From 90 minutes to 90 seconds: The future of sports broadcasting
Monday 8 May 2017
THIS year has seen the biggest change in the trend for watching live sport since the start of the Premier League and it could have huge implications for the future of not just football but all televised sport.
For the first time, during the early stages of this season, several reports noted that audiences for games broadcast on satellite television had started to decline.
One of the key drivers of this decline has been the rise of highlights posted on social media. It seems viewers increasingly no longer want the full 90 mins of action but simply the 90 seconds of highlights available soon after the matches finish.
Now the University of Salford is hosting a major conference looking at the future of sport broadcasting. From 90 minutes to 90 seconds will take place on the MediaCityUK campus on May 10 and will explore the issues around changing televised sport consumption and consider what the future is for sports broadcasting.
Among the speakers will be Simon Green, head of BT Sport, who led the company into acquiring rights to the Premier League and other sports from 2013, as well as representatives from the BBC and other key sports broadcasters.
Professor Chris Brady, who has organised the conference said: “The rise of people watching highlights on social media rather than a full match is an issue that the whole range of stakeholders is addressing, not least the broadcasters that had just paid record fees to secure EPL rights.
“Recently, Sky's six-month results highlighted a fall in viewing figures. At the same time in the United States, commentators were making similar observations about the National Football League.
“Sport broadcasting maybe standing on the cusp of profound change, with new generations of viewers more likely to be accessing ninety second clips of games on YouTube or second screening and live streaming to a smartphone than sitting and watching a game on television for ninety minutes.
“Moreover, with the use of mobile devices now ubiquitous, and the emergence of platforms such as Periscope which enables 90 seconds and/or 90 minutes, the when and where people watch sport has changed massively and will continue to do so.”
The event is part of the University of Salford’s sport Industrial Collaboration Zone, which aims to work closely with business to support future development and provide our students with the best expertise so they can progress to successful careers.
Find out more
Sam Wood
0161 295 5361
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