Traditional Sports Media: Sucking Dust and Breathing Fumes?
August 12, 2021
The TikTok video format is becoming a norm core channel. I want to mention that Amazon Twitch is having a new media moment as well. I read “Lionel Messi’s Twitch App Interview Shows How Social Media Is Conquering Sports.” Note that this link is generated by DailyHunt and the story itself is output by smart software; thus, the link may be dead, and there’s not much I can do to rectify the situation.
The story contained this statement, which may be spot or or just wild and crazy Internet digital baloney:
Spanish influencer Ibai Llanos chatted with Lionel Messi on Amazon.com Inc.’s streaming platform Twitch after the world’s best-paid athlete signed with French soccer club Paris Saint Germain from Barcelona.
Here’s the kicker (yep, Messi-esque I know):
More than 3,17,000 people watched the exclusive interview, the kind of prestigious content that would often be sold to the highest bidder for TV broadcast in different territories. Llanos was introduced to Messi by Sergio Aguero, a fellow Barcelona player and video-game enthusiast who is friendly with the social media celebrity. Sports viewing is shifting steadily onto streaming platforms, and even overtaking traditional broadcast TV in the Asia Pacific region, according to GlobalWebIndex.
What? Twitch? Who is the star? Messi? The write up states:
Soccer clubs are eager to tap this new revenue source after they were hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, especially as they need to win over younger audiences who enjoy video gaming just as much as traditional sports. Llanos has drawn 7 million Twitch followers since he started out commenting on esports tournaments from his home. He’s brought a humorous commenting style to everything from toy-car races to chess games. He’s now becoming a sports entrepreneur in his own right, collaborating with Barcelona’s Gerard Pique to broadcast the Copa America soccer competition in Spain. Llanos streamed a top-tier Spanish game for the first time in April under a deal between the Spanish league and TV rights owner Mediapro.
Observations I jotted down as I worked through this “smart software” output:
- Amazon Twitch plays a part in this shift to an influencer, streaming platform, and rights holder model
- The pivot point Llanos has direct access and channel options
- Eyeballs clump around the “force” of the stream, the personalities, and those who want to monetize this semi-new thing.
Big deal? Well, not for me, but for those with greyhounds in the race, yep. Important if true.
Stephen E Arnold, August 12, 2021
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