Kate Johnson, OLY’s Post

Sport is such a powerhouse when it comes to activating social change; it has a huge capacity to activate latent audiences whether they are live in a stadium or shouting support from a sofa. Two sporting moments at the start of this week illustrated the potential for causes to tap into the zeitgeist, capture people where they are, build inclusion and to ‘have a moment’ alongside commercial brands – on both sides of the Atlantic. So, full disclosure, I may have been one of those people who tuned into last weekend’s Super Bowl to see what Taylor Swift was wearing, but there was another, much more profound, reason to stay up late. Not watching the Kansas City Chiefs pip the San Franciso 49ers to victory, exciting though that was, but Google’s ‘Javier in Frame’ ad for Pixel 8, which features a touching story about sight loss and the adaptations the tech innovator is making to build digital inclusion. The ad – ranked highly by the New York Times in its list of the best Super Bowl commercials, which compete hard in the creativity and spend stakes – shows Pixel 8’s Guided Frame functionality that provides audio description of what the viewfinder is seeing so blind and partially sighted people and snap memories and milestones more easily. It is really touching to see inclusion and innovation collide in such a high profile way. The ad, created by blind filmmaker Adam Morse, now being the fifth most watched Super Bowl commercial on YouTube showing how cause, accessibility or social change-led narratives can resonate strongly. It was a really timely airing as Google’s, Head of Accessibility and Disability Inclusion EMEA, Christopher Patnoe, was a fellow attendee at a meeting of the European Blind Union session in Lisbon this week. It was great to hear from him how integral accessibility has become to the company to the extent that it was clear internally that this should be the focus of a rare (and momentous!) ad spend. It was great to see a similarly inclusive approach closer to home, with broadcaster ITV partnering with Guinness to make sporting history by trialling live descriptive commentary of Saturday’s Six Nations England vs. Wales game to ensure that people with sight loss and other disabilities can enjoy the game. An apparently simple step like this can make a huge difference to inclusion – breaking down a barrier that would otherwise present people with sight loss from enjoying the game in the same way as their sighted peers. Given that 71% of blind and partially sighted people engage with sport through TV or radio and can't fully experience it with standard commentary, this would make a real difference. Fantastic to see multiple sectors coming together to add creativity, investment and commitment to driving inclusion – in a sports setting that is a natural place for bringing people together. #socialchange #sport #advertising #superbowl #inclusion #innovation

JohnWallstreet, Sports rights, Media rights etc. A great speed read. Will read again in full. The nature of sports biz, sports marketing etc, is that things get over-hyped, and that's coming from a sports promoter (me), who used to sell/promote WWF, WCW, UFC and boxing PPV's for Optus TV, as well as get customers on long term subscription TV deals paying out of their bank accounts, so they would get a better deal (price) on a yearly basis. Combat sports and many other pro sports become addictive for fans. Sports fans for life, like a coffee drinker for life. One can't stop! As per old wrestling and boxing promoters, like my distant grandfather at the NWA, Henry Marcus, you have to "talk them into the arena" (stadium/building etc). The right action will keep them hooked. Often promoters will sometimes inflate the crowd attendance, an that includes WWE and AEW. Sometimes it was in the best interests to report a lower number, but that's mainly for the 50s to early 80s, so the promoter could save money paid to the commission or hypothetically, a bag of cash! *I wasn't there, but that's the legend and folklore). Sports broadcasters usually want to see a bigger crowd as possible and as few empty seats as possible. I feel sorry for some of the cricket games! Creative accounting! #jws #johnwallstreet #google #sportsrights #mediarights #mediabusiness #ratings #livebroadcast #liveentertainment #merch #tvrights #sportssponsorship #buzz #newsmedia #media

One of the largest and fastest-growing mobile sports platforms sees Atlanta as a worthwhile wager — one worth doubling down. PrizePicks, which got its start at Atlanta Tech Village, will expand its headquarters by moving to the top floor of the Star Metals building in West Midtown and adding 1,000 new employees over the next seven years. It's a massive move for a homegrown company and further grows the influence of the wider daily fantasy sports industry in Georgia, despite sports betting being stuck in legal purgetory in the state. CEO Adam Wexler said Atlanta is a sports and music juggernaut that helps keep PrizePicks on the cutting edge of culture. The industry's growing clout also affects the profile of sports that were once niche, including the WNBA and several e-sports. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ekkbuBTW

For years, the coming digital revolution in sports media has been viewed as a when, not if, paradigm. Are Apple and Amazon really about to remake the sports rights game or will the digital lucre sports leagues are counting on not emerge after all? Daniel Kaplan explains... #sportsmedia #linkedinsports #sportsbiz

Google Pixel will become the official mobile phone sponsors of the National Women’s Soccer League ⚽ Sponsoring the league’s Playoffs and Championship games in a multi-year deal. It’s the latest move made by the company into women's sports. Google will introduce a Pitchside with Pixel program that leverages the Pixel’s AI powered camera. Using National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) super fans and professional content creators as a means to gather exclusive, behind-the-scenes social media content and sharing it in real time. The program will drive featured footage from the sidelines, press conferences and tunnel walks. Putting the pixel's camera capabilities into the hands of super fans is a smart move for content distribution and virality. Since the AI powered camera is one of the best on the market. Other deals by Google into women’s sports include a multi-year partnership with WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) and FIBA. These deals help to increase visibility and coverage across women's sports. I'm excited to see similar partnerships across women's sports in 2024. #womenssports #partnerships #ai

