Media Companies Battle for Sports Streaming Dominance. What Will Separate the Winners from Losers?

With most of the world continuously navigating the constant and rapid changes in technology, sports streaming has now emerged as a critical battleground for media companies vying for viewer attention. Traditional broadcasting models are seeing new challenges from digital platforms, and companies like Disney and Sky are making significant moves into the sports streaming space, signaling a shift towards more dynamic and accessible viewing experiences.

Additionally, contract deals that are in limbo threaten viewership with blackouts when agreements can’t be reached. This new transition in sports streaming is further marked by a volatile subscriber landscape, highlighted by ESPN’s recent subscriber fluctuations and the impending renegotiations of major broadcasting rights. But so much more remains at stake.

What does the future hold for sports streaming, and how will the evolving market dynamics shape the landscape?

For the latest episode of “Experts Talk,” a roundtable on sports and entertainment put into focus all the commotion surrounding sports streaming. Host Daniel Litwin, Voice of B2B, welcomed a panel of experts on this subject including Natasha Sinagoga, VP of Local Sales at Ampersand; George Perry, Instructor at Luter School of Business at Christopher Newport University; Jed Corenthal, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Phenix; and Patrick Rishe, Executive Director at the Business of Sports Program, Washington University in St. Louis. They discussed several intricacies of what sports streaming entails, also examining the main key factors driving its development and the challenges facing this burgeoning sector.

Key Points

• Strategies to enhance viewer involvement and the potential impact of live streaming innovations.
• The latency issues in live sports streaming and their effects on viewer satisfaction.
• The competitive landscape, including new entrants and the changing role of traditional broadcasters.

About the Experts

• Natasha Sinagoga: Natasha Sinagoga, VP of Local Sales at Ampersand, has over 25 years of experience in media, specializing in leadership, customer service, and new product deployment. Her career includes roles at Comcast, Clear Channel Media, AOL/Time Warner, and founding Mobile Lifestyles, a mobile software company. Outside of work, Natasha enjoys volunteering, skiing, hiking, tennis, golfing, and traveling, with a personal goal of visiting every MLB stadium by her 50th birthday.
• George Perry: George Perry is a seasoned executive and respected leader with extensive experience in brand strategy, marketing program strategy, and partnership marketing. He is currently a faculty member at the Luter School of Business at Christopher Newport University, where he teaches courses in strategic management, operations management, and marketing management. In addition to his academic role, he is the President and Founder of GP4Consulting, which specializes in marketing partnerships for sports and entertainment properties.
• Jed Corenthal: Jed Corenthal is the Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer at Phenix, specializing in business strategy, sports betting, and streaming technologies. He has significant accomplishments, including co-founding and exiting from the tech startup meemo, developing NFL marketing strategies, and creating a cross-platform division at Sony Corporation that generated over $10 million in revenue. Throughout his career, he has held key leadership roles in various organizations, generating substantial revenue and overseeing extensive marketing and business development functions.
• Patrick Rishe, Ph.D.: Dr. Patrick Rishe is the Executive Director of the Sports Business Program at Washington University’s Olin Business School and the Founder/CEO of Sportsimpacts, a firm specializing in economic impact studies for major sporting events. He has published over 600 Sports Business Op-Ed pieces for Forbes.com, attracting over 4 million readers, and frequently appears on national media to discuss sports business topics. With a 16-year tenure at Webster University, Dr. Rishe has taught at several universities and published 16 academic papers.

Article by Alexandra Simon.