Glen Killane

FTA sport's economic benefit "An independent report commissioned by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) from Oxford Economics estimates that the economic impact of public service media (PSM) sports broadcasting contributed €4.9 billion to Europe’s GDP and supported over 60,000 jobs in 2022. The findings include direct contributions from content production and broadcasting and significant indirect and induced impacts due to supply chain spending and employees’ consumer expenditure. The study also explores wider impacts, such as the way in which PSM coverage attracts sponsorship income for sport." It's a really interesting finding. Conventional wisdom is that sports is so popular that people will pay for it, and take adverts, and so there is big incentive to keep behind a paywall. It's what still is the lynchpin for #paytv and keeps it going. That's why in the UK the Premier League is on Sky on pay-TV. In Spain La Liga is on Movistar, DAZN and Orange, Germany, DAZN Sky Deutschland etc etc. And yet, when you have big events like the World Cup both mens and womens football, the European Cup, Rugby, Cricket etc. these are on FTA, and drive much greater viewing than paytv, and even with the appeal of sports, the reach on FTA is so much greater, and it will people who wouldn't normally get involved in national events, suddenly tune in. "The report also reveals the many benefits of FTA sports broadcasting on culture and society, reinforcing the pivotal and unifying role of PSM organisations in this space. “Our analysis unveils a symbiotic relationship between free-to-air sports broadcasting and economic vitality, illustrating the far-reaching ripple effects of this dynamic industry right across the continent,” commented Doug Godden, Lead Economist at Oxford Economics and author of the report. “What’s more, providing sporting action to audiences for free has great value to the public of the countries in which EBU Members operate.”....As well as providing broader economic advantages such as leveraging additional income streams for sports through sponsorship, advertising revenue and event hosting fees (and often stimulating local tourism from visiting sports fans), FTA media exposure can also help grow and expand the fan base of ‘emerging’ sports, leading to increased gate receipts and merchandising." With the move towards #FTA #streaming i.e. #FASTchannels will we see more of a move to FTA television in the #traditionaltv sphere. Will pay-TV eventually converge with SVOD? Maintaining a paywall like this? #television #sports #livesports #football #livefootball #livetv #tvindustry #mediaindustry https://lnkd.in/eQqkibjK

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"We lead with passion and purpose to drive profitability, where we never sacrifice impact for profit or profit for impact." Julie Uhrman, co-founder and president of Angel City Football Club, was our guest on the World Football Summit podcast this week and she delivered a remarkable sports business masterclass. Here's why: 👉 Women's sports aren't charity—they're serious business. Angel City FC is rewriting the playbook, proving that purpose and profit can play on the same team. They've built a huge brand that has global ambitions while maintaining a local pulse, generating revenue through innovative sponsorships and merchandise while maintaining a strong community focus. It’s more than women's football, it's a movement. 👉 Pricing isn't just about numbers—it's about respect. When you pay $5 to see world-class athletes, what message are you sending? Angel City's bold pricing strategy isn't just about revenue—it's a value statement. By pricing tickets to reflect the quality of play, they're challenging perceptions and educating fans. It's a powerful reminder: you wouldn't pay peanuts to see Messi, so why should it be different for top women players? 👉 Forget storytelling. It's time for storydoing. Angel City doesn't just talk about diversity and inclusion—they live it, breathe it, and score goals with it. From their diverse player roster to their inclusive game-day experiences, their actions speak louder than any marketing campaign ever could. It's not about what you say; it's about what you actually do. 👉 Tomorrow's soccer clubs aren't just teams—they're platforms for change. The Angel City Equity Summit? That's just the beginning. Angel City FC is showing us that a soccer club can be so much more than 11 players on a pitch. They're a catalyst for social impact, a hub for community engagement, and a powerful voice in the fight for equity. They're proving that sports can be a vehicle for broader societal change. 👉 The future of football isn't just about who's on the pitch—it's about equity across the board. As Julie puts it, "The football we want is pay equity for the players. The football we need is equity for women's sports." Angel City FC isn't just changing the game—they're creating an entirely new playing field. They're showing us what's possible when we invest in women's sports with the seriousness and passion they deserve. Interviewing Julie was a career highlight; a huge thank you to her and the entire Angel City FC team for the opportunity to learn from you. The question now isn't whether women's sports can be profitable. The question is: are we bold enough to invest in them like we mean it? Are we ready to challenge our assumptions and create a new paradigm in sports? Available on your favorite podcast platform!

