Key Takeaways:
- New research reveals that fans who engage across more formats and platforms are more likely to watch live broadcasts, creating new opportunities for rights holders.
- Rights holders should invest in the platforms and formats that drive the most engagement, using each touchpoint to deepen and sustain fandom.
- AI-powered content creation platforms can turn live footage into platform-ready short-form content at scale, expanding the touchpoints that bring fans back to live sports.
Cannibalization is a scary word in the media business.
In the early days of the internet, many media outlets were late to go digital for fear of cannibalizing print sales. Today, there is anxiety over paid media cannibalization, channel cannibalization, and, in the sports industry, cannibalization of live broadcasts by highlights, clips, and other short-form content formats.
In a survey of 220 senior sports executives from across the globe, conducted by consulting firm Altman Solon less than two years ago, 65% of respondents expressed concerns over the continued relevance of live sports. The main fear is that younger generations will continue to gravitate towards short-form videos, rendering the traditional, broadcast-centric model of sports fandom obsolete.
“The appetizer and dessert are becoming the main dish for many sports fans,” said Altman Solon Partner David Dellea. “We’ve reached the tipping point where content created to generate interest in the games has become as sought after as the games themselves. The critical question for rights holders is: how can we navigate challenges of discovery and access to funnel younger audiences to a live product that they want to watch?”
The Multiplatform Advantage
The answer, according to a new report by the strategy firm National Research Group (NRG), is somewhat surprising: give them more short-form content.
Titled “The Attention Game,” the report draws on data from NRG’s Sports IQ, a year-round program that delivers real-time intelligence on fan engagement and attitude based on weekly surveys of 2,500 US sports fans aged 13 to 64. NRG’s research shows that fans who engage with sports across multiple formats and platforms are actually more likely to watch the live product:
- Fans who regularly watch clips and highlight reels watch over half an hour (32 minutes) more live sports content per week, on average, than those who don’t.
- Fans who regularly follow athletes and teams on social media watch an additional 61 minutes of live sports per week.
- Fans who regularly consume sports podcasts watch 67 more minutes of live sports per week than those who don’t.
“For leagues, broadcasters, and commercial partners,” note the report’s authors, “the proliferation of fandom touchpoints creates an opportunity to build deeper and more continuous relationships with audiences. Each moment of engagement can serve as a bridge to the next one, keeping fans engaged between games, throughout the offseason, and across different stages of life.”
Winning the Attention Quotient
The challenge facing rights holders, then, is not how to funnel fans who consume non-live sports content to live broadcasts. That part will pretty much take care of itself. The challenge is how to increase what NRG’s report calls the attention quotient – meaning effectively reaching fans across the different ways they already consume sports media and culture.
Doing that means, first and foremost, recognizing which formats and platforms drive the most engagement. Per NRG’s data, three of the top five drivers of engagement among sports fans involve consuming content that is either short-form by definition or typically consumed in short videos:
- Watching clips online or on social media (No. 1)
- Watching analysis or pre/postshow studio coverage (No. 4)
- Following teams and/or athletes on social media (No. 5)
The lesson for rights holders is clear: investing in content for these touchpoints has become a precondition for lasting fandom. “If the history of sports and sports broadcasting teaches us anything,” conclude the report’s authors, “it’s that fandom is a living organism that needs constant nourishment. When leagues engage fans across multiple touchpoints, they increase top-of-mind interest in watching live and long-term investment in the sport as a whole.”
Powering the Content Ecosystem
The expanding sports attention ecosystem should therefore be seen as an extension of the live product, not a threat to it. Clips, highlights, podcasts, and social content give fans more reasons to engage with sport between matches and create additional entry points into live viewing. Rights holders that understand this can turn these touchpoints into a powerful part of the overall fan experience.
Reaching fans across today’s fragmented media environment requires the ability to move quickly from live action to relevant, platform-specific content. AI-powered content creation platforms can transform footage into multiple short-form formats and distribute them across the channels where fans spend their time. Done well, this makes the wider content ecosystem work in the live product’s favor. Or, in other words, replace cannibalization with amplification.
Actionable Insights:
- Treat short-form as a live-sports driver: use clips and highlights to maintain interest between matches and create additional reasons for fans to watch live.
- Prioritize high-impact touchpoints: focus resources on the platforms and formats that drive engagement, rather than trying to maintain an equal presence everywhere.
- Build efficient content workflows: use AI-powered tools to rapidly turn live footage into platform-specific short-form content that keeps fans engaged across channels.
