Comment: How sport broadcasters have had to evolve

The way people consume sports content has changed dramatically over the last ten years. The dominance of linear television is fading as audiences increasingly turn to their phones, tablets, and streaming services for their fix of sports content. This shift has led to a new era of bite-sized, digestible content that threatens the traditional long-term form of sports broadcast. It makes you think Match Of The Day, football’s most popular highlights programme and one of the BBC’s longest-running shows ever, was way ahead of its time following its first broadcast in 1964. With Gary Lineker stepping aside next season after 25 years, and calls from BBC’s chairman Samir Shah for there to be fewer highlights on the show and more analysis, it will be interesting to see how the broadcast evolves in the coming years.

It’s clear now that other sports are beginning to follow suit. Modern viewers can now follow an entire game’s narrative through concise two or three-minute highlight packages rather than committing to full-length matches. Meanwhile, podcasts, analysis shows and panel discussions are increasingly taking centre stage, sometimes eclipsing the action itself.

Sport broadcasters are pivoting in front of our eyes to meet evolving audience preferences – some embracing a notably more light-hearted atmosphere. Take CBS, for instance, where clips of Kate Abdo playfully bantering with Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards now generate significantly more traction than segments featuring these three former professionals delivering tactical analysis. It’s a reflection of the viewers’ growing appetite for entertainment value alongside sports coverage. Even Sky Sports, traditionally more serious than CBS, has also embraced this tonal shift in its football coverage. Under the stewardship of Dave Jones, Gary Neville, and Roy Keane, broadcasts now feature a noticeably lighter touch compared to the stern, no-nonsense approach personified by pundits like Graeme Souness in previous eras.

The competition amongst broadcasters has never been fiercer. What used to be a straight out shootout between Sky Sports, ITV, and BBC for the rights to the UK’s biggest sporting events has now been transformed by the emergence of streaming platforms like Netflix, YouTube and DAZN, all vying for audience attention. These platforms have big budgets and mean serious business too - who would have thought five years ago that Netflix would have the rights to show Jake Paul v Mike Tyson, for example. The depth in competition has fueled innovation and puts pressure on each platform making sure they’re giving the viewers access to more content across their channels.

Talksport is an interesting case study - it was originally formed as a sport radio station in the 90s, then produced regular content on its YouTube channel from 2013. Since then, it has attracted over 150 million monthly views, and in January, launched its 24/7 FAST channel and smart TV app. Alongside radio, it can now engage with its audience through a smart TV experience all day every day, online or across its social channels.

The two platforms that have really caught the attention when it comes to sport broadcasting are streaming giants Netflix and the world’s biggest sport entertainment platform, DAZN. Netflix’s decision to air the highly anticipated Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight caught many by surprise, but it seems to have been justified by the one million+ new subscribers it attracted. Elsewhere, DAZN is the exclusive global broadcaster of the FIFA Club World Cup this summer, with all 63 tournament matches freely available to fans globally.

The fierce competition and constant evolution in sports broadcasting is only going to benefit the viewer. With so much variety available, some may be selective about which platforms they subscribe to. One thing is certain though: no matter where you choose to watch, you won’t be left wanting when it comes to getting your daily dose of sporting action as the journey to be the platform of choice for sports fans continues to intensify.

Daniel Apostolos is senior account director at The PHA Group