California Sports Lawyer® Founder and Managing Attorney Jeremy Evans has written a column about streamers and networks demonstrating a cooperative broadcast market in sharing sports announcer talent and distribution of content.
You can read the full column below. (Past columns can be found, here).
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Stories passed down by word of mouth were replaced, or better yet, supplemented by papyrus and written materials. The printing press expedited then writing and distribution. Wheels, horses, cars, and airplanes further expedited distribution and communication. Radio was replaced, or better yet, was supplemented by the power of television, then podcasting, and now streaming. Grandpa’s stories are still king, but streaming shares the throne.
As a result of the crown of communication moving towards streaming, talent in the announcers seat have continued to grow and look for opportunities beyond the traditional broadcast. The deal between Disney and Fubo, DirecTV and its streaming bundle, and Amazon’s stratospheric sports growth is leading to talent moving onto streaming platforms to gain visibility with audiences. Disney may actually be in a better position by partnering with Fubo than with the original Venu Sports platform, including traditional power players Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox. Moreover, quietly, Sinclair Television Group has risen out of bankruptcy only to see more professional sports franchises return the regional sports network model (“RSN”) on platforms and channels it controls.
It has been said before that streaming and content are in its golden age when it comes to consumption on different platforms. With generative artificial intelligence, creative content output will only continue to grow. Social media has also grown as a serious and maybe the most serious player when it comes to content consumption and mass communication, messaging, marketing, and social thought and the freedom of expression.
On the one hand, this means more opportunities for existing and new announcer talent. On the other hand, there is a shrinking market of importance when it comes to where content matters in terms of viewership. There is a reason major studios and networks are looking to consolidate. It also means that people have grown weary of having to search fifteen platforms to reach one piece of content.
The consolidation means that content distributors are looking to non-traditional partners and competitors working together to reach more people. The aftermath is great for efficiency, but might harm the consumer when it comes to competitiveness in price. It is no wonder Apple and Amazon as technology companies are doing so well in terms of content distribution (e.g., Apple TV and Amazon Prime). These companies focus less on original content and more on housing other content they either purchased or license. The caveat is that Amazon is so influential that it can demand content owners pay to distribute on its platform.
Netflix hosting Christmas Day National Football League games is a leading example of new talent being introduced and talent from different networks coming together—circumstances that are usually unlikely in a professional broadcast setting. As a further example, the well-loved “NBA on TNT” (Inside the NBA) was thought to have been lost to time when Warner Bros. Discovery (“WBD”) could not renew the NBA broadcast contract, but it found new life when Disney (ESPN owner) brokered a deal to allow TNT Sports (owned by WBD) to air the sports television commentary show with personalities like Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley. It is a win for both parties as the show survives, while it also increases Disney/ESPN viewership with its broadcast. The partnership is a sign of the times—more coordination within a competitive market. Such deals will need to be cognizant of running afoul of antitrust laws—something yet to be seen in this cooperation market.
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About Jeremy M. Evans:
Jeremy M. Evans is the Chief Entrepreneur Officer, Founder & Managing Attorney at California Sports Lawyer®, representing entertainment, media, and sports clients in contractual, intellectual property, and dealmaking matters. Evans is an award-winning attorney and industry leader based in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. He can be reached at Jeremy@CSLlegal.com. www.CSLlegal.com.
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