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The possibility to stream sports events live and on-demand has changed how people consume sports.
Fans no longer need to attend the stadiums in person; now they can enjoy their favorite sports and follow their stars’ performances from the comfort of their homes.
It also makes it possible to follow teams from other cities and to enjoy major sports events outside of the country.
Sports in the era of globalization
Streaming has proved physical and geographical borders no longer matter when it comes to enjoying a sport.
Rather than watching whatever match the main TV broadcasters may be showing on their channels, now sports fans have the option to watch exactly what they want to watch.
As the ExpressVPN infographic about sports streaming in the US highlights, Google searches in the region for “sports streaming” have decreased in favor of much more niche and specific searches, targeting specific sports, leagues, or even players.
In the era of globalization, sports have the power to bring us back home, they give us a sense of belonging.
However, no matter where we are, watching our home team play brings us a sense of belonging; watching an international competition, like the FIFA Football World Cup, makes us proud of our colors.
This connection, alongside cheaper costs of streaming services compared to single-match tickets and the comfort of watching sports from a digital device in almost any place, has favored an increase in the number of people streaming sports.
In turn, this increase has led to an inevitable decrease in the number of people watching traditional television broadcasts of sports events, but this is not necessarily bad news for the biggest clubs and leagues.
How can clubs benefit from streaming services?
Sports organizations, teams, and promoters are benefitting from streaming in a number of ways, some of them economic, but also in terms of insight and engagement from fans.
By having their own streaming platform, rather than depending on a TV channel to air their matches, they can ensure that all their events will be available for fans.
They can also offer an enhanced viewer experience, with better picture quality, different angles, and interactive features.
The NFL streaming platform, available online and as an app, for example, offers unique content and insights about each of the teams that play in the league.
They operate on a very simple subscription model, offering also a free service with fewer features, which is an easy way to generate income whilst at the same time making it easy and affordable for fans to watch their favorite games.
This streaming service model can also help to increase engagement with fans via chat, polls, or competitions.
The comments and answers collected can be used to improve the fan experience, target specific segments, and learn about their viewing habits and expectations, which can prove beneficial for both sides.
Whilst the atmosphere and the engagement one can enjoy attending any live event is something we can’t experience watching sports online, streaming has found its place in the current busy lifestyle.
With the rapid technological development, we can only expect to enjoy further features and improvement in the future, maybe even enjoy sports in VR.
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