🇦🇺 Sports broadcasting is shifting — from traditional commentary to creator-led experiences. This weekend, the AFL - Australian Football League is testing its first-ever creator-led watchalong. Content creator Daniel Gorringe (DanDoesFooty)will host the Ultimate Footy Watchalong for the Collingwood vs Brisbane prelim final — streamed on the AFL’s YouTube channel and AFL Live app, running alongside traditional coverage. Why it matters: 🎥 Creators as collaborators: They don’t just broadcast games — they translate them. By blending humour, authenticity, and raw reactions, they connect with audiences in a way traditional commentary rarely can. 📱 Younger fans want interaction: Gen Z grew up on Twitch, TikTok, and YouTube. They expect two-way engagement, memes, and real-time reactions — not just play-by-play. 🤝 Trust and community: Fans feel like they “know” creators. That parasocial relationship makes their recommendations, commentary, and partnerships more powerful than polished studio coverage. 🌍 A global shift: The Bundesliga has already handed live rights to YouTubers like Mark Goldbridge and Gary Neville. In the U.S., leagues are experimenting with creators on alternate broadcasts. The AFL is the latest to follow. 💡 The smartest leagues don’t just see creators as influencers — they see them as distribution partners. Partnering with them expands reach, deepens fan loyalty, and helps sport live where fans already spend their time. The big question: is your media strategy still broadcast-first, or are you ready to go creator-first? At 365247, we work with sports properties and brands to navigate this shift, helping them understand how creator-led strategies can unlock new fan demographics, drive engagement, and expand revenue streams. Let's talk: https://lnkd.in/epm3vjVv 📖 Read the full article here at 365247 Media: https://lnkd.in/eN298crx 🫵 Join the 365247 Community: https://lnkd.in/eq4x8fif 🫵 For Brands, Businesses and Services, feature in our posts: https://lnkd.in/egP62YtG #SportsBusiness #SportsMedia #FanEngagement #CreatorEconomy #DigitalStrategy #Broadcasting #FutureOfSports #SportsConsulting

Bahrain Sports Channel Prepares for Historic Asian Games Coverage Media Committee – Asian Youth Games 2025: As the Kingdom of Bahrain gears up to host the Asian Youth Games from October 22 to 31, 2025, Mr. Ali Hussain, Director of Sports Media, has confirmed that Bahrain Sports Channel will take on the monumental task of broadcasting the largest sporting event in the history of Bahrain. He emphasized that the coverage will be comprehensive and unprecedented in both scale and content. Hussain stated that television broadcasting will be the backbone of the media coverage, explaining, “Both Bahrain Sports Channel One and Two will broadcast the events live every day. We have allocated seven live broadcasts daily to cover 26 sports throughout the competition, featuring both men’s and women’s categories.” He added that the plan includes live coverage of more than 145 competitions across various media platforms, reflecting the significant efforts made to showcase this continental event in a manner befitting Bahrain’s stature. The Director of Sports Media also noted that the coverage will not be limited to live broadcasts; it will include both live and recorded programs to enhance audience engagement. “Daily morning and evening studios will be aired to keep pace with the tournament’s developments, highlighting key results and analyses with contributions from a select group of experts, stars, and sporting champions. Additionally, recorded programs will showcase behind-the-scenes footage, fan voices, and highlight the most memorable moments from the competitions.” He confirmed that all finals, along with the opening and closing ceremonies, will be broadcast live across Bahrain Sports Channels. He added, “The broadcasting plan has been developed according to the highest standards of professional excellence, utilizing all available human and technical resources. Daily reports and highlights will be aired throughout the day to ensure comprehensive coverage of the tournament in every Bahraini home" #Bahrain #BAYG #AsianGames #OCA #BahrainOlympic #BOC #Bahrain2025 

