The FA Cup Final shines a light on linear TV’s transformation
Dave Dembowski, Operative’s SVP of global sales and marketing, explains how major sports events like the FA Cup Final can help broadcasters marry their old and new processes to create a business that will carry them forward
Getting a clear understanding of the change happening to TV viewership in Europe today is anything but clear.
Consider the confusing streaming saga of the FA Cup. According to the official FA broadcast list, outside of the UK, a variety of different media companies are going to be streaming the game in a patchwork across different EU countries while Disney+, Sony and Fox have locked up rights in major markets in South America and Asia. ESPN is now the exclusive streaming partner in the US.
Media companies are scrambling to assemble streaming experiences for audiences, who are moving away from traditional linear broadcast at record rates. For media companies with traditional broadcast businesses, this shift will require new digital strategies that not only satisfy audience demand, but also drive revenue from subscriptions and advertising sales.
To succeed in the new era of live streaming, broadcasters need to embrace data, technology and analytics to build modern businesses that can compete against digital giants and scale while maintaining efficiency and profitability.
Assembling the TV audience of the future
Linear TV has a deep history and legacy that has been slow to evolve in the past 20 years of digital media. Audiences turned to their computers and mobile phones for some content, but broadcast TV did not need to alter much because people still watched traditional TV.
With the rise of streaming, linear TV is suddenly required to change. Audiences are now cutting the cord on their old TV cable and broadcast subscriptions and moving to FAST streaming apps and subscriptions to get a more fluid, on-demand experience.
Many traditional media companies have been caught off guard, with old processes, rules and agreements that are slowing their ability to shift their business.
In a streaming environment, audiences behave differently. They watch content asynchronously, binge watch entire seasons of shows, or watch content on-demand. Only live TV like the FA Cup delivers the predictable scaled viewership that broadcasters are used to. Because of this valuable captive audience, broadcasters have been competing with up-and-coming streaming companies for the rights to live sports.
As broadcasters work to preserve their audience, they are starting to see that they need a way to bring broadcast and streaming together to create a cohesive business model and be able to sell advertising effectively. In the UK, as well as being available on the BBC, the FA Cup Final will be broadcast on ITV and streamed on ITVX.