While top-tier sports have enjoyed a long and often lucrative symbiotic relationship with television, the wider sporting sector is increasingly keen to understand the new opportunities arising from the growing enthusiasm for online content. Broadcasters are also acutely conscious of the importance of adding streaming options to complement their traditional linear broadcast offerings.
The OTT Summit was a shortish walk from Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Currently undergoing a major renovation – including the addition of a retractable roof – the total investment in this sport business project is now expected to exceed €1 billion.
The programme of panel sessions I produce at the annual IBC broadcast technology show in Amsterdam explores how different aspects of the impact that online media consumption is having on the traditional broadcast sector. Sport has long been one of the most important catalysts for new broadcast technologies and techniques. Sport is also inspiring innovation in online streaming and video-on-demand – and propositions are being put forward to democratise access that global audiences have for those sports that rarely enjoy exposure on live TV.
SportsPro Live 2019, which took place in May at the O2 in London, clearly illustrated that sports clubs, federations and events now see online as a critical part of their strategies: keeping fans engaged is becoming as important, if not quite so lucrative, as live TV coverage on match-days. The insatiable demand for video clips plays to their advantage.
Andreas Gall, Red Bull Media House
Red Bull has very successfully built its brand by producing compelling video of extreme sports. A highlight of SportsPro Live 2019 was a keynote from Andreas Gall who, as Chief Innovation Officer for Red Bull Media House, spends his time looking at how new cameras, microphones and sensor technologies can be used to “give wings” to the brand’s story telling.
Its also fascinating how esport is now seen by both the sports industry and broadcasters as a rival for eyeballs. SportsPro live 2019 dedicated an entire stream to esport. From Formula One to the NHL and soccer, professional sport organisations are looking for ways to embrace esport as part of their wider strategies to draw in new and younger audiences, while broadcasters are beginning to cover the large live tournaments which are increasingly filling ever larger arenas.
The combination of 5G and cloud
technology will transform the Olympic Games and benefit fans, spectators,
venues, organisers and athletes according to IOC President, Thomas Bach.
The ninth president was the first representative of the International Olympic Committee to speak at the Mobile World Congress, the world’s biggest annual gathering of the mobile industry. The event attracted 109,000 visitors to Barcelona in the last week of February 2019.