⚽ Is Netflix’s entry into the Premier League inevitable? In just two years, Netflix has gone from experimenting with sports docs (Drive to Survive, Full Swing) to acquiring live rights that sit at the center of fan culture: WWE Monday Night Raw – a weekly anchor for global audiences. National Football League (NFL) Christmas Day Doubleheader – exclusive rights to one of the NFL’s most valuable slots. FIFA Women's World Cup™ Cup – securing two editions of the tournament, underscoring global ambitions. Boxing mega-events – from Tyson vs Jake Paul to Canelo vs Crawford. This isn’t accidental. Sports are becoming the differentiator in streaming: live, unscripted, global, and sticky. ‼️ Why theThe Premier Leaguee is Different The English Premier League isn’t just another rights package — it’s the most valuable domestic sports property in the world: - UK deal Skyy & TNT) runs until 2029, worth over $9B. - US deal NBCUniversall) runs until 2028, worth $2.7B — nearly double the last cycle. -Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studioss, once a disruptor with 20 matches, has now exited the UK market. For Netflix, the EPL is the crown jewel of sports content: global fan base, multi-territory potential, and year-round engagement. It’s also the ultimate test of whether streaming can truly rival legacy broadcasters in football. Why “Inevitable” Isn’t an Overstatement At theIMGG xRedbird Summit, Adam Kelly (President of IMG) summed it up: “They’re the biggest media company in the world… So why would they not?” The logic is simple: 📈 Sports = Subscriber growth and retention. 🌍 EPL = Global reach and cultural relevance. 💰 Multi-market packages = scale Netflix thrives on. Netflix has already proven its ability to turn sports into cultural products. The EPL could be the final frontier. 💡 The trajectory is clear: live sports are no longer an optional extra for streamers. They’re the battleground for audience attention. For Netflix, the EPL would not just be another deal — it would be the moment streaming proves it can own football’s biggest stage. The real question: when the next rights cycle arrives, will Netflix bid? And if they do, how much will the market be forced to change? 📖 Read the full article here at 365247 Media: https://lnkd.in/ei7q_iby Credit:Carlo De Marchiss A guy with a scarff) 👏 🫵 Join the 365247 Community: https://lnkd.in/eq4x8fif 🫵 For Brands, Businesses and Services, feature in our posts: https://lnkd.in/egP62YtG #SportsBusiness #SportsMedia #PremierLeague #Football #MediaRights #Streaming #FutureOfSports #SportsConsulting

I've been reading this new Leaders Report on alt-casts in sports from Genius Sports, and honestly? It's got me thinking about how much has changed in just the past few years. Remember when watching a game meant one broadcast, one commentary team, one perspective? That's basically over now. From Formula 1 creating kid-friendly streams to CazéTV in Brazil, we're seeing sports coverage split into all these different versions, each focuses on a specific audience. CazéTV and the ManningCast in the National Football League (NFL) prove the same point from different sides of the world: when you localize your storytelling and make it community-driven, you don't just reach more people, you reach them in a way that actually matters for them. As someone who studies sports comm, what strikes me most is how this isn't just about giving people options. It's about, in theory, letting fans participate in the narrative. They're not just watching anymore, they're part of the story. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱: this shift also raises some questions. Are we fragmenting audiences so much that we're losing shared cultural moments? When everyone's watching a different version of the same game, do we lose something in translation? And there's the access issue, not everyone can afford streaming subscriptions or has the bandwidth to choose between different broadcasts. The "democratization" of content can sometimes mask new forms of exclusion. Plus, when independent creators and alt-casts depend on platform algorithms and ad revenue, how sustainable is this? We've seen YouTube and social media change their rules overnight. What happens to these voices when the algorithm shifts? The wildest part? This isn't just big media companies anymore. Individual creators are doing this too. I support Cruzeiro Esporte Clube - SAF in Brazil, and we have the case of Samuel Venâncio, who spent years as a traditional sports reporter at Grupo Itatiaia, then launched Samuca TV and built his own thing, commentary, stories, direct connection to fans. No corporate backing. Same with independent channels covering Brazilian clubs like Clube Atlético Mineiro, Cruzeiro, Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, Clube de Regatas do Flamengo and so on. They're competing with (and sometimes beating) traditional outlets because they have something money can't buy: a more genuine voice and trust. Though I wonder: as these independent voices grow, will they face the same pressures that traditional media did? The need to scale, monetize, professionalize , does that eventually erode the authenticity that made them special in the first place? And I think that's where the most interesting work is happening right now, even if we're still figuring out what it all means. What do you think? Is this the future we want, or are we trading one set of problems for another? #SportsMedia #AltCast #SportsCommunication #MediaInnovation #FanEngagement #SportsMarketing

