Let’s talk about one of the most dynamic areas in all of sports today. That’s the media landscape, which is changing constantly. One of the things we’re seeing is that linear TV is really plummeting, while over-the-top, or OTT, is rising dramatically. As we all know, sports is really the last major holdout that is saving linear TV. By linear TV, what I mean is sitting in front of your TV set at a specific point in time, watching live broadcasts.
In 2005, 14 of the top 100 telecasts were live sports. 10 years later, in 2015, 93 of the top 100 telecasts viewed were live sporting events. Instead of watching linear TV, people are now consuming broadcasts online, on mobile devices or from non-networks like Netflix, Facebook or YouTube. As opposed to the go-to source for content, a TV has simply become a bigger screen to view video.
In some cases, though, the exception is for major sporting leagues and events. Those are the things that still attract eyeballs on a live basis. Now, over-the-top, or direct-to-consumer, is where the growth really is. Many sports leagues are on linear TV, and they also have an over-the-top offering. Major League Baseball, for example, has their MLB At Bat app, which is a direct-to-consumer offering.
The NFL, of course, has their role in broadcast TV, but they also have streaming with DIRECTV. About one third of Americans say that they watch more streaming TV than actual linear television.
In many ways, streaming matches up so much better with our modern on-the-go lifestyle. Plus, the quality of our smartphones, especially with ever-increasing bandwidth such as 5G, will allow for even greater efficiency for streaming video. Netflix is subscribed to by over half of US households, and they’re also the source of some of the best award-winning content. So, as you can see, the media landscape is changing dramatically and rapidly, and it has major implications for the world of both national and global sports.
Online sports management education is a great place to start if you want to learn more about how media has changed and evolved in relation to sporting events. It’s also a good way to learn many other sports management concepts and lessons to form a complete, high-quality sports management education.
