10 YOUR TAKE Niche Sports
New delivery technologies and production tools are preparing the way for a rise in niche sports content NEW SPORTS FOR NEW AUDIENCES
‘The long tail’ was a term coined in a 2004 article and subsequent book by Chris Anderson on digital commerce. The term referred to the idea that, over time, selling low volumes of a broad range of niche items is just as profitable as selling high volumes of a limited selection of popular ‘hits’. Anderson explained: “The act of vastly increasing choice seemed to unlock demand for that choice.” Certain niche sports, therefore, may have the potential to surpass industry expectations and develop much larger audiences, simply by being more widely available to watch, in much the same way as the proliferation of entertainment choice from streaming services such as Netflix, has shifted audience’s taste in new directions. Consumers are less and less defined by location, and more by shared interests. Screen viewing represents the closest most fans will actually get to their favourite team. Historically, potential fan bases for niche entertainment were disconnected, and it proved challenging to bring them together into an engaged following. Now, broadcasters can target specific audiences directly with cost-effective delivery, and that provides the catalyst for niche offerings. Although rugby has a long-standing history in other parts of the world, in the US, it has gone from a little-known niche sport, to being firmly on the national radar in a short space of time, growing 82.4% in popularity between 2011 and 2016. Transferring the success of a sport from viewers in one geographical location to another is becoming much easier with live IP delivery. In the UK, Televideo has delivered OB and production facilities for the Elite Ice Hockey League. Providing affiliates with cost-effective access to
CHRIS CLARKE The CEO of Cerberus Tech, on how diversifying content can be key to building a wider audience
n all areas of media and entertainment, diversity of content is a key focus for 2020. Until recently, the cost and logistics of production
meant only a handful of key sports events could be televised. In March 1991, the month before Sky Sports launched, there were just 27 hours of sports available on TV. Today, you’re guaranteed multiple sports channels running 24/7 and the variety of sports on TV is starting to catch up with the sheer volume available. When there was only a handful of content outlets, content choices were dictated by gatekeepers and the cost of entry was extremely high. Now that global distribution is within reach for lower-tiered sports content, the playing field is widening to encompass a broader range of viewing.
COMPUTER SPORT OTT means broadcasters need to offer their audiences more variety, not just mainstream sports
taking advantage of cloud-based workflows, broadcasters can function without on-premises set-up. distribution has become a realistic alternative to dedicated satellite or fibre links. By implementing IP distribution, content creators can sidestep the costs associated with traditional broadcasting, without compromising on quality.
3. Finally, live contribution and
There are three key technical factors that have been driving this expanding offering:
1. First, high-quality production is much more accessible. Smaller
production companies are now able to afford sophisticated cameras that were previously only available to larger companies, which had budgets to match. developed, managed and distributed. Creating video content used to mean operating from an established site, with its own complicated hardware infrastructure. Now, by
DIVERSIFYING OPTIONS The current framework for sports
broadcasting is built on a limited set of options. By expanding the choice for consumers, we could start to see new patterns in viewer preferences. As OTT continues to alter the way media is consumed, broadcasters need to offer their audiences more variety, measure their responses and respond accordingly.
2. Second, operating in the cloud has changed the way content is
feedzinesocial feedmagazine.tv
Powered by FlippingBook