11 YOUR TAKE Niche Sports
z z Prioritise quality: while flexible infrastructure is important for the smaller players to stay agile, retaining quality is a vital
live feeds. This has huge potential for growth, as ice hockey is now the third most popular winter sport in the UK, behind football and rugby. BUILDING AN AUDIENCE With restrictions of cost and infrastructure disappearing, broadcasters are now able to remove other barriers to entry by broadening audience demographics. Exposing fans to sports at a young age is one of the key drivers for securing their ongoing engagement. Grassroots initiatives are proving popular with many Tier 1 sports rights holders, utilising IP feeds for minor league and regional tournaments. This exposure will secure the broadcast future of more established grassroots sports by opening up potential sponsorship opportunities, as well as showcasing the path from amateur to professional for a new generation of viewers. The broadcasting of women’s sports is another area where barriers must fall. Last year, research from consumer insights consultancy, Netfluential, found that there was a growing demand for women’s sport. It concluded that, in the majority of cases, the need wasn’t being met by the mainstream broadcasters. The huge growth of women’s football in recent years is just one key indicator of the appetite for more women’s sports content, with 993.5 million watching the Fifa Women’s World Cup 2019 on TV
THE ACT OF VASTLY INCREASING CHOICE SEEMED TO UNLOCK DEMAND FOR THAT CHOICE and 481.5 million accessing coverage via digital platforms. As wide video coverage of niche sports becomes more attainable, what are the key takeaways for broadcasters looking for new opportunities?
component of delivery. Advances in IP distribution mean it can provide low-latency, live video content without compromising on quality, which ensures content providers are meeting the expectations of affiliates and consumers. potential niche viewers have felt disconnected. While they may be the only member of the audience in their home town, globally they are part of a network of like-minded fans. Utilising AI to customise their experience will help keep them engaged, as well as implementing AR to expand their understanding of the broader context of the game. Both features will ensure they feel immersed in the community surrounding the sport.
z z Connect with fans: historically,
z z Rethink distribution: using
cloud-based distribution protocols, such as RIST, means it’s entirely
We now have the tools to deliver responsive, high-quality feeds over IP, surpassing legacy broadcasting technology. The new influx of sporting contenders offers a huge increase in viewing choice, with broadcasters building networks of passionate fans. Who knows what the new mainstream will look like in a few years’ time? Here’s to a future of diversity.
possible to sidestep pricey satellite links. This provides
content creators with the option of delivering video feeds directly to broadcasters. This ensures maximum coverage opportunities for niche sports, while keeping distribution cost-effective.
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