Sports has recently emerged as a key area of discussion in the realm of Free Ad-supported Television (FAST). With the proliferation of high-quality entertainment and news channels, the focus has shifted to growing the quantity and quality of sports content in the ad-funded ecosystem. While the rights for premium domestic sports leagues, such as the Premier League in the UK, the NFL in the US, and La Liga in Spain, predominantly fall to Pay TV and SVOD services, there are still ample opportunities for FAST to thrive in the market.
Analysing the most popular sports channels in each territory reveals the prominence of motorsport and combat sports channels, including UFC and Bellator MMA. Other notable sub-genres include gambling, with the immensely popular World Poker Tour serving as one of the most widely distributed channels across all platforms. Additionally, niche sports like pickleball, billiards, and e-sports have found a home on FAST. These non-mainstream sports often possess dedicated fanbases, and presenting them on free services presents a mutually beneficial opportunity for content owners seeking increased reach and platforms seeking cost-effective sports content.
While the most popular sports leagues are unlikely to be moving over to FAST anytime soon, we’re witnessing the emergence of prominent names on these platforms. In the US, the major sports broadcasters, the majority of whom already have significant ties to FAST platforms, have launched free channels. CBS, FOX, and NBC offer a diverse range of content, including live events, highlights, talk shows, and betting advice.
In other markets, prominent broadcasters like Sky, DAZN, and beIN have successfully launched channels across multiple platforms and territories. DAZN stands out with a wide variety of premium-quality channels dedicated to sports like boxing, women’s football, and darts. In these cases, FAST likely serves as a promotional tool to entice customers to their paid services, with premium content behind a paywall.
FAST has also fostered the creation of individual brands establishing their own channels and diversifying their media businesses. Red Bull TV is a prime example, as their high-energy and professionally produced content seamlessly transitions into the lean-back environment, having long been successful on YouTube. Additionally, European football clubs like Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Borussia Dortmund are expanding their digital media presence by creating their own channels, offering behind-the-scenes footage and archival content. Furthermore, some of the premier leagues, such as the NFL, NBA, FIFA+, and La Liga, have established channels alongside their own digital streaming platforms, contributing to the trend of major brands developing their own media streaming businesses.
While this supplementary content serves as an excellent starting point for platforms entering the sports industry, there’s likely an aspiration to host more live events and even acquire the rights to certain matches. Firstly, the increasing popularity and growth of pop-up channels, such as Samsung TV Plus’s Rings of Power channel, demonstrate the willingness of major platforms to invest in premium content, even if it’s live for a limited duration. While securing domestic rights to top league matches may not be feasible, there are substantial opportunities to distribute certain matches in other markets. In recent years, sports leagues like the NBA and Bundesliga have become more receptive to dividing the broadcast rights to their live matches with free-to-air television providers in specific regions. Although it’s an extremely competitive and costly market, it will likely become a distinguishing factor. It’ll be intriguing to observe how FAST platforms, particularly, will target and acquire sports rights as part of their owned-and-operated strategy in the future.
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