What you will find in the article:
- 85% of sports fans want home-screen viewing guidance.
- 26% often struggle to find which service shows events.
- 68% subscribe to services for sports programming access.
- 91% believe centralizing sports information would simplify finding events.
- 77% watch sports-related content beyond live events.
Sports fans want TV home screens to show upcoming events involving their favourite teams and where to watch them, according to new research from Gracenote.
The Nielsen content intelligence business found that 85% of respondents would value this information on the TV home screen, as fragmentation across channels and streaming services makes live sport increasingly difficult to locate.
Gracenote’s six-country survey of 3,000 television sports viewers found that 26% are always or often unable to determine which service or channel is showing a specific event. The figure rises to 36% among viewers aged 18 to 34.
While more than two-thirds of respondents use internet search to find sports coverage, 32% of US respondents said search results always or often lack accurate information about locally televised games.
The research points to an opportunity for platforms and services that can improve sports discovery. Some 68% of respondents subscribe to at least one service because of its sports offering, while half said they would be likely to add another service to access preferred programming.
Gracenote tested a web experience powered by its On Sports product, combining real-time linear and streaming schedules, viewing options, statistics and links to content across multiple platforms.
Ninety-one per cent of respondents said centralising sports information would make it easier to find games and events. Two-thirds were interested in personalised schedules and statistics for the teams and leagues they follow, while more than 45% said a centralised schedule would save them at least five minutes when looking for an event.
“Teams and leagues are creating more ways than ever for fans to engage, but viewers still struggle to find live games and other sports programming across today’s many apps and services,”
said Trent Wheeler, Head of Product Innovation at Gracenote.
“By bringing game schedules, where-to-watch information, highlights and more into one experience, platforms can simplify sports discovery, differentiate their offerings and give their customers a true home for the sports they love.”
The study also found appetite for programming beyond live games: 77% watch sports-related content in addition to live events, while 38% prefer highlights to full matches.
Gracenote On Sports combines sports data, video metadata, schedules, viewing links and imagery across more than 75 sports and 340 leagues in over 50 countries through a single API
Source: broadbandtvnews.com