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Achieving Offensive Balance: Maximizing Success on the Field Find out how a balanced offensive approach can lead to greater success on the field. Join us as we discuss the importance of running the ball and physicality in football, using real-life examples. Don't miss out on this valuable insight! #OffensiveBalance #FootballSuccess #PhysicalityMatters #RunningGame #WinningStrategy #GridironTactics #GamePlan #TeamPerformance #FootballInsights #OnTheFieldSuccess

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Very interesting article here regarding the free-to-air sports broadcasting landscape across Europe. Some key takeaways: - Free-to-Air (FTA) broadcast contributed €4.9bn to the European economy. - Direct impact showed Public Service Media and broadcasting of sports content contributed approximately €900m and employed over 5,000 workers. - FTA sports broadcasting supported more than 60,000 jobs in 2022 across Europe. #sportsbroadcasting #europeansport

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An insightful article by Marco Ferri on The Football Foundation for Africa blog reflecting on the newly launched African Football League (#AFL) and its impact on the football ecosystem. In my view, the time is right for Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) to move #AFCON and #WAFCON to a four-year cycle. #CHAN and other (commercially) less developed competitions can be more regular but regionalised to strengthen #CAF's subsidiaries. AFL and club football, in general, need a critical appraisal to develop suitable models that guarantee sustainable commercialisation.

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UEFA EURO 2024 - could it be a blockbuster for streaming platforms? Germany is currently hosting EURO 2024 after being selected to host the 17th edition of the UEFA European Championship at the UEFA Executive Committee meeting in Lyon on 27 September 2018. West Germany hosted the 1988 edition, but this is the first time since reunification that Germany has hosted the UEFA European Championship. Football, known as soccer in the USA, is the biggest and most important event in Europe. It has captured the attention of sports fans since its inception. UEFA eEURO 2024 kicked off with online qualifying in March 2024 and will conclude with the final in Germany this summer. EA SPORTS FC™ 24 is the official platform for UEFA's eEURO. TV broadcast in 48 European countries and 180 countries and territories in the rest of the world. Fans can also watch the matches on several streaming platforms including: Servus TV, RaiPlay, BBC iPlayer, RTE Player, ITVX, FuboTV, SlingTV, Hulu+LiveTV, DirecTV Stream and others. EURO 2020, held in 2021 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, generated almost €521 million in commercial revenue, a slight increase on the previous tournament. Overall, EURO 2020 generated more than €1.88 billion in revenue, with broadcasting rights alone contributing more than €1.1 billion. The second largest source of revenue was commercial rights, which amounted to €520.8 million. Broadcasting rights are UEFA's largest revenue stream, with broadcasters collectively paying billions for the rights to competitions such as the Champions League and European Championship. In 2022/23, UEFA's revenue from broadcasting rights was almost €3.6 billion, an increase of around five per cent on the previous season. Football has around 4 billion fans around the world, that's a huge number. That means money. At the moment, TV broadcasters clearly have a big advantage. Streaming platforms are just getting a tiny slice of that cake. Is there a way to get more? How to convince viewers to choose platforms instead of TV channels? The answers to these questions are very interesting.  Also, could sporting events like the Euro bring new customers to the streaming market? Watching UEFA matches on streaming platforms can offer something that TV channels simply cannot. Watching matches when we have time, checking out other matches that are being played at the same time and much more. I think it's a great opportunity for the streaming market, hopefully it will be noticed and taken advantage of. Let me know what you think in the comments. You can find a link to the full article in the first comment under this post. Follow my profile to stay up-to-date when it comes to industry news, technology updates, and market analysis. #SzymonKarbowski #StreamVX #videostreaming #EURO2024 #UEFA #ChampionsLeague #EuropeanChampionship #BBCiPlayer #HuluLiveTV #DirecTVStream

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My belief remains that live broadcast of football should adopt the same model as Fortuna Dusseldorf (Credit Andy Marston). Leagues, Clubs and players and these days, long term institutional investors, should ask themselves, is it better for my content to be consumed by ~3m paytv customers in UK every month or 20m+ FTA viewers. Which model would build more longer term value? The NFL has long figured out the answer. We at LiveScore Group still have a vision to make this happen. We haven't achieved the necessary unit economics yet to progress but we are not too far! https://lnkd.in/d8vAhqAa

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This week we delved into the state of the Premier League right now. We often tend to look back too fondly on the past, but does the Premier League have the same entertainment value now as it did ten, or even 15 years ago? Is individual brilliance a thing of the past? Has football become too systematic? Are we too focused on stats and analytics? We tried to answer all those questions and more on this week’s episode. https://lnkd.in/esbwRAPn

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As the transfer window really ramps up, here's our insight into the anatomy of a football transfer. Take it away Reevaldo and co! See https://lnkd.in/d_mKuzMx for more football related stories and legal insight. #sportslaw #footballagent #transferwindow

