Recently, Netflix announced its entry into live sports broadcasts through the ‘Netflix Cup’, a program that will combine the modalities of motor sports and golf, already represented in the series present in the platform’s catalog. Following the trend of its main competitors, such as Prime Video, Apple TV+, Star+, the initiative of the American media service represents the consolidation of the merger between sports and streaming platforms.
These platforms, which offer convenience and accessibility to customers, have gained significant space in public preferences. According to the “Mobile Market Analysis 2023”, developed by Rocket Lab, the global streaming market generated approximately $7.2 billion in 2022, while the expectation for 2027 is to double this figure.
For Renê Salviano, sports marketing specialist, the current scenario is positive, but also challenging. “The convergence between digital entertainment and streaming is an expanding phenomenon, with numbers that reflect this reality. The practicality of this way of consuming content has won over the public, however a challenge still remains in relation to the balance between investments and revenues, especially when it comes to advertising methods within these platforms”.
In the same sense, the platform sports segment also records high figures. MLS, broadcast on Apple TV+, has a 10-year contract worth $2.5 billion (around 13 billion reais), while its competitor, Prime Video, has renewed the Copa do Brasil broadcast rights for approximately 520 million reais. at CBF.
Another great case in the market is NSports, a sports-focused entertainment and content company, which emerged in 2018 as the first sports streaming platform in the country. In recent years the company has broadcast more than 40 sports; in 2022 it achieved more than 75 million impressions on its channels and, today, it has 1.4 million people registered on its platform.
With this growth, NSports recently announced a sponsorship and media partner with the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB), in a contract that will be valid until the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
”Open TV no longer has the monopoly on sports broadcasts that it had decades ago, a change accelerated by the pandemic. Today, streaming offers viewers not only flexibility, but also the ability to delve deeper into sports storytelling, statistics and behind-the-scenes aspects of competitions. This evolution is redefining the way we consume sports entertainment,” says Fábio Wolff, sports marketing specialist and managing partner of Wolff Sports.
Sports content is not just limited to live broadcasts but also extends to documentaries and scripted series covering various sports. Ted Lasso, the most important of these, was produced by Apple TV+ and has already accumulated 11 Emmy trophies, including “best comedy series” for two consecutive years. Another example is The quarterbacka Netflix documentary series about American football, of which a second season has been confirmed due to its success.
The streaming market in the sports sector has grown among men and, above all, among women. A recent survey by Sport Track revealed that women were responsible for a 22% increase in new sports streaming subscriptions between 2021 and 2022. In 2022, 39% of women said they had subscribed to a media platform to watch sporting events.
“These numbers highlight the power of female audiences in driving the growth of sport, not only as avid consumers, but also as influencers who play a significant role in shaping current sporting trends. This shows that women are not only conquering their space on the playing fields, but are also shaping and enriching the sports product in all its facets, becoming a fundamental force in the sports sector,” says Camila Estefano, General Director of Em Search for a Star, a social project for women’s football.
The post Streaming bets on sport and takes away the “monopoly” from TV appeared for the first time on Olhar Digital.
Source: Olhar Digital
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