This article was originally published by SportBusiness.
How a football broadcast should look is a fiercely debated topic amongst fans worldwide. To some viewers, a live broadcast should barely change beyond the traditional match action, pundit analysis and occasional graphics.
At the same time, a new generation of fans expect experiences that are increasingly personalised to them. The major broadcast networks and streaming giants are constantly walking this tightrope, especially in their coverage of the global game.
During this summer’s Fifa World Cup, broadcast partners were given the opportunity to showcase adverts during the new hydration breaks. Having seen first-hand the backlash from introducing in-game advertising during the Six Nations, ITV opted against doing the same for the World Cup.
This decision showed the balancing act that football broadcasters are met with. But in the age of AI, the traditional networks and their streaming counterparts have a new suite of tools at their disposal that enable them to unlock new sponsorship revenue, without disrupting the natural flow of the game.
Tapping into what makes sport unique
Just as football fans are resistant to the levels of in-game advertising they are served with, many want limited innovations in terms of the graphics and data insights they receive.
A one-size-fits-all solution doesn’t exist in sports broadcasts. But the direction of travel is clearly that modern football fans do want to know everything from xG to the next wave of cutting-edge metrics including expected threat (xT), progressive passes or a player’s runs in behind.
This thirst for insight and information creates clear opportunities for brands and sponsors. Instead of being part of the furniture in the background through perimeter advertising or half-time 30-second slots, brands want to be a central part of the live action.
They want to tap into everything that makes sport an increasingly rare entertainment format in the age of both AI and on-demand content. Sport is unpredictable, dramatic and best experienced live, and the product that both brands and broadcasters deliver has nail each of these core characteristics.
Since the World Cup, Genius Sports has started powering two ground-breaking broadcast solutions on Univision for Liga MX and the Expert Mode on Ligue 1+ streaming platform.
It’s only live once
More than most sports, football is based around moments. 90 minutes of action is normally decided by either an instance of creative genius or a defensive mistake, creating a handful of moments per game when the live action is at its most compelling.
But how do broadcasters and brands alike supercharge these moments to both entertain and connect with fans?
On Liga MX broadcasts, Univision is taking its offering to another level for the remainder of the Apertura season and blazing a trail across the global game. After a goal is scored, fans will be provided with crucial insights including the probability of the chance converted as well as the shot speed and distance and the goal scorer’s season stats.
Expert Mode on Ligue 1+ has been available to fans for over 18 months, but we’ve taken this to a new level already this season. Fans are provided with unique player insights during the game such as when an attacker exceeds a running speed of 25 kmph or for the first player to reach five interceptions or 50 touches in a game.
Crucially, each of these insights or moments across both activations is sponsorable, creating new revenues for the leagues. Brands can capitalise on moments of peak emotional engagement and fan attention with each graphic created to enhance and enrich the live viewing experience without distracting from the core action on the field.
Connecting the dots
Genius Sports Moments is the driving force behind the new era of immersive football broadcasts. It converts live data points from crucial moments in games into real-time advertising triggers, all within a live broadcast environment.
A goal becomes much more than just a game-changing moment. It is also a peak window to provide additional data-driven insights to fans as well as premium new inventory and visibility to league sponsors.
Already live across NBA and WNBA broadcasts, Genius Sports Moments is set to be rolled out across world football. It ingests live game data from the AI platform GeniusIQ, which has been deployed in every stadium across Liga MX as well as the Premier League, Ligue 1, Brazilian Serie A, Europa League and more.
Other recent innovations such as the Premier League Data Zone and DAZN’s Promotion Final Plus have brought new levels of innovation and brand visibility to football broadcasts. This is now set to go to another level, delivering more insight and sponsor value than ever before.
