As broadcast rights models are challenged by changing viewer behaviours and commercial priorities, sports organisations now need agile media strategies that meet the digital moment.
That was the key takeaway from this day one ISC 2025 session in the NFL Locker Room at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where panellists reflected on the need for rights holders and their media partners to nurture revenue potential across multiple streams. For each of them, the balance of that income can vary considerably.
DAZN is active in multiple territories worldwide and its fast-evolving identity over the past decade encapsulates the era. As well as streaming services carrying multiple top-tier leagues and events, it operates linear channels, distribution services with rights holder-led services like NFL, and an ecommerce partnership with merchandising giant Fanatics.
While the FIBA Media portfolio now encompasses activities like data licensing and betting, most of the global basketball body’s revenue still comes from media rights sales. That differs, however, from territory to territory – a responsive, multi-channel approach is fundamental.
The Jockey Club, which operates many of the biggest courses and events in UK horse racing, boasts a varied and diverse audience with a 60:40 male-to-female ratio of fans. Its opportunities are different: horse racing is the second-best attended sport in the UK after football.
As Chandwi explained, that means race day is of primary commercial importance. The priority for The Jockey Club’s content channels and partnerships is to enhance the in-person experience at the track – encouraging fans to attend, adding value to their time at the races, and ensuring repeat attendance.
NASCAR continues to enjoy strong returns on its live media rights sales in the US. This year, the stock-car series begins a collection of partnerships worth $7.7 billion until 2031.
Barker noted that new partners like Amazon and Netflix, which is in the second season of a NASCAR documentary series, create fresh opportunities for storytelling audience discovery. And NASCAR is also investing heavily in original programming to populate its owned channels.
Tentpole live events generate massive, multi-faceted possibilities. DAZN, for example, will leverage its global rights deal for this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup to build awareness and relationships in less-established markets. It will also offer a ‘freemium’ model, with a free-to-access livestream and additional features available for a fee.
The fundamentals of the sports content sector, as Parmenter reminded delegates, still come down to “discovery, experience and billing”.
Sports businesses, though, must now operate in an ever-more interconnected, multi-platform environment. Between social media, YouTube and FAST channels (free ad-supported streaming television), the number of outlets for audience discovery is growing exponentially. But the panel agreed that success can only come by understanding demand.
“Know who your audience is and give them what they want, how they want it,” said Chandwi. She said The Jockey Club was investigating ways of providing content that serves casual fans as well as bettors and “aficionados” – both on its own channels and through collaborations with partners like Paramount Pictures, which developed a bespoke campaign around the cinema release of Sonic The Hedgehog 3.
There are lessons to be learned, too, from the creator ecosystem – as exemplified by the charity football match between Sidemen FC and the YouTube All-Stars, which sold 90,000 Wembley Stadium tickets and raised £4.7 million. The dynamic relationships those creators enjoy with their audiences could serve as a template for athlete-led promotions and programming.
Still, as Ryan and Barker observed, that process begins by creating sports heroes – both by telling their stories and getting audiences emotionally invested. In today’s diverse media ecosystem, everything from traditional distribution to tech-led immersive experiences will have a part to play.
