The Future of Sports Consumption

[ironman1315]

I think we all know that the present cable model is going to die a slow and agonizing death. And I can only help but wonder what will happen to the PAC-12 when that eventually happens.

However, if I could work my will, I would start a “Netflix for sports” that would carry live sports as well as acquire rights to classic games. I have no idea what the pricing structure would be, I kind of like a cheap one that will show the same commercials you would get on regular TV and a not as cheap one that would cut out a lot of commercials and do other things with that airtime (stats analysis and such that you could interact with). But, alas, I have no money and no expertise in anything that would help me get there. (And the sports giants would do everything they could to kill the s**t out of this service.)

[sweetgrass]

PAC-12 Network has a business relationship with Amazon.  My guess is that the PAC-12 Network will land with Amazon Prime at some point.

[Grayshirt]

Ummm… Not saying they never will, but just to put it perspective.  There are only 4 or 5 hosting companies big enough to handle a networks streaming demands.  This “business relationship” with Amazon is not particularly special.  Amazon also hosts companies such as Netflix, Disney, News Corp, and Comcast (That’s ABC, NBC, FOX and Netflix). 

[GreatNorthernUte]

The big sports leagues are already experimenting with internet live streaming. The NFL has actually tried a dedicated streaming service in Canada (through a startup called DAZN). It was a bust, mostly because it was plagued with technical streaming quality issues. So we will get there, but not yet.

The biggest reason we wont get there is because the legacy TV networks will pay the sports leagues virtually any price for near exclusive distribution rights. The big streaming players arent yet willing to take on the debt needed to outbid them. TV companies will have to be under serious financial stress before this changes.

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