NBCUniversal’s Post

🏀📺 The Future of Sports Broadcasting: A Shift Towards Minor Sports & Niche Broadcasters in 2024 In the ever-evolving world of sports broadcasting, we are witnessing an intriguing shift. Major broadcasters and mainstream sports have long held the reins, but as we move deeper into 2024, we're seeing a remarkable change. Audiences are beginning to crave variety and authenticity. They're looking beyond the mainstream and exploring the depths of minor sports and niche broadcasters. 🏊♀️🎾🏒 This shift is not just a trend; it's a revolution. It's about democratizing sports TV rights, giving a platform to the under-represented, and shining a light on sports that have been waiting in the wings. 🥊🏸🛹 New technology and digital platforms are making this possible. They are breaking down barriers, enabling broadcasters to reach audiences that were once out of reach. This is creating opportunities for minor sports to gain exposure and for niche broadcasters to expand their reach. And let's not forget the fans. They're the real winners here. They get to choose what they watch, when they watch it, and how they watch it. They're no longer confined to the schedules of major broadcasters or the limitations of mainstream sports. 📲💻📺 So, here's to the future of sports broadcasting – a future where diversity and choice are celebrated, where minor sports take centre stage, and where niche broadcasters become household names. Because in the end, it's all about bringing more joy and excitement to the world of sports. 🎉🚀 #SportsBroadcasting #TVRights #DigitalTransformation #2024Trends

How does sports programming factor into the $104 billion per year that media studios spend on content? Here are 3 distinct (and divergent) media strategies you'll need to grapple with as you build your career in any function in the sports industry 👇 __ 📺 1. Linear TV networks: Fill the most inventory to reach viewers at scale Despite the increase in cord cutting and rise of streaming, 123M homes in the US have TVs, and networks have multiple channels they need to cover. - Comcast needs to fill NBCUniversal, USA - The Walt Disney Company needs to fill ABC, ESPN - Warner Bros. Discovery needs to fill TNT, TBS - Paramount needs to fill CBS 66% of content spend for both original scripted content development and sports rights content comes from linear networks. The larger the budget, the larger the allocation dedicated toward sports. __ 🎙2. Netflix, Amazon: Use sports IP to create additive scripted content $0 of investment in live sports rights has forced Netflix to find clever ways to play in sports: their reality-show-esque “Drive to Survive” often makes Netflix the first media brand that comes to mind when fans think of Formula 1, even though rights to live races reside elsewhere (ESPN). Though Amazon has recently started spending for live rights, they also tap sports enthusiasts with original content: "Air,” the dramatized version of Nike’s long-shot bid to sign Michael Jordan has grossed $90M worldwide. __ 🏆 3. Apple, DAZN, Google: Build niche OTT services for super-fans - Apple's Major League Soccer "Season Pass" is fully integrated into their Apple TV+ app. - DAZN's Ultimate Fighting Championship coverage provides unique access beyond just matches. - YouTube will pay the National Football League (NFL) between $2B and $2.5B per year to offer Sunday Ticket, an "all-access" service to non-local games with over 2M subscribers. In all cases, the services are targeting narrow segments who want premium OTT (over the top) content. __ This blend between original scripted content and live sports rights highlight how live sports is, in many ways, is the most reliable and repeatable original content. As media studios seek certainty in their programming, they are more and more likely to turn to sports, either through direct investment in rights, through innovative ways to build scripted content around sports, or through OTT access. 💡 *Storytelling* is an art that continues to increase in value, whether you work in media directly, or you work in any other function of an organization. Regardless of your role and career path in the sports industry, the Hollywood cameras are rolling! __ 💬 What strategy for sports content development do you believe is most effective? (and why?) #sports #sportsbusiness #media #content #hollywood

GREAT BALLS OF 🔥 ! Yesterday, The Walt Disney Company, Fox Corporation and Warner Bros. Discovery announced they were forming a joint venture combining all their sports IP into one streaming service. https://lnkd.in/eJimFXye There's a lot to unpack here. But there's also A LOT still unknown. - Price‽ No one is saying. - Name‽ Nope. - Business model‽ Please. Look who we're talking about. - This feels like a press release rushed out to beat the clock on #earningsseason. No? "Each company – which between them owns the rights to all the major sports leagues and the top college conferences – will own a third of the new service and their content will be licensed to it on a non-exclusive basis." So, this new JV will have to fork over (likely massive) fees to their owners for the rights to the sports, but they will not be exclusive, as the sports will all also be available on all their streaming services, as well as basic cable. Sounds a lot like the birth of Hulu. Not to say that Hulu has not been a big success. But it's never been profitable either. And a bit part of that is the rights Hulu pays/used to pay to all its (now former) owners. And remember, after a marriage of convenience, Hulu wound up the child of divorce. This offensive scheme obviously needs work. It could be a revolutionary step for TV and streaming content. Many have said this will help the players contain the skyrocketing price of sports rights. Sure. Maybe. But this also seems like a great way for these partners to steal subscribers from themselves on a rotating basis. And while they're creating an all-star streaming team, and therefore no longer bidding up fees against each other, methinks this simply points to larger, higher-stakes bidding wars against Big Tech players like Apple, Amazon, & YouTube: OG Media vs Big Tech in the Sports Rights #SuperBowl. Will this hail mary will work? Who tf can tell? There's very little to go on here, and these folks weren't REALLY the best teammates while co-managing Hulu. That said, sports is the thing that spins the wide world of TV right now. And these three players do know sports television very well. So, I'll wait until halftime (or at least until they announce a price) to make my call. This much I do know: They need a name. So, on spec, I've taken the liberty of creating a brand new Brand for the new SportsCo. I've posted it below. Love to hear your thoughts! ⚽ ⚾ 🏀 🏈 🎾 🎱

