The dawn of the computer we were told would change the world forever, and there is no doubt that computer technology has. Not only that, but the rate of change due to computer technology has become faster than any changes previous generations have experienced before.
In the early days businesses and sporting organisations were told that they must have a website, as this was your ‘shop window.’ Then we witnessed the arrival of social media, another rapidly changing community in which change is constant. The youth switch allegiance just as they might from one trendy bar to another. As one specialist in this field explained it is foolish as a business to try and follow those shifts. It is best to wait, and assess the market and make informed decisions that best suit your product.
One of the problems facing many sports now is that they see this social media presence as their ‘shop window.’ An area that has more importance than their website. As a result the website, which is still the first place people go to for information, lacks that information, or is out of date. One Sporting body still has their Board from 2016 listed! It is also important that visitors to your website should be able to find what they want in no more than three clicks.
To have a strong effective and consistent social media presence costs money. It requires staff and an investment that most organisations are not prepared to commit to. So many would be wise to revisit their current strategies or contract outside experts to manage this space for them, just as top players and clubs do.
The public in many cases, and especially during these times has demanded that they want to see their sport live-streamed. Which is a great option for many sports, but…
There are regrettably a number of buts when it comes to live streaming, and once again it comes down to two critical components. The first is being prepared to make the right investment in order to achieve the outcomes that you are wanting and expecting. The second is understanding that space in order to know that you are achieving the right outcomes.
This is where leadership is vital. If the Governing body does not have a handle on this space how can individual clubs be expected to?
What is a major concern in Western Australia if this is truly the way forward is how it is not thought about when venues are being upgraded. There are three clubs that have erected new club rooms and spectator areas in the last couple of years, and none have given this issue any thought in the design process. Two of the three have pillars obstructing the sweep of a camera located under the roof of the main stand. The other, the angle of the pitch and the clubrooms make it impossible to film from a covered position. Another new facility is nearing completion and Not The Footy Show was advised that there was nothing in the plans for a media or broadcast position on the halfway line. This is foolish in the extreme, and shows a lack of awareness or no forward planning by those at the club, or the local shire.
Surely, the governing bodies of these sports must be involved in the process at some stage in the planning. If they are not, and Government funding is being obtained, the people in Government should speak up and put in such a requirement? After all if there is the ability to have live streaming or television cameras at the venue, then it opens up a whole new set of opportunities not only for the venue, and the club but also the sport. How can such things be overlooked?
This does not just happen in Western Australia. At The State Netball and Hockey Centre in Melbourne, where the Victorian Institute of Sport Hockey program is based the commentary box is located on the 23 metre line at one end of the pitch. You cannot see the left hand corner of the pitch at the far end from that position.
When it comes to a livestream the biggest issues for those watching, is when an event is Geo-blocked. This is where people in one country cannot watch the game because someone has paid for the rights to that game or tournament in that country. Sport needs money, and television is one of the biggest investors in sport, so as frustrating as this is, it is something that fans are going to have to get used to. One key aspect linked to geo-blocking is if a TV station has the rights to those games, the least they should do is show them live. Some contracts allow them to show the games within a 24 hour window from when the game actually started. This is frustrating as it means that fans need to stay away from any platform on which they may see the result, as after all there is nothing worse than watching a game you know the result of!
There are now many people who are putting the live stream of semi-professional or even amateur sports behind a paywall. In other words fans will have to pay to view that level of sport. Apart from quality, as people expect a certain level of broadcast if they are paying for it, pricing is undoubtedly the key, and initial research shows that people are not prepared to pay much if they are prepared to pay at all.
The other issue that frustrates those viewing a live stream is the constant buffering. There are a number of reasons why this occurs which we will not cover here. It is however wise for those looking to stream to ask the right questions of the supplier to try and minimise or eliminate the possibility of this happening.
This is a very important area as consumers have a low tolerance for a bad stream. Research shows that for many, 90 seconds is the most a viewer will tolerate a buffering stream.You lose those viewers and many will not come back.
Streaming can in fact be a very cost effective form of promotion. Sponsorship of a livestream should make it cost-neutral in most cases and certainly there is the opportunity to create a revenue stream from a good quality streaming product. A poor quality product inversely will severely damage the sport and the brand.
According to Nielsen in the U.S. adults now spend nearly 6 hours per day watching video. Another US researcher, Forrester, found that users watch live video 10 to 20 times longer than on-demand content. Proving that live streaming is a powerful way to deliver interactive content.
When research was done by Forrester into consumer behaviour around a live stream there was no denying that it played its part to “help convert customers already on a path to purchase, it also enables a retailer’s existing customers to bring friends and family into the fold — 48% of consumers have shared a brand video on their social media profile.”
LinkedIn has also invested in research into this space and they found that video advertisements earned 30% more engagement than non-video ads. They discovered that LinkedIn members spent “almost three times more time watching video advertisements compared to time spent with static sponsored content.”
