Key Learnings From SportsPro OTT’s US Summit

This week, Sports Pro gathered over 300 leaders across the sports broadcasting industry for its inaugural OTT Summit in the US. The top names in sports broadcasting, media and technology convened at Turner Studios in Atlanta to discuss notable insights and trends taking place across the industry. During the conference, one of the resounding themes that emerged was how to increase fan engagement in an ever-changing environment where both shifting consumer behavior and technological innovations present challenges.

We observed some of the ways that companies like DAZN, Twitch and Verizon among others are adapting their strategies to meet the needs of the connected fan and stay ahead of the curve.

Here are some of the key insights we observed during the summit:

Reaching mobile-first fans

Everyone from the NBA to Turner to DAZN is working to reach the younger fan with live sports. All make clear that young viewers have a lot of options to watch "whenever they want, wherever they want." The content owners see highlights as a ubiquitous way to tempt mobile-first fans to watch live games but aren’t sure it’s translating because of the huge change in viewing habits.

Super-serving International Fans

The theme of super-serving fans while still building a business came up repeatedly. The NBA’s Arnon de Mello mentioned that they see concrete results from serving fans on their terms. About 20% of the games they carry on the NBA LeaguePass in Brazil are done in Portuguese via Kiswe’s CloudCast remote video production technology. These games are 20% of the games aired on LeaguePass but account for 80% of overall viewership. Arnon went on to say he sees a day soon when 100% of the games are done in Portuguese.

Leveraging Data to Find Audiences

Further, major rights holders are experimenting with platforms and formats everywhere they see a potential audience. The data collected is then used to refine their approach and help them chart a course in a future that is evolving nearly by the second. This trend not only signals the fast-paced movement that content providers are adopting to stay relevant but the importance of using data correctly to ensure they are reaching the right audiences.

The Rise of 5G

As expected, 5G was a major buzzword at the conference. Many echoed how the technology would cure a wide variety of streaming ills, from increasing mobile bandwidth to enabling higher video resolution. 5G also opens up the ability to supercharge gambling as latency can be reduced nearly to zero. Fans can make real-time in-game wagers, which also increases engagement and revenue opportunities for leagues and rights holders.

Visit SportsPro’s Twitter to view clips and highlights from the event.

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