Some thoughts about the announcement by #ESPN, #Fox and #WBD to launch a joint sports orientated streaming platform. I have deliberately excluded thoughts on what it means for television advertising in the US and its future as that is probably deserving of a separate piece. 1. This looks to be more about the broadcasters trying to future-proof themselves by setting in place a structure now and not something to turbo-charge growth in the short-term. As has been pointed out, there are a lot of questions about this offering (price? name? how ad revenues are split? each has an equal share despite WBD not having NFL rights etc). Moreover, while it is primarily sports-orientated, other non-sports channels are being included and, in theory, there is no reason why this could not be expanded to include all channels (although this would obviously face massive regulatory scrutiny). 2. These are not things that are sorted overnight but take time to agree on and formalise. So this looks like something where the initial stages of the structure are being built - and the questions hammered out - now in a proactive fashion rather than having to be reactive which is what the genesis of a service like #Hulu and which consequently was hobbled by its ownership structure and lack of original content. Bear in mind, when it comes to sports, the broadcasters do have time to get these questions sorted. The next major television sports rights are the #NBA games in 2025 but many of the rights - particularly for the NFL - have up to nearly ten years to run. This gives time to get the structure right. 3. Why were #nbcuniversal and #CBS not invited? There could be various options (corporate relations, a need not to over complicate things etc). One possibility is including all the major networks would attract regulatory scrutiny (which this may well do) and / or provoke sports rights holders who are not in the initial structure. Another possibility is given the speculation around #CBS / #Paramount, the other broadcasters believe it will not remain independent and hence do not want to complicate the structure including a soon to be taken over asset that could make the structure lob-sided. 4. Is this a move a reaction to #Netflix and its purchase of #WWE rights? Netflix has ruled out bidding for more rights but it made similar comments about #advertising. In five years time i.e. 2029 when more rights are on the block, Netflix will be a considerably larger and more cashflow generative. And that is not forgetting the cash piles that each of the Tech companies has. 5. What does this say about Disney and its plans for a strategic shareholder in #ESPN. That looks to be on the table but, going back to 1 and 2, any shareholder is likely to want at least some indication of how the planned service will impact the value of ESPN so the chances are this makes the look for a shareholder more complicated As usual, this is not investment advice.

What happens when television rights contracts need to be renewed and competition heats up for those rights? Sports and sports-related assets are entering a transition period that could see traditional broadcasters lose ground to big tech companies. Read why below.

What happens when television rights contracts need to be renewed and competition heats up for those rights? Sports and sports-related assets are entering a transition period that could see traditional broadcasters lose ground to big tech companies. Read why below.

The right questions and doubts....in the end, this kind of move is another part of the end of these legacy companies looking to survive another day at the cost of more dollars from consumers already paying for this content. This will cost these companies in making sure all the rights owners are ok with thus and still getting their cut. Usually, rights deals have strict assignment and.control clauses that like need adjustment or approval for this. The DOJ and others will be following this to see how this venture and offering stays within antitrust laws, and keeping options.for the same.content available on each company's platforms is one wqy to counter that, but then it looks.like.more bundling cannibalism in its way. A great press release; but so much has yet to happen, and even then, unknowns now will.reveal themselves in tricky ways.

Evan Shapīro brilliantly comments on Walt Disney, Fox Corporation and Warner Bros Discovery on news of their tripartite streaming JV - together with my supporting observations: 3 equal shareholders. It will be interesting to see in time how they vote on and determine corporate direction, corporate governance, independent director oversight, and undertakings of the JV. And, who will be viewed as Captain of this tripartite vessel? I think you have nailed it, Evan Shapīro when you wisely include - Amazon, Apple, YouTube - in your commentary. Fox used to enjoy being one of the big boys on the block buying up sporting rights. Now, and not only in the USA, its increasingly looking like yesterday's ''news'' as rivals buy up sports rights to add to their content collections (Netflix acquiring WWE Raw, commencing in 2025, for USD$5 billion, is a right here, right now, example). The reality is: 1) Fox Corporation could find itself being increasingly 'outbid' moving forward, by a number of media operators with bigger cash reserves (Amazon, Apple, Netflix, etc.); 2) Sports is not the natural home of Mickey Mouse and The Walt Disney Company - it's an ESPN legacy; 3) Warner Bros. Discovery? A lot of content is bundled in TNT Sports, and WBD spent most of 2023 brand building this asset, worldwide). ...and, Youtube TV now has over 8 million subscribers. Well done, CEO Neal Mohan

📺⚽ The competition for sports rights has intensified in recent years, and their costs have significantly increased. Big tech firms and streaming platforms are aggressively bidding to access rights and build their sports propositions, while the market is still dominated by traditional media players with linear TV distribution. Check out the latest study on the challenges behind sports broadcasting and the different strategies to follow to stay on the market 👇

Large Media companies are attempting to grow their audience by acquiring the rights to Spanish-speaking live sports. According to a study by Nielson on viewership habits, Hispanic viewers spend “more than 50% of their time consuming TV through streaming, eclipsing the general population by nearly 40%”. Hispanic audiences are also the fastest growing demographic in America. Leaning into Spanish-language broadcasts complements media companies’ efforts to grow their streaming subscriber base as well as opening up new ad opportunities for the Spanish speakers. #marketing #advertising