Success Stories (U24: D1)

Learning Outcome 1 (U24): Understand the products that are produced within and across media industries 

Sky Sports

sourced by google and the SkySports website itself

Concept/Brand:

Sky Sports is a group of British subscription television sports channels operated by the satellite pay-tv company Sky, a division of Comcast. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sport brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland. 

Sky Sports charges £23 a month for an 18 month contract. Alternatively, if you just watch F1, the package costs £10 a month for a 12 month contract. The subscription allows 6 devices including 2 devices at one time (3 if you have NOW TV boost) as well as the mobile app allowing 1 device at a time. 

Content:

On the basic or premium package Sky Sports includes multiple sports content such as 'The Main Event', Football, Cricket, Golf, F1, Action and Arena. The main event can include Boxing events or other major tournament. It targets the main audience of males from the ages of 15-65.

From skymedia.co.uk

The content caters for the consumers preference of sport, hobbies or interests. The multiple channels within the subscription provide multiple channels for specific audiences to watch, so for example, if you're favourite sport is Cricket, there is a dedicated Cricket channel just for you. The variety of content is accessible so Sky Sports can cater for a large mainstream audience and thus, make more revenue. 

Viewing Figures:

Sky Sports has revealed that viewing figures for the English Premier League were up to 21% year on year for 2019. Their most popular viewing at 3.3million views from subscribers was the match between Liverpool and Man City, in which Liverpool beat Man City 3-1. As part of an annual snapshot review there were 33million unique visitors each month to the channels websites and apps (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube) totalling 2.5billion social video views.

This makes a major comparative difference to 2017, where at one stage average viewing was down by as much as 19%. On the whole, viewing figures for Sky Sports Premier League coverage (their most populous channel) slumped to their lowest point in seven years. BARB has noted an overall 6% decline in viewership in total viewing figures. This major difference between 2017 and 2019 shows an overall success for the subscription as it has tied most of their audience back in and even more. 

Brand/Content:

The brands content is accessible through multiple platforms Sky Sports has created. This includes social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook where Sky will often feature segments of football highlights, breaking news, and statistics. As well as this, Sky have published a mobile app where one device is able to stream live games, matches and more. As well as this, they feature exclusive sports content like interviews and extra information to do with Sports teams and individual athletes. This content can also be watched and streamed on laptop and computer devices. Their main primary source however, is in fact television broadcasting, where their viewership remains the strongest in terms of popularity. This is successful for both the company and the consumer as they are able to watch the channels on the go, essentially making their source of entertainment portable. With this ability, Sky benefit from this in terms of supply their viewership and supporting their viewing figures. 

Audiences and how they are Reached:

Different audiences are reached through the variety of ages sky sports targets. The gender targeted is dominantly male, which won't change unless a number of more females become interested in sports, however there is a smaller demographic that are at around 25%. The differentiation of male ages in interested in Sky Sports depends on the sports themselves, and what ages of men target which sport. For example, the 60-65 year olds may prefer Cricket to Football, when the 15-20 years olds prefer Football and Boxing. By sharing this large variety of broadcasted sports, Sky Sports caters for all demographics and their love for multiple sports.

How the Brand/Concept is Advertised:

Sky Sports is advertised through sponsorship in the way they partner with other brands. An example of this is the sponsorship they have with Renault, to cover their main Football events. It showcases former footballer and Sky Sports pundit Thierry Henry, who is a notable figure in the recognition of their advert and brand. The model of the car showcased in these ads it the all-new Renault Clio. They specifically choose brands that will target their major male demographic having previously worked with Gillette, Go-Compare and Ford. Another form of advertising that is showcased to public audiences is their own billboards as a form of print/traditional advertising. In lots of public areas such as tube stations and notable locations like Piccadilly Circus, Sky Sports pay to showcase their adverts. This helps them gain extra recognition and incentivises the public demographic to pay for their subscription and stream their live broadcasts. As well as this Sky Sports are notorious for partnering with betting companies, like their current one Sky Bet and Super6. Consumers are encouraged to follow the sports they have betted on, as well as empowering their demographic of mutually exclusive men who bet as well as watch sports. Therefore, both parties benefit from this particular sponsorship deal. 

Smart TV:

A SmartTV uses your home network to provide streaming video and services on your TV, using wired internet and built-in Wi-Fi to stay connected. It essentially allows users to stream music and videos, browse the internet and view photos. A SmartTV is an example of technological convergence of computers, television sets and set-top boxes. Smart TV's have a major effect and a huge impact on entertainment such as Sky Sports. With this rise of the internet, the entertainment market is able to evolve allowing streaming, screen-mirroring as part of the buzz. Essentially, Smart TV is most peoples go-to source of entertainment. It allows 24/7 availability, endless and on-demand content, no extra wiring or annoying strings attached, flawless syncing, remote obsolescence where it can do pretty much everything (i.e. voice control) and most importantly it is seen as pretty inexpensive. On the whole, Smart TV's have changes the way people consume content, changing the entire entertainment market leaving it in the hands of the viewer. 

Celebrity Endorsement:

Through celebrity endorsements, Sky Sports has formed many relationships between them and famous individuals, including their whole punditry and commentary team. These appearances on air as well as on social media are key to the channels evolving. For example, the punditry team often feature previous Premier League stars including Liverpool and Man United legends Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville. This enables a larger proportion of the audience to tune in and watch the live events before and after the matches. 

sourced from google