Live Sports 2021: What’s Next on TV, a Beet.TV + VAB Leadership Series presented by Effectv

Sports fans will find a way to watch their favorite players and teams despite significant disruptions, as seen in the past year. That commitment gives marketers a chance to connect with consumers even as they divide their viewing time among multiple devices. Amid these shifts, media and marketing executives from a variety of companies have […]

The absence of live sports during the onset of the pandemic challenged sports leagues and broadcasters to provide programming that partly filled the void. For Disney’s ESPN, that meant getting creative with its approach to providing everything from documentaries like “The Last Dance” about NBA legend Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls to reformatting events […]

PHILADELPHIA – The absence of fan attendance at sporting events for most of last year led advertisers, broadcasters and teams to develop other ways to reach fans who were stuck at home. Virtual signage that was only visible to TV viewers became more prominent as marketers shifted some spending away from in-stadium campaigns. “We’ve spent […]

Sports fans will find a way to watch their favorite players and teams, giving advertisers a way to participate in programming among a wider variety of devices. Amid the fragmentation of the media market, audience-based targeting is central to reaching those fans, especially younger consumers. “Whatever you’re a fan of today, you can find that […]

DETROIT – Live sports are a key part of Rocket Mortgage’s strategy to reach a broad group of consumers, whether they’re looking to buy their first home or refinance an existing loan. The lender is active in its sports marketing programs throughout the year, and quickly revamped its plans as the pandemic led to the […]

The temporary suspension of live sports last year dramatized the importance of audience-based targeting for advertisers. As sports leagues resumed operations without fans attending games during the pandemic, viewership jumped in the second half of the year and marketers sought to reach them more effectively. “There became huge pent-up demand for these loyal sports viewers,” […]

The new year shows signs of bringing back more traditional scheduling of live sports, though the Summer Olympics is still uncertain amid the global pandemic. A “new normal” in viewing habits is emerging, challenging sports leagues, advertisers and broadcasters to adapt to disruptions that started last year. “There were a lot of unknowns from the […]

As the biggest screen in the house, television serves as the main way that most sports fans watch live games, but ancillary digital content can’t be ignored. Younger consumers are ready to engage with sports, using social media as a platform to gather with other fans and to see highlight clips. With sports fans spending […]

Bringing live sports back to television last year was a herculean effort that challenged broadcasters, sports leagues and advertisers to pivot quickly to engage with fans. Turner Sports, the division of AT&T’s WarnerMedia whose network brands include TBS, TNT, TruTV and AT&T SportsNet, pushed through the pandemic’s disruptions as a major provider of sports entertainment. […]

Sports programming is an important anchor for advertisers in reaching audiences, not only when fans watch their favorite teams, but also when they consume other kinds of content. Reaching them takes an audience-based approach — and that become much more apparent last year when the pandemic capsized the sports calendar. “What we’ve found is that […]

Brands seeking to reach a mass audience will keep partnering with broadcasters that offer unrivaled reach amid the fragmentation of media channels. The Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which were delayed by a year because of the pandemic, will showcase the power of live sports to drive viewership. “The bulk of that consumption is going to […]

Sports viewership just went through one of the most volatile periods in recent memory, with the pandemic having a significant effect on sports leagues and consumer behavior. Amid limitations on fan attendance, sports entertainment became a more virtual experience that’s likely to have a lasting effect on reaching younger consumers. The National Basketball Association, National […]

“Necessity is the mother of invention” is an enduring phrase with special meaning for broadcasters of live sports during the coronavirus pandemic. The health crisis forced sports leagues, their sponsors and their broadcast partners to come up with new ways to work together as fans hungered for live entertainment. “History proves that people need sports […]

This year promises to bring a return to traditional seasonal play for sports leagues that had scrambled to revamp operations because of the pandemic. The National Football League and National Basketball Association were among the sports leagues that implemented procedures to protect players, coaches and support staff from infection. Fox Sports is among the broadcasters […]

As disruptive as the pandemic has been for live sports, the possibility of ending the health crisis with vaccines has lifted hopes that 2021 will help to fill stadium seats and restore a less crowded calendar of televised sports. Higher fan attendance helps to support engagement with players and teams, while traditional schedules spread spots […]

The Super Bowl this year will be especially significant as the capstone of the National Football League’s herculean effort provide live sports entertainment amid a global pandemic that threatened to upset its season. The health crisis has been enormously disruptive, but has shown the power of live sports to entertain millions of fans while helping […]