IMG and its digital agency Seven League have launched their Digital Trends Report 2023exploring the technologies and developments that could shape the sports media landscape for rights holders over the next 12 months.

Using insights and analysis from the global team of Sevens League experts, the report breaks down the most important developments in the sector and how they could influence the way sports brands and organizations engage fans and audiences. This includes the future directions of Twitter and Meta, the future of TikTok as a streaming platform, the latest plays by Apple and Amazon as sports broadcasters, the digital growth of women’s sports, and the evolution of Web3, to name a few.

Seven League CEO Lewis Wiltshir said: “Last year witnessed the biggest moment of transition the technology sector has seen in a generation. We are now entering a new era of the Internet that encompasses streaming, content, communities, data, and commercials. In this years Digital Trends Report, we brought together all the experience in the vast Seven League network, combined with the global scale and commercial prowess of IMG, to offer rights holders an idea of ​​what they should consider for their digital strategies over the next 12 months.”

Top predictions from the 2023 Digital Trends Report include:

• The Membership Wars: Live sports are a unique driver of audience acquisition and retention, especially when part of a larger subscription package, as seen with Prime Video’s NFL. Thursday night football coverage. Next year, the sport will see the continued advancement of tech-focused companies like Amazon, Alphabet and Apple into this space. If rights holders want to attract this new generation of transmission partners, they they need to show that they can bring communities of committed fans to the table.
• Web3 becomes useful: While the first uses of blockchain technology in sports have revolved around collectibles, next year, innovation will focus on improving the relationship with fans and customers rather than using these new technologies solely to make money. Looking forward, we will stop using phrases like NFT and move towards more fan-friendly language. 2023 will also see an evolution in the use of web3 technologies in the areas of ticketing, fan engagement, resalable digital merchandise, and loyalty programs.
  
• AI and the future of content: 2022 saw the rise of exciting new forms of CG content, including Marks & Spencer’s own virtual influencer, Mira. In 2023, we will see the sports industry begin to experiment with an exciting new set of content tools to engage audiences that now expect more immersive and interactive entertainment, such as creating immersive 3D content from still images. Find hyper-realistic recreations of historic sports moments from the grainiest of archival footage and even alternative commentary formats that combine live data feeds with AI-generated speech from famous voices.
• Sport takes communities seriously: This year we’ve seen the evidence that while traditional social media platforms can bring fans closer to the brand, it’s rarely about building fan-to-fan relationships. Going forward, sports properties will look to established community platforms like Reddit, Discord, WhatsApp, and Substack to build that connection with their audience through basic fandom. The opportunities for sports rights holders to get serious about investing in fan communities have never been broader.
• Go Big…or Go Different: From news, music and gaming to retail and messaging – today’s sports fans have more content at their fingertips than ever before. To avoid being subsumed by the vast amount of content now available on platforms like TikTok, rights holders have the choice to innovate their content production and grow… or be different. Moving forward, sports brands should give their creative teams the freedom and permission to test new content ideas and collaborations that vary from the archive, highlights and analytics-based content we’re used to seeing.
• D2C ≠ DIY: Direct-to-consumer strategies have long been seen as the answer to fan engagement. However, in the coming year the sports industry will realize that D2C is not a one-stop solution, and while it will still be extremely important to stay connected to better understand their customer, they will look to trusted third parties to help them navigate both D2C and B2B. . business income. D2C doesn’t have to mean DIY.
• Digital drives women’s sport: The past 12 months have seen tremendous progress in the digital growth of women’s sports, with the launch of athlete-backed media company TOGETHXR and the first 24-hour streaming service for women, Women’s Sports Network. In the coming year, digital will continue to drive the women’s sports model through OTT platforms, social channels, NIL rights and sponsorship of brands seeking a direct connection with specific communities. With the FIFA Women’s World Cup approaching in 2023, the conversation around women’s sport will once again come to the fore with many brands and stakeholders asking “what else can be done?”