The article "Re-Thinking Sports in The Digital TV Era" got me thinking about what other opportunities are out there for increased revenue streams from various programming platforms. Before you delve into the article, think of applying what it says to your Community Web Portal where you can do a live video/audio cast of games and events, think about HD radio channels that could be created for this purpose, or what about streaming the audio online and marketing that to a niche audience with it's own set of niche advertisers? MediaPost presents 3 great thought starters, see what thoughts they create with you....
"1. Re-think Size
Television has always been about the mass audience - until now. Digital Television creates an interesting hybrid of TV and Internet, and there are many lessons that television sports marketers should take from their Internet brethren. One is the idea of "the long tail" - i.e. that you can reach just as large and valuable an audience by reaching dozens/hundreds of small audiences for the same price as one large audience. The difference now is that audience model paired with the media consumption model of television.
A good example of an audience that Digital Television will enable marketers to reach more effectively is "Internationalists;" i.e. people who watch international sports. This upper-income, educated, traveling demographic has been difficult to reach via network and cable TV. Digital Television changes the game. In addition, this can really change how marketers define the "sports audience."
Smart marketers I've spoken with are excited about new strategies that use about multiple campaigns - or multiple variations on a "core" campaign that focus on even tighter, more "micro" targets. The good news is that, with Digital Television, programmers will be serving more niches than ever.
2. Re-think Brand Association
Many marketers want brand association with sports, but much of that opportunity is locked up by a few big brands; for example "the official car of the NBA." This is replicated at the team level. In addition, TV advertising on the big four --NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL - is controlled by established networks with established pricing models. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of other options.
With Digital Television, that market opportunity opens wide again. A smart marketer can more easily afford to virtually "own" a secondary sport (e.g., lacrosse), or a secondary team or league of a major sport (e.g., A-league baseball). Because - initially - there will be far less competition for attention, marketers can get much greater value for their dollars.
3. Re-think Creativity
While the two ideas above are in many ways extensions of what sports marketers first saw with cable television, the enhanced ability to be creative is really unique to the Digital Television era. As I mentioned, programmers are suddenly faced with four times the amount of programming (and ad time) they need to fill - profitably.
I think there is an excellent chance for marketers to actually create new sports marketing in partnership with programmers. In this environment all players will need to be more open than ever to collaboration and ideas from the other side of the table. This doesn't mean marketers can control programming, but their ability to help shape programming from the outset is site to increase - particularly with newer broadcasters looking to provide "value."