Why Live Sports Is Television's MVP

Wrong To say those opinions are misguided is an understatementSure video consumption and viewing habits are changing but live linear TV is still a huge part of the American media diet And one of the reasons that39s true is that TV harnesses the most powerful programming in television the genre that consistently beats the odds resists the trends and delivers for advertisers small and large sportsAccording to the latest Nielsen Total Audience Report American adults watch nearly four hours of linear TV every day overall in the New York market alone sports networks reach 56 percent of adults every dayI would even argue that if TV actually was on the verge of collapse live sports alone could save it Here39s why sports will always be television39s most valuable programmingSports Is INCLUSIVEIt goes beyond race gender age politics or economic status With sports the only identifying characteristic that matters is which team you39re rooting for All kinds of audiences appreciate sports And sports creates camaraderie it brings people together One of the pleasures of sports is bonding over the common goal of victory with other people amp8212 family friends coworkers or even the guy sitting next to you at the barSports Is UNIVERSALThere39s a sport for everyone If football isn39t your jam there39s baseball hockey basketball soccer cheerleading professional bullfighting golf amp8212 even televised esportsSports Is EMOTIONALPeople are invested in sports Think about the runup to the Super Bowl the national medal count during the Olympics and following your bracket during March Madness Sports has drama stars and suspense that rivals any buzz about drama or filmSports Is PERSONALAction on the court field and ice have given rise to a whole new breed of sports fantasy For some sports viewers like me every game has a personal impact because we39re invested in the players regardless of the team they play for Every basket hit or goal adds value to our fantasy leagues making televised sports an even more significant part of our livesSports Is BETTER ON TVThe television experience is arguably an even better experience than watching a game in person Think of instant replay or the box on the screen that tells you what the score is and what bases are occupied or about that virtual first down line And think of high definition so good you can see the expression on the catcher39s face and hear the ball as it hits his glove all while sitting in your favorite recliner enjoying homemade guacSports Is LIVEHere in the New York market over 97 percent of total TV sports viewing happens live In fact in 2018 sportsrelated programming accounted for 61 out of the top 100 liveviewed TV programs in New York according to Nielsen We call sports quotappointment TVquot because audiences make appointments to watch Spoiler alert If you miss it live you risk learning the outcome of the game before you watch it And for advertisers live TV is an incredible asset because it means that viewers won39t be fastforwarding through commercials They will all be watching the ads around the same time amp8212 making it an incredibly impactful tool for creating an immediate responseSports Is POWERFUL ADVERTISINGAudiences are so engaged in the game and the experience that the level of attention for advertising is high It39s the most soughtafter inventory we have available in the linear space amp8212 and for good reason The ability for an advertiser to align their brand with a local sports team not only provides reach but also offers a sense of rapport with potential customers My clients would be quick to choose lessexpensive inventory if the results weren39t there with sports Sports on live linear television is one of the most powerful amp8212 and efficient amp8212 ways to reach people todaySports Is CRITICAL TO THE BUSINESS OF TVThe truth is that people gladly pay to see games now and they39ll pay to see them in the future Today when consumers pay their cable and satellite bills a lot of what they39re investing in is going toward subscriber fees for networks that carry sports It39s all because sports rights are expensive amp8212 and worth itRight now platforms such as Twitter are trying to get consumers to change their viewing patterns by subsidizing viewers amp8211 making it free or relatively inexpensive to stream big events particularly while the online experience is glitchy and difficult to navigate My guess is that the advent of 5G and continued investment by TV companies like the ones behind NYI will make it easier than ever for viewers to enjoy sports on televisionMore and more I watch live sports on TV with a tablet in hand so I can check player statistics and it39s not just me According to Nielsen more than 80 percent of smartphone and tablet users use their device while watching TV That means advertisers can use sports programming on traditional linear television as the foundation of campaigns that also incorporate digital advertisingTelevision isn39t going away it39s just getting better amp8212 to a large degree thanks to the power and performance of sports for advertisers and viewers In the opinion of this media expert for the foreseeable future sports will continue to be television39s Most Valuable ProgrammingClick the social buttons to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Why Live Sports Is Television's MVP

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Corey Petruccelli

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Why Live Sports Is Television's MVP

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