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In the first of a new Unofficial Partner blog series, Jacques Bassili and Buddhika Rajapakse, explore the apparent contradictions in how the NFL is run and what other sports can learn from it. They ask the question: "Why is the NFL so socialist - and what can other sports leagues learn from it?" Check out their insightful analysis here: https://lnkd.in/evhUEaUa #NFL #sportsindustry #socialism

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The recent confirmation of Ruben Amorim’s departure to Manchester United plunges Sporting Clube de Portugal into a crisis that once again exposes the fragility in Frederico Varandas’ management. Since the beginning of his term, Varandas has never managed to quell the tense atmosphere surrounding the club. On the contrary, discontent has grown and resonated in protests, even among long-standing supporters, who are traditionally more conservative and loyal to the board. Failures in countless signings and clashes with historical figures and the supporter groups have contributed to this weariness, which only subsided temporarily with the arrival of Rúben Amorim and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amorim’s brief history, marked by a turbulent exit from SC Braga, already signaled the potential for a similar scenario. His growing market value, combined with an ambitious personal project, highlighted the need for strategic planning by the club’s management. After winning the 2nd league title and with a promising coach at the helm, two options remained: a financially advantageous departure or a contract renewal with a robust release clause, ensuring Amorim’s stay until the season’s end with an option for a cost-free exit based on the club’s sporting achievements. By opting for a low release clause and relying on a gentleman’s agreement, Varandas demonstrates a lack of maturity and professionalism incompatible with the management of a club of Sporting’s stature. The way Varandas is now attempting to hold onto Amorim until the last moment, reveals a lack of class and highlights a short-sighted approach. Forcing the coach’s continuity for another 3 matches, even with his departure inevitable, only amplifies the sense of discontent and uncertainty. Neither the squad nor the supporters understand this insistence, and this extension seems more harmful than beneficial to the club. More concerning still is the inconsistency in backing João Pereira as the next coach: while he is presented as Amorim’s successor, the board hesitates to entrust him with the immediate command, casting doubts on their own decision. Further complicating matters, Hugo Viana’s impending move to Manchester City Football Club removes one of the key pillars of Varandas’ sporting project, destabilizing the structure even further. The “castle” built around Amorim’s “reign” begins to crumble, revealing an excessive dependence on a single figure. Amorim’s departure not only represents the loss of a quality coach; it symbolizes the collapse of the trust that Varandas’ administration has yet to secure. To prevent future mistakes like this, Sporting needs a new strategic approach and leadership capable of aligning the club with the goals and ambitions of everyone who believes in it. Now is the time for a management that rises to the history and secure a successful future for Sporting Clube de Portugal.

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Brace yourselves for a seismic shift in UK football fan engagement. Yesterday, the UK government revived plans for a new football regulator in England, by promising to reintroduce the Football Governance Bill. (Something introduced during the Sunak premiership yet unclear if it would be carried through with the new Labour government despite being in their manifesto) This bill will attempt to redefine the entire football experience for every fan and their relationship with their club. The question is are most clubs and leagues ready for the revolution? Quite simply, no. This landmark legislation aims to enhance the transparency, accountability, and sustainability of football clubs across the UK, ensuring that the beautiful game remains deeply rooted in its fan communities. One of the most significant aspects of this bill for me is its potential to unlock and transform in-venue fan engagement and monetisation, by giving lower league teams the ability to spend more on building their fan engagement strategies with a more even distribution of revenues received by the Premier League for instance. (The Premier League's revenue stood at £6.1billion in 2022/23). The bill will also mandate greater financial transparency by encouraging fan representation in decision-making processes and empowering supporters to have a stronger voice in the governance of their beloved clubs. In practical terms, clubs can leverage this increased fan involvement to develop more targeted and effective in-venue engagement strategies and activations and most importantly unlock further revenues. From improved stadium facilities, exclusive in-stadium and broadcast experiences to advanced digital services and real time engagement experiences - the opportunities are vast. Choosing the right solutions and strategies to do this are more essential than ever. Something i'm pleased to say Hypothesis Media are specialists in! 😎 As we look to the future, the Football Governance Bill represents a critical step towards building a more engaging and profitable football ecosystem (something that I hope follows suit for other sports leagues in time). As a long term champion of fan engagement for all clubs and teams at all levels. This signifies a huge step in getting all fans closer to the club whether they are a season ticket holder or a fan from the other side of the globe! It's now in the hands of the UK football clubs to start proactively working with specialist fan engagement consultancies who understand the right engagement tools and strategies to empower them for revolution that this bill will foster. https://lnkd.in/eJ44Nq29 #FanEngagement #UKFootball #SportsManagement #StadiumExperience #RevenueGrowth EFL (English Football League) The Famous Group

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