"Are sports broadcasting kingpins facing their Napster moment?"

Richard Gillis poses the above question in the Irish Times. It’s a worthwhile read if you’re interested in the future of TV sports and are comfortable pondering post COVID-19 matters. (Thanks to reader Rob for this.)

He writes:

Sport has its own version of the CD album: the traditional multi-sport subscription package as sold by Sky, ESPN and Setanta among others. Pared down to its bare bones, these subscriptions bear a passing resemblance to the CD album: Come for the Premier League, stay for carp fishing, canoeing and the European Speedway Championship from Gdansk.

That model started in the United States but has been challenged by cord cutting and audiences shifting to streaming services. But in a matter of weeks, has the pandemic potentially exposed an excess that endanger the model of sports?

Most of us are already juggling multiple accounts, from the established names such as Netflix, Spotify, Amazon Prime and The Irish Times through to more niche entertainment sites, gym memberships, mindfulness apps and further still into FMCG categories such as pet food and beauty products.

Sport has got the memo and, in the pre-Covid-19 era, a new business model for governing bodies and event owners was emerging that sees them streaming sport direct to fans via so-called Over The Top (OTT) channels.