🚨 Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios Lands The Masters – What It Means for Sports Broadcasting 👉 Amazon Prime Video has secured exclusive live coverage rights for next year’s Masters Tournament, marking another major step in the streaming giant’s sports playbook. The Broadcast Structure Unlike traditional all-in-one deals, Augusta National has opted for a layered rights model: Prime Video: Two hours of live coverage daily, exclusive to US audiences. ESPN: Midday action across linear and digital platforms. CBS Sports & Paramount+: Championship weekend coverage, with Paramount+ carrying early weekend rounds. This ensures reach across multiple platforms while retaining Augusta’s traditional broadcast DNA. 🤔 Why This Matters 1️⃣ Prestige Over Volume: For Amazon, this isn’t about the number of hours. It’s about attaching its name to the crown jewel of golf. Prestige translates into credibility with sports fans. 2️⃣ Hybrid Rights Evolution: The Masters deal shows a new template for rights holders — splitting content across multiple platforms while preserving control. This diversifies revenue while ensuring accessibility. 3️⃣ Streaming Legitimacy: Amazon continues to push deeper into live sports, from National Football League (NFL) “Thursday Night Football” to UEFA Champions League, and now The Masters. Each deal chips away at the idea that only linear networks can deliver tradition-rich events. 💡 Our Take For leagues and federations, the Masters deal is more than just golf rights — it’s a blueprint for the future: - Balance exclusivity with distribution. Too much exclusivity shrinks the audience, but spreading too thin dilutes value. - Leverage heritage properties to validate new platforms. Just as Augusta legitimizes Prime Video in golf, which sports property could validate a new streaming entrant in your market? - Think prestige positioning. Sometimes, fewer hours or limited rights can drive greater impact if framed correctly. 👉 The unanswered question: Who will be the next rights holder to follow Augusta’s hybrid play — and how will it reshape fan consumption worldwide? 📖 Read the full article here at 365247 Media: https://lnkd.in/epU8ZgpH 🫵 Join the 365247 Community: https://lnkd.in/eq4x8fif 🫵 For Brands, Businesses and Services, feature in our posts: https://lnkd.in/egP62YtG #Masters #PrimeVideo #MediaRights #SportsBusiness #Golf #Streaming #Amazon #SportsConsulting

The sports industry has always thrived on ticket sales, merchandise, media rights, and sponsorships for traditional, transactional revenue models. But the game is changing. Fans today don’t just want to watch their teams. They want to connect, engage, and belong. The future of revenue in sports lies in: Personalized digital experiences Direct-to-fan platforms Exclusive content Real-time engagement across social and streaming The winners in this new era won’t be those who can sell the most seats but those who can build the strongest fan relationships. Because when you build a community revenue will follow. What’s your take? Are sports brands doing enough to move from transactional to relational thinking? #SportsBusiness #FanEngagement #FutureOfSports #SportsTech #DigitalTransformation #CommunityEconomy

When YouTubers are bidding for sports rights against Sky, you know the rules have changed. Sports rights battles are no longer between broadcasters and leagues. It’s now broadcasters vs creators vs brands. We’re already seeing the lines blur. In the UK this season, up to 20 Friday night Bundesliga matches will stream on The Overlap and Mark Goldbridge’s That's Football on YouTube (alongside BBC, Sky Sports and Amazon). Creator channels, shoulder‑to‑shoulder with legacy broadcasters. That was unthinkable a few years ago. And across the Atlantic, fragmentation is even starker: MLS is locked in with Apple, while the NFL’s Sunday Ticket sits on YouTube. Different paths but same direction: distribution is unbundling. And the monetisation lesson? Audiences are volatile behind paywalls. MLS Cup’s 2024 linear TV audience fell by about 50% year-on-year, while the league now cites 120k “unique viewers per match” on Apple in 2025… a number that raises as many questions as it answers. Even the Premier League has shifted the model: Sky’s live games have now jumped from 128 to 215 per season from 2025/26: more inventory to hold value in a crowded market.

