Media
Features
Green screen dreams becoming reality in Covid-19 era
Virtual backdrops and ‘watch together’ social media services are in focus as sport returns behind closed doors.
Nascar begins to expand audience with iRacing Pro Invitational Series
Nascar's newly developed iRacing Pro Invitational Series after several initial races is proving to be a powerful tool in reaching fans who had not previously followed the organization.
US sports media landscape faces dramatic change amid Covid-19
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National Lacrosse League takes financial hit from sports shutdown but expands digital presence
The indoor lacrosse league, like other US sports properties, has taken a sizable blow from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. But it is looking to adapt quickly to change. Bob Williams reports.
China’s sports industry starts to think beyond Covid-19
Andrew Collins, chief executive at Mailman, and Shoto Zhu, founder and president of Oceans Marketing, talk to SportBusiness Asia senior analyst, Kevin McCullagh, about how the Chinese sports industry is…
Compensation sought for beIN Sports and Canal Plus subscribers
French pay-television broadcasters beIN Sports and Canal Plus have been hit by a legal claim launched on behalf of subscribers aggrieved at their lack of compensation offered amidst the shutdown of sports…
Douyu secures Blast Premier streaming rights in China
Chinese streaming platform Douyu has acquired broadcast rights to esports’ Blast Premier 2020 Counter Strike tournament.
TV2 and Telia in Norwegian distribution row
Telco Telia's customers in Norway do not currently have access to commercial and pay-television broadcaster TV2's channels following on from the pair failing to agree a renewal on their distribution agreement…
Canal Plus and LNR agree rights fee payment compromise
French pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus has reached an agreement over outstanding broadcast rights payments with Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), organiser of French rugby union’s Top 14 and Pro D…
Twitch’s interactivity proves popular with traditional sports during shutdown
Platform was already stepping up work in traditional sports, providing alternate coverage for the likes of the NFL
Interactivity providing crucial fan engagement tool during sport’s shutdown
Mixed fortunes for Australian rights-holders amid Covid-19 crisis
The Covid-19 pandemic has hit Australia’s major sports with varying degrees of severity.
Malaysian Football League targets comeback from challenging 2019
The Malaysian Football League had a tough 2019, which saw clubs suffering revenue shortfalls after two big commercial partners backed out of their deals. In the wake of making some significant commercial deals starting in 2020, Kevin McCullagh talks to MFL's chief commercial officer, Winnie Chan, about how the league is trying to recover.
The race to become sport’s Spotify is slower than expected
DAZN and Eleven are striving to please consumers with their flexible, multi-platform, low-cost products. But they are finding that fans generally want sports content the way they've always had it: live and in their living room.
Navigating the payments minefield is crucial for Asian OTT services
The English Premier League’s plans for an OTT service are focused on the Asian market, but the sheer variation in market conditions means existing OTT broadcasters are still figuring their way in the region.
Under the radar to over the top | Simon Denyer on the rise of DAZN
Four years from its launch, OTT broadcaster DAZN is blazing a trail for sports streaming services around the world. Chief executive Simon Denyer reflects on the first years of operation and the potential challenges from tech companies moving into sport and major rights-holders going it alone.
Mushrooming OTT market struggles under the weight of its own choice
As more and more streaming services come to market, industry research suggests sharp resistance to consumers carrying more than three each, heightening the race for customer acquisition. US Editor Eric Fisher reports.
How NFL Game Pass uses data to conquer fans around the world without hurting TV revenues
NFL Game Pass is the fastest-growing single-sport OTT service in the world, targeting both casual and avid fans. Frank Dunne speaks with representatives from some of the service's major stakeholders on how Game Pass fits into the league’s global media-rights strategy.
Q&A: Sam Jones, chief executive, OverTier, global distributor of NFL Game Pass
NFL Game Pass is the fastest-growing single-sport OTT service in the world, targeting both casual and avid fans.
Q&A: Sameer Pabari, managing director of international media, the NFL
NFL Game Pass is the fastest-growing single-sport OTT service in the world, targeting both casual and avid fans.
Q&A: Dan Cohen, senior vice-president, Global Media Rights Consulting, Octagon
NFL Game Pass is the fastest-growing single-sport OTT service in the world, targeting both casual and avid fans
B.League helps basketball bounce back in Japan
Kevin McCullagh looks at the growth of the B. League, Japan's domestic basketball league, and considers whether it might be the country's biggest sports expansion of the Reiwa era.
Chris Russo | Key considerations for media companies in sports betting deals
Chris Russo, founder of Fifth Generation Sports, takes a look at what media companies need to think about before making deals with sports betting organizations.
“We will not accept putting our content behind a paywall” | Jamie Lewin, Riot Games
Media rights are the fastest-growing revenue stream in esports – particularly in Asia – but, according to Riot Games’ head of strategic partnerships Jamie Lewin, they’re still a secondary target for game publishers. Kelvin Tan reports.
“We don’t just put logos on things” | Amazon Web Services on its Six Nations sponsorship
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has developed a new suite of fan statistics to activate its sponsorship rights for this year’s Six Nations rugby championship.
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 .