A new report on the opportunities for interactive television and sport has been published by Sport Business Group.
The report, Interactive TV: The opportunities for sport, to which informitv contributed, notes that interactive functions are set to change the relationship between television and the viewer.
Sport has been leading the way, promising to enrich the sports viewing experience and deepen the relationship of fans not only with programmes but also with the sport itself and individual teams and players.
Faced with declining advertising revenue and audience fragmentation, broadcasters are increasingly looking to interactive television to provide greater levels of viewer interaction and viable alternative revenue streams.
Sport, with its high audience loyalty and inbuilt community has often provided the first experience for many viewers of the technology. Compelling content coupled with interactivity offers an enriched consumer experience that in turn allows broadcasters, content providers and operators the chance to differentiate themselves.
However, the report warns that interactivity is still an expensive addition and its implementation requires careful consideration. Failure to do so will risk alienating and frustrating the viewer with slow, clumsy, ill-thought through interactive applications that do not enhance the drama of the sporting event nor add to the viewers’ sense of involvement with the action.
Interactive TV: the opportunities for sport analyses this emerging market and assesses the potential benefits for sports rights owners, sponsors and broadcasters.