StreamTime Sports

5.0 (6)
Sports
Updated Weekly

A weekly podcast profiling the people, businesses and technologies driving the sports media revolution. The go-to place for sports industry professionals seeking ideas, insights and inspiration in these times of rapid transformation across streaming, OTT and digital.

21h ago

Inside Roku's Sports Strategy — And What the Fox Deal Could Mean Next

Roku just agreed to be acquired by Fox in a deal valuing the streaming giant at $22 billion — but long before the headlines, Roku had quietly built one of the most ambitious sports strategies in streaming. On this episode, Nick sits down with Joe Franzetta, Head of Sports for Roku Media, to unpack how a platform reaching 100 million households is working to make sports content frictionless to find, aggregate, and monetize in an increasingly fragmented rights landscape. How Roku's "Sports Zone" aggregates live games, clips, highlights and stats across leagues like the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NWSL and WNBA — and how that model scaled to seven territories for the World CupThe difference between Roku as a platform (distribution partner integrations) versus the Roku Channel as a first-party service (FAST channels, originals, live rights deals with MLB, Formula E, X Games and the Savannah Bananas)Why rights fragmentation isn't reversing — and how personalization, metadata and interactivity are becoming the tools to reaggregate the viewing experience without a cable-style bundleHow Roku funds its sports push through advertising and sponsorship rather than subscription or affiliate fees, and what "shared upside" partnerships look like in practiceA first take on what the pending Fox acquisition could mean for Roku's sports ambitions, and why it's "business as usual" until the deal closes Like and subcribe to receive weekly episodes from StreamTime Sports. Streamtime Sports is part of SportsPro Media Group Subscribe to StreamTime Sports on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsProNick Follow Nick Meacham on Linkedin or instagram as @sportspronick
6d ago

Record World Cup Audiences. So Why Did FIFA Need More Money?

FIFA's proposed $20 billion enterprise plan lasted less than 48 hours before facing widespread opposition, reigniting debate around private equity's role in sport and whether football's governing bodies should be selling stakes in their commercial future. The episode explores why the proposal generated such a strong reaction, how it compares to similar investments across the sports industry, and what it reveals about FIFA's long-term commercial ambitions. Chris and Nick also break down the first major audience figures from the FIFA World Cup, examining record-breaking television audiences, streaming growth, and the eye-watering social media numbers generated across platforms including TikTok and YouTube. Key Points: Why did FIFA's proposed $20 billion enterprise plan unravel so quickly, and was the backlash justified? What do the World Cup's record television and streaming audiences tell us about the future of sports consumption? Have platforms like TikTok and YouTube become as important as broadcasters in the global sports ecosystem? How should rights holders measure success when social media engagement reaches into the trillions but audience behaviour continues to fragment?
Jul 30

Why NFL teams are suddenly worth $10 billion

Fresh from the SportsPro Investment Summit, Nick and Chris unpack the record-breaking $9.6 billion sale of the Seattle Seahawks and what it reveals about the state of sports investment. They examine the role media rights play in franchise valuations, the growing influence of private equity, and why US sports teams continue to command premium prices. The conversation also explores the differences between North American and European sports ownership models, and whether rising media rights fees can continue to fuel the next wave of sports investment. Key Points: Why are NFL franchises now commanding valuations approaching $10 billion? How much of modern sports team valuation is driven by media rights revenue and future broadcast growth? Will private equity become an increasingly important force in sports ownership as franchise values continue to rise? Does the structure of European sport limit franchise valuations compared to North America's closed-league model?
Jul 23

The EuroLeague's Expansion Play: Exclusive with CEO Chus Bueno

EuroLeague CEO, Chus Bueno, outlines his vision for transforming European basketball through a franchise model, league expansion and a direct-to-consumer strategy. He discusses the EuroLeague's valuation, why investors are lining up for new franchises, and how the organisation plans to unlock the value of its 65 million fans. Chus also shares his perspective on the NBA's ambitions in Europe, whether cooperation is still possible, and why he believes the EuroLeague remains the strongest platform for growing basketball across the continent. Key Points: Can the EuroLeague's new franchise model unlock significant value and accelerate the growth of basketball across Europe? Should the EuroLeague and NBA work together in Europe, or is competition between two rival leagues inevitable? Why are investors willing to pay significant expansion fees for EuroLeague franchises despite the NBA's plans for the market? How can a direct-to-consumer strategy help the EuroLeague better monetise its fan base and close the gap with other major sports properties?
Jul 15

