As the regional sports network business continues to evolve, pro teams are looking to maximize local TV revenue by making a play to offer fans live game content across multiple platforms, according to executives speaking at the “TV Sports: Checking In on the Post-RSN Revolution” panel at the Next TV Summit on Tuesday.
As viewers continue to migrate from cable TV bundles to digital platforms, panelists said more teams are extending their reach beyond the traditional regional sports networks by moving to a hybrid of broadcast TV and direct-to-consumer services.
“We don’t think the RSN part of the ecosystem is dead; it is simply going through enormous changes,” ViewLift co-founder and CEO Rick Allen said at the summit, part of NYC TV Week. He pointed to successful RSNs like YES Network that are bucking the trend of the otherwise-struggling business, led by the bankrupt Diamond Sports Group, operator of the troubled Bally Sports RSNs.
ViewLift, which provides a direct-to-consumer offering for live, local games from such NHL teams as the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals, has been able to create partnerships with the teams that includes distribution on local-market broadcast stations and the digital platform, he added.
“It’s a very powerful model which brings in an enormous amount of data that allows teams to know who their specific individual viewers are and how best to move them through a 360-degree relationship with the team and monetize in a whole range of ways,” he said.
The latest DTC service to market is A Parent Media Co. Inc.-owned Victory Plus, which launches this week with digital distribution of Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks NHL games alongside local broadcast channels, as well as ancillary content from the teams on a national digital platform, according to Victory Sports chief strategy officer Narendra Nag.
Distributors and teams must work together to generate revenue across various platforms, Kiswe co-founder and chief marketing officer Wim Sweldens said. “What sets us apart is that we think of ourselves as the partner of the sports team,” said Sweldens, whose company has built DTC streaming platforms for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz, among other pro-sports franchises.
“To win you have to maximize the revenue from your content by reaching as many people as possible, “ he said. “You want to create a destination.”
As for the future, LHB Sports, Entertainment & Media president and CEO Lee Berke said teams will have to work with distributors across multiple platforms to effectively reach both hard-core fans as well as young, potential fans coming up.
“The opportunity is not necessarily to abandon pay TV, but ultimately working to reach your next generation of fans across platforms,” he said. “If your signage can only be seen by only three out of 10 homes and fans are not exposed to your brand at an early age, then ultimately the value of your franchise suffers.”
