Credit : r/heatedrivalry On Reddit
For generations of fans, tradition had it that there was one way to approach Saturday nights of hockey: huddle around the standard, traditional television; however, that dynamic completely collapses and rebuilds with RSNs now becoming obsolete and streamed hockey becoming commonplace.
With providers like ESPN+ and Amazon Prime Video becoming more prevalent and direct-to-consumer team apps gaining usage, the days of standard televised games are now fully out the window. Prime Video’s development into Saturday night prime, plus their growing offering of live local team broadcasts, signals the most significant rights renegotiations, as streaming service becomes the default live sporting service, bypassing the traditional cable platform and opting to go direct from the cloud.
More than mere access to games, the entire visual framework of live sport shifts to digital telecasts and on-demand media, offering superimposed real-time statistics, gambling odds embedded live, alternate camera angle choices, player data at the viewer’s fingertips live, and replays in varying condenses for all users, along with many other possibilities. There is an element of engagement unlike a passive experience watching whatever is available for viewers who now have several options, with local announcers, the view from above on the tactical perspective of the game, and much more in pre-made, condensed format or live and readily available on demand.
There’s a current level of friction in this whole streaming dynamic, however. Fans are now juggling multiple channels and streams to access all of the hockey they watch while often battling blackouts and screen lag in comparison to on-the-fly mobile applications or alerts during the game.
Regardless of the difficulty, the passive televised cable stream broadcast is disappearing forever. By abandoning passive linear streams for engaging, tailored, direct-to-consumer live product, streaming services are building.
Data Source: Industry Sports Broadcasting Analysis & NHL Streaming Rights Reports (NHL Digital Media Agreements & PwC Sports Industry Outlook).
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