The Future of Streaming Within Pro Soccer and Other Sports

Whether we're ready for it or not, the future of professional sports lies in video and live streaming. Don't get me wrong, sports fans will still be allowed to enjoy watching their favorite player run, dunk or score in live action. However, The difference this time around; will be the option of rather watching the game on a live stream online.

Although the world is gradually making a return to somewhat of a normal life, there are still people who feel skeptical about attending live matches. A safety precaution if you want to call it that. Plus with the Olympics 'looming' on the horizon, the safest way the games will take place is through streaming. Apart from the participating athletes, no spectators will be allowed to enter the Olympic stadium and as far as we know, the games are going ahead as planned. No doubt it will be a 'cracking' event! Streaming platforms have been around for quite some time when it comes to watching matches on demand. A perfect example would be how a sporting product like the NFL Super Bowl, has been available for streaming in countries where American sports networks aren't accessible.

Streaming has been the main reason that the NFL is able to achieve record breaking viewership numbers. The pandemic became the catalyst for live and video streaming to really explode and take off! Globally, it's going to take time for stadiums to allow maximum capacity at the games. It's a slow process. This has definitely spiked the demand for streaming. Truthfully speaking, it is the perfect way for all sports fans to engage and have access to the games. Cable TV and TV networks at large are in danger of becoming 'extinct.' Simply because of the rise in all the various streaming corporations. DAZN seems to be doing quite well internationally. They are dominating the soccer space.

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Let's have a look at a few advantages regarding streaming within in the world of professional sports;

• Increased Revenue For Sports Teams: Because of the wider reach in terms of sports fans through online streaming, pro teams are able to increase their revenue through memberships, subscriptions and advertising revenue.

• Engagement With Fan Base: Being able to foster engagement with sports fans makes the sporting experience more enriching. Fans love to engage and talk passionately about their favorite players and teams' performance. Online streaming allows 'die hard' fans to feel more involved in the games.

• Reach Audiences of Any Size: Whether people are in a first or third world country, they can be reached through online streams. Mass audiences globally have access to smart phones and this is where the opportunity lies.

• Getting Exposure Through Social Media: Nowadays sporting codes are able to gain popularity through social media sharing. People post links as a form of recommendation for others to watch. Whether they're highlights or full games, sporting events are able to get free advertising on the social networks. This type of exposure has actually led to growth in popularity for most of these sporting codes. Perfect examples would be USA sports leagues such as the NFL and the NBA. Social media has really played a major part in making these leagues explode in terms of popularity, especially in markets where they were previously non-existent. That is how much of an impact live/video streaming has had on the way passionate fans consume sports content.

-By: Khangelani Zila Mbekela

Sports Agent & Writer