contribution
Live sports viewing: 2018
is changing the game
According to experts at
CSG, it is increasingly
important to understand
viewer preferences and
their relationship with the
technologies that power
each viewing appointment
in the digital age.
F
or sports fans, it’s never been easier to
catch every moment of what’s happening
with favourite teams and players.
Through mobile devices of every shape and
size, fans are immersed and connected to the
sports experience, interacting with content
about every player, every stat, every alert, tweet
or notification — even at the stadium, or while
watching on TV.
In many ways, sports is the last stronghold
of ‘appointment television’, when the audience
tunes in to watch a show at its live airing time.
Fans want to watch games played live, in real-
time, because it’s just not the same to watch
the winning goal on a time delay. There’s also
the shared experience of being a sports fan that
brings family and friends together over a shared
love of athleticism and healthy competition.
For broadcasters and programming providers
looking to become the go-to destination for
the sports fan, there’s a daily need to be hyper-
cognizant of what consumers want from
their viewing experience and closely monitor
emerging trends to keep fans engaged.
For example, 2018 alone saw two major,
global live sports events: The Winter Olympics
and the World Cup. The Winter Olympic Games
in Pyeongchang was the top-rated programme
on NBC and over 19 million people tuned into
the World Cup final between France and Croatia.
For broadcasters, it was a virtual playground
as they experimented both through apps and
through the remote with AR/VR (Augmented
Reality/Virtual Reality) integrations, exclusive
commentary, interviews, live stats dashboards
12 TV Everywhere
and other features aimed at creating a fully
immersive viewing experience. There is now
a new standard for how broadcasters provide
value.
These emerging technologies are causing
excitement among fans and broadcasters alike.
But, to truly succeed in delivering exceptional
experiences, it’s mission-critical to understand
viewer preferences and their relationship with
the technologies that power each viewing
appointment in the digital age.
With mobile, fans are taking content on-
the-go
Mass adoption of mobile devices means that
fans are no longer confined to the home or local
sports bar to watch their favourite teams – or
even multiple games at once for that matter.
Mobile devices can serve as the primary screen,
or augment the experience in a number of
different ways:
l Applications. Sports leagues and
networks have embraced companion apps
to stay ahead in the digital revolution. For
example, sports networks such as ESPN
and Fox Sports have created an abundance
of overlays, stats and scores to try and
make the broadcast even more informative
while watching on-the-go through an app.
Many pay-TV providers are expanding their
traditional set-top box infrastructure to
include specialised apps that can be more
interactive on the TV as well, including
exclusive behind-the-scenes content and
new options to personalise the viewing
experience.
l Social networking. Enjoying the game
has always been a communal experience,
but through the rise of social platforms,
fans can engage with each other on an
entirely new scale while watching live.
With channels such as Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram and others, they can share their
reactions and commentary with a much
wider audience
l Augmented reality. As consumer
familiarity with augmented reality grows,
major sports leagues have already begun
tapping it to give fans a new way to connect
to their favourite teams
and players. In fact, in
2017 the MLB announced
a new AR tool for fans
to overlay their screens
with stats and further
information about the
player at bat.
Personalisation is a priority
Sports fans already have a vested interest rooted
in loyalty and nostalgia – the most ardent of
fans never miss a game. Their passion for their
teams often translates into a ferocious appetite
for content tailored specifically to their interests.
Through advanced equipment and other on-field
tools, individuals don’t just want to watch where
the ball goes when their team scores – they want
to know how fast it’s being kicked, exactly how
far the player is from the goal, and more.
So, how can broadcasters deliver these
interactive customised experiences? It begins
with knowing the viewer as an individual and
offering them the ability to leverage both the
remote and the app to create experiences that
focus on the content they care about most.
Apps in particular can make the consumer the
producer and director of their own content,
curating their own broadcast experience to
watch wherever they are. This approach has
already proven popular in industries such as
online gaming, and sports fans around the globe
are showing a voracious appetite to get in on the
same action.
Failure to achieve true personalisation,
however, can have significant consequences for
the viewer/broadcaster relationship. Fans want
minute-by-minute updates through apps and
overlays, but they wholly reject interruptions
to the game that aren’t relevant to them. Using
interactive apps can be a powerful way to avoid
this, by enabling fans to opt-in with their favour-
ite athletes to serve as a basis for what informa-
tion should be delivered at what time. Looking
holistically at the tools fans are using to engage
with live sports is a transformative opportunity
to create more captivating experiences.
Fans are ready for the future of viewing
For many fans, there is no greater experience
than getting that perfect vantage point, whether
that be courtside or box seats. Through OTT
(Over The Top) offerings, service providers
are finding new ways to replicate this from the
comfort of home. Virtual reality in particula