoters announced a series of big-money deals that promised much and have so far delivered very little. Callum McCarthy examines why boxing’s stakeholders aren’t yet on the same page.
The new EU Copyright Directive leaves sports rights-holders dissatisfied
The new EU Copyright Directive is one of the most controversial pieces of European legislation ever passed, pitting content creators like record companies, film studios and sports rights-holders against social media platforms and free-speech campaigners. Its final wording appears to have left both sides unhappy. And many experts say it will change very little for sport and direct no new revenues towards the industry.