2019-2021 Emerging New Metrics for Sports Streaming Success
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The 20,000 Foot View: The clock is ticking down to 2021 when the major domestic sports rights in the US and the UK will start coming up for renewal. Thus far, pureplay sports streaming video on demand (SVOD) services such as DAZN and Eleven Sports have experienced mixed fortunes. Meanwhile, Disney’s ESPN+ launch in 2018 marked the arrival of the first of the big guns in the sports streaming space. It remains to be seen which is optimally placed to capitalise on the 2021 opportunity, with success ultimately depending upon a winning combination of tech stack, social reach and commercial clout to meet the only modestly reduced expectations of the leagues. The stakes have rarely been so high. The winner could cement its role as the go-to sports provider for the next decade.
Key Findings
- Attention has a scarce commodity, and without compelling value proposition, sports streaming will struggle to displace pay-TV
- The top leagues have a combined social of million, however social reach unevenly distributed and does not to league value
- The National League (NFL), which earned billion 2017, only ranks sixth in of social media following, with half the size of the Basketball Association (NBA)’s following
- The tech focus on global reach matters leagues with global audiences (e.g. English Premier League (EPL) and NBA) at a distinct advantage the NFL and Major League (MLB)
- The demands the attention economy will consolidate licensing to a few sports creating a superstar effect with sports pushed to the side
- Streaming services not yet competing for top domestic rights, instead preferring to up smaller packages to test waters for live streaming
- A blend big budgets, tech stacks and reach will determine the next of major rights
Companies and brands mentioned in this report: ABC,AFL, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon, Apple, AppleTV+, CBS, DAZN, DirecTV, Disney, Disney+, Eleven Sports, English Premier League, ESPN, ESPN+, Facebook, Fox, Gallagher, Premiership Rugby, Houston Rockets, Hulu, IPL, KFC Big Bash, La Liga, MLB, NBA China, NBA, NBC, Netflix, NFL, NHL, NRL, Serie A, TBS, Tencent, TNT, UEFA Champions League, UFC, Verizon, Warner Media, WeChat, WWE