COMMENT: The innovations most likely to change sports broadcasting

Sports viewing habits are changing. This was the case even before Covid, so it’s understandable that many rights holders are starting to feel twitchy. Younger demographics are not engaging with sport in the traditional way. According to a survey carried out by Morning Consult, this audience is half as likely as millennials to consume sports often, and twice as likely to never watch.

However, this doesn’t mean that Gen Z viewers are not engaging at all. The Belong Effect Report 2021 highlighted that 85% of the young people surveyed turn to social media for short-form, easily digestible snippets of sports related content.

A Focus on Innovation

It is clear broadcasters and rights holders need to think outside the box to address these changes in consumption habits, particularly amongst a younger audience. A recent survey commissioned by Accedo supports the notion that the vast majority of sports stakeholders find innovation important but the question still remains – what will be the next big thing?

There has (quite rightly) been a lot of hype around XR (Extended Reality) technology but it is also fair to say that this is an area that is still very much a work in progress. Having said that, it is certainly here to stay and with time, we will start to see more broadcasters introducing these kinds of immersive experiences into their sports offerings. In fact, the same Accedo survey indicates that most rights holders believe that AR and VR will be of great importance – perhaps not immediately, but definitely within the next five years.

Another innovation that is likely to remain high up on the priority list for sports rights holders is that of social watching. The pandemic obviously played a big role in changing video consumption habits, requiring viewers to find new ways to interact at a time when they were unable to watch together. However, the social watching experience is one that is likely to remain relevant in a world post Covid, especially amongst younger demographics. This could be an incredibly powerful tool for sports rights holders who want to find more ways to engage younger viewers, but equally important, it also serves as a route to improving revenue opportunities for advertisers targeting this audience segment.

Delivering True Value

At the same time, it’s important to remember that truly spectacular viewing experiences require much more than just an increased focus on next-generation technology. Broadcasters and rights holders need comprehensive solutions that deliver real value, and that can help them generate revenue across multiple parts of their businesses. This includes leveraging data to truly understand not just how fans behave at the moment, but also what they are likely to watch and prefer in the future. Every rights holder and broadcaster is trying to find new and smarter ways to help sponsors engage and drive sales with their fan bases, while also delivering a more enjoyable experience for their customers. By combining clever content and analytics, sports bodies can ensure the right content reaches the discerning customer, exactly when they want it.

The study commissioned by Accedo indicates that AI and Machine Learning are of great interest to sports stakeholders and that many are already using these technologies to enhance personalisation and recommendation features. As competition tightens and consumer expectations continue to rise, it will become more important than ever to deliver a personalized experience that goes beyond just delivering live events and matches on a screen.

A Magical Silver Bullet

So what is the next big thing in sports innovation? The perhaps boring, but still very relevant answer is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. What we do know, however, is that broadcasters and rights holders have started to put increased pressure on technology companies to demonstrate that their solutions can deliver true business value beyond that of an initial wow factor. Integrating all aspects of the business in order to increase monetisation is incredibly important and it doesn’t necessarily mean a shiny new toy.

Michael Shewchenko (pictured left) is consultant, sports and innovation, and Rory Renwick (pictured below) is business development - sports, EMEA and LatAm, Accedo.