In China the live streaming content that attracts the highest views were related to singing, dancing, performing on instruments, or talk shows in real time. Research there found that these livestreams tended to exhibit higher-level interactions among the streamer and audience members. Interestingly a key component to the success of a live stream in China was “strongly related to the admiration of the viewers for the presenter or host of the live stream.” It has been known for a long time that a good commentator can make a bad game sound good, but a bad one will kill a good game. The data from China proves that point to be true. They also found that the credibility of the host was a key player in stimulating communication and consumption. The lesson they learned in China was that live streaming different genres of entertainment saw different patterns of behaviour from the consumers, which they concluded means that there is an opportunity for sponsors to implement different and customised strategies in certain live streams.
These researchers have proved that opportunities are there to make money from a livestream, once again it comes down to having the expertise to turn that opportunity into a reality.
One of the key factors now is knowing your audience. Having the data and understanding that information to be able to share it with potential partners who can see the benefit of being a part of the livestream.
There are plenty of live streaming platforms in the market now, but how many give accurate data? How many allow your stream to be broadcast at the highest quality and don’t compress the footage? Consumers whether they are paying for the stream or not expect a certain level of product. They expect a quality similar to that which they have experienced on television. So the platform needs to provide fast high definition live streaming.
When it comes to gaming, Twitch is one of the gamers chosen platforms, while experts will tell you that Livestream, Vimeo and YouTube are some of the best options for live streaming especially when it comes to sporting events. The reason being that these platforms were created purely with video content in mind. It also pays to have a playback option after the event, so those who could not watch live can watch later.
Data collection is a huge issue. There have been many who have made statements in relation to their streaming audience without a full understanding of the way that data has been collected. For example some social media platforms have videos that play when your finger swipes over the clip. You have not actually watched the vision, but your swipe has been recorded as a view. Which clearly distorts your actual viewing statistics. As Vince Rugari of the Sydney Morning Herald pointed out in relation to some claims being made, on Facebook watching for three seconds counts as a view! So the figures here are hardly reliable as to how many people actually watched your livestream.
If you are looking to monetise a live stream of a sporting event then that data is going to be essential. If you don’t understand it, the chances are your potential sponsors marketing people will. So best to go with a platform that gives you clear and useful information on your viewers. Information that will benefit you and your product.
The streaming space has evolved rapidly. This writer launched a streaming service in 2014, and the operational costs are now markedly reduced to what they were then. Of course there is a service now to suit everyone’s budget. There are multi-camera options which replicate a full television production, down to someone on an i-phone. As the old saying goes, “you get what you pay for.”
Apart from coming down to what you can afford you crucially need to look at whether it will enhance the brand that you have created or not. If the answer is no, then best to steer away from it. There is no point trying to deliver something simply because the people demand it. Especially if you cannot deliver a quality product, as it could ultimately end up harming your brand and costing you sponsors. .
The key question to ask is why are why are you doing it? Once you understand that you need to ask whether the livestream product will benefit the goals of the organisation and raise its profile? Can you use it as a promotional tool and cross promote other events?
There have been many sports who have streamed a game from the back of a main stand, with no commentary. The players are like ants, and to those viewing who do not know the players it has very little appeal. While this may be a great service for those fans of the club who cannot make it to that game, it is not going to have many long term benefits to the club, the players or the sport.
Just as many people can kick a football, the number who can do it really well is a much smaller percentage of that number. The data uncovered by respected researchers such as Neilsen, Forrester, LinkedIn and others gives those looking to have a livestream important and useful information which can enable this to be a very good revenue stream and promotional tool.
The key issues are having your stream hosted on the right platform, one that does not buffer and one that gives you reliable data in terms of your viewers. Knowing your audience will then influence who you can approach to support your livestream, remembering it has been found that video advertisements result in more engagements and convince customers to purchase. It is also wise if those sponsors customise those advertisements to tie in with your audience. Then, as uncovered in China remember that the host, presenter, or commentator has a huge impact on those watching and whether they stick with the stream or not. As your sponsors want viewers that will turn into customers this is a key factor that is often overlooked.
Coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic live streaming has become more popular than ever. However it does not mean that it has been done well. If you want it to benefit your club and sport there is far more to it that simply placing a camera on a halfway line.
If it is to be the way of the future then all clubs erecting a new stand or club rooms would be wise to allow for a broadcast position in their plans, as those who failed to are going to rue the day they didn’t. It is also vitally important to do your homework. Ensuring reliability is crucial, pay attention to the features that ensure smooth streaming every time.
Thanks as always All White.
I tend to agree that without commentary you lose so much. However I am biased!
Thank you also for your kind words, we enjoyed doing those games and streaming the first game in WA, the Western Knights v Dianella White Eagles in 2015.
Great read. Long, but interesting!
Streaming without commentary makes no sense to me.
Have to say no one has come close to your coverage of the local football, the FFA cup games if my memory is right. If Football West cared about their brand they would use you. But we all know clueless!