Creator led content is becoming a core strategy in sports. Sports rights holders are realizing that to capture and grow young audiences, they need creators who bring personality, relatability, and immediacy. Fans don’t just want play-by-play, they want behind the scenes, humor, memes, and interactivity. Examples of how governing bodies and leagues are partnering with creatives: • CazéTV x FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States → every game streamed by Casimiro with daily shows and interactive coverage. • FIFA x IShowSpeed → trophy reveal on Speed’s livestream in front of 40M+ subscribers. • Mark Goldbridge’s “That’s Football” → 20 Bundesliga matches live on YouTube in the UK + 34 weekly shows, alongside Gary Neville’s The Overlap. • DAZN Global Football Creator Program → 100+ creators mobilized, 32M+ combined reach, expanding beyond highlights. • Baller League → influencer-driven competition expanding globally with UK broadcast deals (Sky Sports, NOW TV). Gen Z wants entertainment plus sport. And it’s reshaping distribution models worldwide. #FootballInnovation #CreatorEconomy #SportsMedia #FanEngagement #GenZ

Great piece by Chris Brooklier from The Current about the opportunity for more diverse sports measurement options for brands, leagues and rights holders. To us here at iSpot, this has less to do with the controversy-of-the-moment surrounding the legacy currency provider, and more about following the righteous path to true spot-level measurement. One that shows sports advertisers EXACTLY what they got for their money. Not an average of what they got. Thanks for the sound bites Chris! iSpot’s EVP of media partnerships, Stuart Schwartzapfel, envisions a future where the measurement challengers, who have big data at their core, will own live-sports streaming currency while Nielsen owns demo-based currency on linear TV. “The more addressable opportunity is to focus on the place with less baggage [and] less legacy,” Schwartzapfel says. “And that’s streaming. The publishers are less entrenched than the networks are. They’re also more diversified businesses that can afford to try things out and leverage their multidimensional businesses for the better of this work stream.” https://lnkd.in/eiS6Bmys

🚨 Bundesliga International GmbH’s Opening Weekend: Why Watchalongs Outperformed Official Feeds The Bundesliga gave us an early glimpse into the next phase of live sports consumption. The Overlap’s global feed (official broadcast): ~70,000 views Mark Goldbridge’s watchalong (That's Football): 250,000+ views — 3.5x bigger The Harry Kane debut was a cultural magnet. But the real story is this: fans, especially younger ones, aren’t just watching the game. They want to feel part of it. 🤔 Why Watchalongs Are Growing Faster 1️⃣ Authenticity – Fans connect with creators who talk like them, not scripted commentators. 2️⃣ Community-first – Chat, memes, and shared reactions replicate the energy of watching with friends. 3️⃣ Algorithmic reach – YouTube/TikTok serve watchalongs to the right fan pockets at the right time. 4️⃣ Cultural amplification – Big moments (like Kane’s first game) explode when filtered through creator channels. ‼️ What It Means for the Industry Leagues: Treat global feeds as the foundation, not the final product. Build official “alt-casts” for different audiences: tactical rooms, celebrity casts, youth/creator streams. Broadcasters/OTT: Package games as live suites: main feed + creator-led companion + kid-cast + POV cams. Sell advertising around moments (goals, VAR, subs), not just broadcast minutes. Brands: Invest in formats, not just fixtures. A creator stream with 100k active fans often delivers stronger ROI than a passive linear audience. The New Metrics That Matter Concurrency Delta – How much bigger audiences get with creators involved. Chat Density – Engagement per minute, the real measure of heat. Conversion Velocity – Time from big moment → click → commerce. Retention – Do fans stay through lulls like VAR or halftime? 💡 365247 Insight The Bundesliga numbers confirm a wider truth: ⚡ Live sport is the spark. Community is the flame. The future belongs to leagues, broadcasters, and brands that treat creators as partners in distribution and engagement, not competitors. Those who embrace multi-feed ecosystems will own the next wave of attention, data, and revenue. At 365247, we’re helping properties design and test creator-led, multi-feed blueprints. The results are often surprising — the lift in engagement, reach, and conversions can be immediate. Let's talk: https://lnkd.in/epm3vjVv 👀 The real question: what uplift would your next fixture deliver if you flipped the switch? 📖 Read the full article here at 365247 Media: https://lnkd.in/eGHRUY2T 🫵 Join the 365247 Community: https://lnkd.in/eq4x8fif 🫵 For Brands, Businesses and Services, feature in our posts: https://lnkd.in/egP62YtG #SportsBusiness #SportsMedia #Bundesliga #FanEngagement #CreatorEconomy #Streaming #DigitalMedia #SportsTech