There are very few, if any, events today that we can say are always ‘appointment viewing.” Drop everything we have and go sit in front of a screen while everyone holds their collective breaths. Politics, awards shows, even most sporting events are past the watch here and now moment, at least for long periods of times, and the past year has given us even less initiative to dial in the way we used to.
Engaging for short periods of time, on any device, or a quick watch of highlights and social sharing? Sure. But watching every possession, every envelope opening, every word in a speech or a debate? That’s a tough ask. More and more we are seeing the micro offering work as a sales incentive. From the NFL Red Zone to the NBA’s Final Five package to what Buzzer is now doing with an on demand live drive to a broadcast custom to your interests, the ability for micropayments to pull in a new audience for “the moment” is evolving.
I was thinking about that as I watched Jacob deGrom pitch for the Mets again this past weekend. As this AP article pointed out deGrom has become appointment viewing for any baseball fan, and will continue to be wherever he pitches this summer, as his season and his dominance are shaping up to be in the most rarefied of air of sports today. So…if we look ahead, why not a deGrominator package offered up by MLB or in partnership with SNY? You buy when deGrom pitches, or for another payment, maybe you buy if he has a no-hotter going into the fourth. It doesn’t cheapen the interest of other dedicated fans, it incents others to buy in at a lower price point, capture their data and upsell. Here’s another one. There is a rash of no-hitters already this year, with many other going past the first four innings before failing. What about a no-hotter watch, where fans can pay to get alerted and join any game that is past four innings with no hits. You buy in and stay the rest of the way.
Yes it remains in the future as rights carve out more and more, but in a time of capturing moments and being brought into the moment, the deGrominator package is one that can have great appeal, as can some others (TATIS CAM!) whether you like the ‘Amazins or not. We all want to witness the moment, now streaming and on-demand access is getting us there, just like the NFL has for several years.
