Why Sports Streaming is on the Rise, Few Reasons To Know About

The traditional televised sports industry is facing some tough times. All of us have seen the empty ballparks and stadiums that symbolize the past year’s challenges. But, it gets worse when you look at the changing habits of viewers, as more than 6 million cable subscribers cut the cord every year.

Over-the-top (OTT) streaming has stepped into this void and delivered powerful results. Even the mighty Super Bowl, compared with previous years, saw streaming viewership increase by 67%.

Some popular sports streaming platforms are ESPN Plus, DirectTV Stream, FuboTV, Hulu Plus Live TV, and Kayo Sports. However, despite the popularity, these platforms are also geo-restricted, like Kayo Sports is exclusively available for Australian audiences. And people outside Australia, like some people who want to watch Kayo Sports in the USA, can not watch it without using a VPN.

Here are some of the reasons streaming sports are becoming more popular.

Connecting With People Wherever They Are

As the world moves beyond traditional sports viewing, teams, leagues, and organizations are turning to OTT to stay relevant and accessible to their audiences.

• With up to 66% of video views coming from mobile devices, OTT can increase brand awareness and viewership.
• The accessibility of OTT content on smart TVs provides viewers with the big-screen experience they wish for, while gaming consoles provide viewers with a more youthful experience.
• Links to OTT content or events can also be included in social channels, creating an immediate connection that converts followers into viewers.

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Delivering More Than Just A Game

The majority of games are finished within a few hours. However, OTT extends the fan experience by offering engaging content.

• With content available before, during, and after the game, fans can stay connected to their favorite athletes and teams.
• Between games and even seasons, fans watch shoulder content like athlete interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, analysis, and prerecorded extras.
• Teams and organizations have a whole new opportunity to create original content thanks to OTT. It is possible to reformat and refresh archive footage to appeal to a new audience, for instance.

Reliably Scale To Audiences

An OTT solution must remain scalable, with fluctuating audience numbers throughout a match or game. Especially during high-profile playoffs and championships, there’s no room for error or downtime.

• Some athletes have a larger fan following than others. Stream traffic spikes when an A-list athlete appears on camera and that surge must be handled.
• As most sporting events take place outdoors, the weather variables further emphasize the need for reliable streaming.
• Golf tournaments, for example, take place at different venues each year, highlighting the need for OTT solutions to handle these variations.

Growing Interest In Sports Live Streaming Services

Sports live streaming services enable people to watch sports without a cable subscription. A live stream allows people to watch the game without being physically present, and with the right cameras and streaming software, they can watch a high-quality stream.

And the reason for the growing interest in sports live streaming services is the benefits of sports streaming services for schools which are as follows:

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Engagement

Watching a game when it’s happening is the best way to watch it. Friends and family who couldn’t attend the game can still watch it live if you stream all your games.

Use social media to remind people of game times and to check out the stream once a game has begun. Your posts can even be shared. With streaming, you can reach an audience you would not otherwise reach.

Involvement of students

You don’t have to do all of this social media posting and streaming on your own. These streams can be produced by students interested in social media marketing, journalism, videography, photography, and broadcasting. In these fields, hands-on experience is essential.

You can try a job in any of these industries, even if you haven’t considered one before, and see if you discover a new passion.

Revenue

Streaming your games can earn monetization that can go towards other extracurricular activities and supplies your school desperately needs. To do this, you can explore sponsorship opportunities.

Instead of charging fans, you can reach out to local businesses to show their ads during halftime, before, and after your games instead of charging them. You could convert your current football sideline sponsors into digital sponsors.

Multiple Devices

Because streaming is accessible through any device, it is a convenient way to watch games. As a result, people can log in and stream from their phones, laptops, or tablets anywhere, whether at home or work.

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Engaging with Fans

Similarly to professional games, you can also include extra information on the screen to engage viewers. It may be real-time stats or information about the athletes, such as where they plan to attend college or how long they’ve been on the team.

It would also be a good idea to provide trivia or links during downtime for people to purchase tickets for the next game. You can still maintain your viewership when there is a lull in the action during sports games.

Conclusion

The world loves sports – there’s no doubt about that. But, in the wake of this pandemic, our passion for sports will be in high demand like never before. OTT will play a major role in meeting that demand, and new technologies will push OTT faster and further.