From on air to online

Gaurav Kanthwal

Ever wondered why today’s generation never misses out on important sporting events no matter where they are at any given time. Even the minute details of their favourite game are known to everyone. All stats, details about your favourite sportsperson, significant or insignificant, are just a click away. Smartphones provide the answers in no time. TV sets, sports lovers’ favourite once upon a time, are fast getting outdated. Mobile phones, or rather, pocket TVs as these are called now, have come to dominate the scene.

It has become almost mandatory for broadcasters to launch at least an over-the-top (OTT) media player, an app, a website or an online platform besides a sports channel where sports lovers can enjoy big events at their own convenience and time. Most sports TV channels now have an alternative platform where their content is available online with additional information, eye-popping statistics, snazzy graphics and players’ interviews. Star Sports has Hotstar (OTT media player), Sony has SONYLIV (app). The ESPN, too, is wooing Indian sports fans through its customised website and an app.

US-based the National Basketball Association (NBA), too, has customised its official website NBA.com for its Indian fans. India.NBA.com features personalised settings for fans to follow their favourite NBA teams and Indian-origin stars such as Satnam Bhamra and Sim Bhullar. It brings 14 NBA games per week to fans with highlights, game recaps, scores and statistics.

Hotstar, Indian Premier League’s (IPL) digital partner, claimed that 10 crore people followed it in April and May this year. Sony has joined the bandwagon with Euro championship (SONYLIV). US-based media company ESPN could not afford to lag and launched India-specific website this month, espn.in. The ESPN also has an app which features sports such as football, hockey, badminton, tennis, Formula 1 and kabaddi. Come the Rio Olympics in August, many such video-on-demand services will be available on your smartphone screens.

Recent surveys show that the young are fast switching from TV to mobile phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, entertainment boxes and connected TVs. It is estimated that at least four to five crore Indians actively watch sports content on digital media every month. “First, it gives you the convenience of watching your favourite event at your own time and place. We can catch the action live on the go anywhere — in shopping malls, workplaces or wherever. The resolution is much better and it makes for an overall better experience. Why sit for hours in front of a TV when there is a better option,” says Karan Sharma, a Chandigarh-based sports enthusiast. Though digital platforms are a relatively new phenomenon, the hierarchy of content consumption is more or less established. In the ABCD of digital platforms, astrology, Bollywood, cricket and devotional content rules the roost. But NBA India managing director Yannick Colaco feels that the trend is going to change soon. “Majority of the sports consumption is live and digital version just helps people on the move to consume it. So, sports is going to play a key role in digital platforms in the coming time,” he said in a statement.

It goes without saying that among an array of sporting discipline, cricket stays on top. But why sports only, why not saas-bahu serials or never-ending breaking news? Because 60 per cent of the consumer for digital content is within the age group of 18 to 35 years. With smart phones becoming a common gadget in rural and urban areas alike, better, faster internet services and falling data charges, the video on demand services will see their popularity grow in near future.

"You have the entire world of sports in your palm. All the information is personalised, based on what you want and when you want it. Take for example, basketball, one particular website gives me all updates, plus podcasts hosted by top players. For an Indian follower of NBA, there is a special section on Sim Bhullar and Satnam Singh. What more could I want," says Gurpreet Sodhi, a teenager.

A large section of consumers of sports content in digital form is the one who has missed out on the live action. Drifters from TV, who seek a more interactive medium, also make a sizeable number. For the time being, the broadcasters can breathe easy as far as advertisements are concerned, but in near future, TV channels will have to compete with the digital version for revenue. Viewers, however, can afford to sit back and enjoy or rather move around and still enjoy.