In a recent article, O&O's resident Mystic Meg Sean McGuire, looks at the next batch of sports rights deals. "... committing to a decade-long deal, with regular escalators in fees, is exactly what blew up the regional sports networks.  In today’s climate, any model that depends on a combination of broadcast advertising and cable revenues over the next ten years is risky, to say the least." Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e_brCcJ3

Rightsholder strategies to protect media revenues - Sports Media Overview (5/5) 🚀 Facing the squeeze on media rights revenues, rights holders are growing their global presence, evolving their competition formats, and introducing direct-to-consumer (D2C) offerings. A data-driven, strategic approach will help ensure rightsholders maintain traditional revenues while deploying their D2C offering. These pivots are reactive and strategic plays to build closer fan relationships and new revenue streams. When is the right time to go D2C for a rightsholder? #Portas #SportsMedia Ivan Peric 👾⚽️🏀 Ally McDonald Alonso

The Big East is finalizing a new six-year media rights deal with FOX Sports, NBC, and TNT, which is expected to increase from its previous $500M contract significantly. A couple musings on the deal: ◾The BIG EAST Conference, with four of the last eight men's D-I basketball championships, shows the value media companies place on basketball, though football drives media rights money. It'll be interesting to see how this deal compares to football-centric ones like the AAC's $1B deal with ESPN. ◾Adding multiple network partners boosts potential nationwide viewership, similar to the Big Ten Conference. ◾With the Big East deal nearly done, the Mountain West Conference is next, likely seeing an increase from its current $45M annual deal with CBS/Fox. Read more from Ben Portnoy and Austin Karp ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/e2JiDuzd

Many will have alternative views on this announcement, but i don't see how this can be spun positively. A rollover doesn't give me any confidence that media rights revenues for women's football and in particular the WSL has any chance to replicate the huge growth the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) saw last rights cycle, and will instead have to double down on driving value from alternative monetisation streams. Sky, once again, know they hold all the cards and can dictate market terms whilst the others pick up whatever Sky doesn't see as valuable enough to their plans. If the media rights first approach has really dried up, women's football really need to embrace and adopt the pivot as quickly as possible before all stakeholders become reliant on revenue streams that may not have the growth needed to fund the expansion of the sports fanbase. #Linkedinsports #sportsbiz #streaming https://lnkd.in/e4MU4C2t

The (other) NBA finals 🏀 Alex Sherman with great reporting on the current #NBA rights negotiations, follow him for all things #media. The largest sports rights on the market for years is playing out in front of our eyes; let's dive in! The hottest ticket in town 🔥 #Disney and #WBD have carried the NBA for ~40 years; now the rights for the next 11 years (post ’25) are in play. #WBD and #Disney are currently paying $1.2Bn and $1.5Bn per season for a total value of $2.7B annually. They had an exclusive negotiating period that ended April 22 with no signed deals, which left the field wide open. The NBA commissioner, back in 2022, made a prophetic declaration that he wanted to double the fees; it seems he may top that! WBD gets boxed out 🥊 Zaslav famously said, in 2022, that #WBD did not need the #NBA and would be fiscally responsible; that strategy is now being put to the test. Insiders say #Disney was firm about retaining its top tier package, which includes the NBA finals. #Disney is apparently close to a deal for ~$2.6Bn per year, an indicator of the value of top-tier sports to aggregate audiences and specific to ESPN. #WBD left the exclusive window without being close to a deal - a mistake or smart negotiating? Amazon and NBC play hoops 🏀 #Amazon is continuing its transformation into a sports destination, offering $1.8Bn a year for a “significant” chunk of regular and post-season games. #NBCU is returning to the court, offering ~$2.6Bn per year for a package consisting of two prime-time games per week, conference semifinals, and one conference final. When you are getting ~$10Bn for your stake in Hulu, you can afford to pay a premium for sports rights. WBD matching rights a buzzer beater ⏲ Once the contracts have been approved, #WBD can enforce the “matching rights” which are part of their current deal. This is where lawyers get involved because the exact definition of “matching” is open to interpretation. If #WBD matches the #Amazon offer in $$ value, will the NBA protest and cite other factors like audience reach, advertising revenue, etc.? Or can #WBD use the matching rights to push for a fourth package to be carved out of the current three packages? Does that satisfy #WBD investors? How will this play out? 🔚 If #WBD loses the #NBA rights, what happens to the cable affiliate fees and advertising revenue for #TNT? #WBD stock tanked 10+% on news they may lose the rights. Is this a play by #NBCU to lower #WBD’s acquisition price? Will #WBD take the #NBA to court over their definition of matching rights, seems a disastrous move 🙈 Or can Adam Silver carve out a fourth package, more than doubling the pie, coming out as the clear winner. We will find out in a few months and follow Alex Sherman for the latest. Views expressed are wholly my own. #media #streaming #sportsrights #digitalmedia #businessmodels