However, a Warc Media report warns that the fragmentation of sports rights could be a threat to mass reach
Warc Media report, ‘Sports media in the age of fragmentation’ predicts that global investments in sports broadcasting rights will reach US$60.9 billion in 2024, an increase of 18.9% compared to the years before the pandemic.
The report also pointed out that broadcasters and streamers will be mainly driven by the Paris Olympics and Euro 2024, the Old Continent’s national team tournament.
According to the survey, brands in the United States are expected to spend more than US$2 million on the Olympic Games, while the European Championship is expected to generate 250 million euros in advertising investments across Europe.
This week, in fact, Warner Bros. Discovery, Fox and ESPN announced that they will form a joint venture, which will also bring together linear networks and ESPN+ streaming. According to information from the American website CNBC, Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery will each have a one-third stake.
Alex Brownsell, head of content at Warc Media, said this year’s major sporting events will provide an ‘unparalleled medium’ for brands to talk to audiences. However, Brownsell warns.
These qualities are threatened as consumption fragments. In this report, we take a closer look at the current state of sports advertising at a time when media consumption presents a dilemma for brand advertisers, he said.
The fragmentation that Brownsell refers to was portrayed in the study, which pointed out that the fragmentation of sports rights threatens mass reach. As an example, Warc Media cited NFL coverage, which includes broadcasts on both cable TV and OTT, in addition to the NFL+ app.
(Credit: Foto de Patrick Ogilvie on Unsplash)
