It’s the weekend and its raining. Where the normally would have been March Madness, Little League, lacrosse, MLS, MLB even this year the first season of XFL, there are replays, simulations and esports.
So as the pause continues with COVID-19, where can we find a repository of all that is being shown, best practices learned in the digital space, even who is helping people get through these difficult times in and around sport and who, sadly is not in this very volatile and fluid period?
Enter SportHiatus. Created by the folks at Deltatre as “as an informal initiative amongst peers in the sports industry to see if we can contribute with some creative ideas to fill the gap in this weird moment’ to try an answer ‘what can we feed fans with now?’
According to a recent survey published by TV Time, 84% of US viewers are intending on increasing their TV consumption while they stay home or self-isolate, but the same study found that only 9% would choose to watch ‘sports-related’ content during the absence of live sport. That leaves big challenges for media platforms, but also opportunities for engagement that we have seen with iRacing and other quasi-sport related content.
It also leaves a gap for conversation, which larger properties may be struggling to answer while smaller disruptive platforms are adjusting to quickly. The time for companies to sit idly back is quickly passing, and those looking ahead to when live events come back, and what was learned and where dollars will be reallocated can shine. That is what SportHiatus is looking to do. Check it out, as well as this piece from Matt Long at SportPro which offered a little wider insight from Deltatre.
And just to remind everyone about where the flashpoint in the hiatus began, listen to Seth Everett’s podcast with Ben Anderson, who covers the Utah Jazz for KSLsports.com and does Jazz pre and post-game shows for select games and was in the room when Rudy Gobert touched all the reporters microphones in a video that went viral and helped set off the cancellations we are dealing with today.