Why Sky Bought ITV — And What It Means for Sports Broadcasting

Comcast's decision to separate its media and telecom businesses, combined with Sky's acquisition of ITV, could signal a major shift in how media companies think about content, distribution and audience reach. Chris and Nick explore whether the era of owning both the pipes and the content is coming to an end, why sports rights have become even more valuable in the streaming age, and how Sky could use ITV's free-to-air reach to unlock new opportunities for advertisers, rights holders and fans. They also discuss which competitors should be paying close attention to these developments and what it could mean for the future of sports broadcasting in the UK. Key Points: Does Comcast's restructuring signal the end of the traditional strategy of owning both content and distribution in the streaming era?Have live sports become the most valuable asset in modern media as entertainment content becomes increasingly commoditised?How could Sky use ITV's free-to-air reach to generate more value from premium sports rights like the Premier League, Formula One and the NFL?Should broadcasters, streaming platforms and rights holders be worried about Sky becoming an even stronger force in the UK sports media market?
Jul 10

How are fans really watching the World Cup

With the FIFA World Cup reaching the knockout stages, Nick and Chris compare notes on how they're actually watching the tournament across the UK, US and Sweden. From YouTube's preferred platform experiment and replay consumption to streaming audience growth and free-to-air reach, they explore whether this tournament represents a genuine turning point in how global sports are distributed and consumed. They also discuss record-breaking US audiences, spoiler-free viewing experiences, and what the World Cup reveals about the ongoing shift from traditional television to streaming. Key Points: Is this the first truly streaming-first World Cup, and what does growing streaming consumption mean for the future of sports distribution?How effective are FIFA's preferred platform experiments, and are they creating a better viewing experience for fans?Do record US audience figures represent a genuine breakthrough for soccer in the market?Does the World Cup once again prove the unrivalled reach and cultural impact of free-to-air television for major sporting events?
Jul 8

The HBO Max Playbook: Bringing sports, entertainment, and streaming together

The launch of HBO Max in the UK marks the latest chapter in Warner Bros. Discovery's journey to bring premium sport and entertainment content under a single streaming destination. In this conversation recorded live at SportsPro London, David Gibbs, SVP of Sports Product at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, explains the strategy behind the launch, the lessons learned from delivering major events such as the Olympic Games, and how technology is reshaping the fan experience. From AI-powered personalisation and multiview experiences to the enduring value of live sport, David shares a candid perspective on what it takes to operate a streaming platform at global scale—and where sports viewing is headed next. Key Points: Can a single streaming platform successfully unite live sport, blockbuster entertainment and documentary programming without overwhelming consumers?How did Warner Bros. Discovery use the Olympic Games to showcase a new generation of streaming experiences, from multiview to real-time highlights and personalised discovery?As viewing becomes more personalised, can streaming services preserve the shared live moments that make sport unique?What does it take to deliver more than 35,000 live sporting events a year across multiple markets, languages and devices?
Jul 1

Why Netflix Took a £14m Bet on Live Sports Podcasts

Goalhanger CFO Andy Hodgson joins StreamTime Sports host Nick Meacham to discuss the company's rapid growth, the success of The Rest Is Football, its groundbreaking Netflix partnership during the FIFA Club World Cup, and the evolving economics of podcasting. The discussion covers subscriptions, advertising, YouTube, creator monetization, sports media innovation and why high-quality long-form content continues to attract global audiences. Key Points: How did Goalhanger build one of the UK's fastest-growing podcast businesses and scale beyond £37m in annual revenue?What does The Rest Is Football's Netflix partnership reveal about the future of sports media distribution?Why are subscriptions, memberships and fan communities becoming critical to modern media growth?Can long-form podcast content outperform traditional sports media in the battle for audience attention?What opportunities do YouTube, creator-led brands and new revenue models create for the future of sports media?

See All (208)

5

out of 5

6 Ratings

Great Pod!

03/06/2025

Juansito_st

The show is super informative. As a fan of sports media and entertainment, I enjoy listening to the hosts and guests chat about the latest going on.
StreamTime Podcast

03/23/2023

@BarneySTJ

Really enjoy the deep dive interviews conducted by Nick and Chris with industry experts Highly encourage those that are interested in Sports and/or Sports Streaming/DTC/OTT to give this podcast a listen.

A weekly podcast profiling the people, businesses and technologies driving the sports media revolution. The go-to place for sports industry professionals seeking ideas, insights and inspiration in these times of rapid transformation across streaming, OTT and digital.