Nick Meacham

Will we see separate #mediarights being carved out for vertical video anytime soon? and Can social media play a meaningful audience acquisition tool for broadcasters? ⚽ The notion of driving audiences through to media partners is exactly what FIFA is hoping for, following their preferred platform deals with TikTok and YouTube. To get under the hood of how platforms like TikTok contribute to fandom and consumption, we spoken with TikTok's global head of sport, live at their studios in Times Square. P.S. you'll see from the video how impressive the setup is! 📔 If you want to learn more about how to get value out of the platform, and its role in feeding audiences to streaming platforms then watch/ listen! YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=AZvm5_… Pod channels i.e. Spotify: podfollow.com/streamtime-pod…

Our venue and hotel for this year's SportsPro New York is literally on Times Square. I took this last night when I arrived. Heck of an eye opener! For this year's event I'm thrilled to say we will have a record number of attendees! This has been achieved by an influx of rights owners, teams and leagues attending - immense validation for what we're trying to achieve in supporting them in learning and innovating in a complex marketplace. Looking forward to bringing together 850+ leaders from sports media, investment, business, and technology. #SPNY

@vincenzolandino @IndyCar @NASCAR @F1 @Apple Completely

@SportsProNick @IndyCar @NASCAR @F1 @Apple Spot on. I think Apple's deal skews things and is nowhere near reality for most traditional broadcasters

Does #F1 really have a chance of cutting into @indycar and @nascar media rights and fanbase? @f1 and @apple have a lot of work to do if they're going to make this new media rights partnership work. Recent announcements of partnerships with Netflix and Yahoo will help incrementally - but F1 might have a major shock ahead of them if they're expecting a big rights deal from another traditional broadcaster in the next rights cycle. More on the StreamTime Sports Podcast. Subscribe on your preferred podcast platforms. podfollow.com/streamtime-pod…

🏎️ Apple are not going to make the same mistakes they made with Major League Soccer with Formula 1. And they’ve already made two major announcements that prove it. Before their new deal with F1 in the US even begins, Apple has announced one deal with Netflix and another with Yahoo that will significantly enhance reach and visibility in their key media market. With Netflix — the Canadian GP will be available live in the US, and Apple TV will get access to Drive to Survive on their own platform. With Yahoo — they will live stream F1 practice and qualifying sessions, starting with the F1 Miami Grand Prix in May. ❓ Why are they doing it? With MLS, they tried to create an exclusive destination for the league behind a paywall on their platform. It didn’t work. ⚽ They quickly began sublicensing rights to other broadcasters, followed by recent announcements about moving MLS in front of the paywall and cancelling their agreement early. This approach clearly shows that Apple learned from their mistakes — yes, even Apple makes mistakes — and are now ramping up their #F1 exposure through key media partnerships from very early in the rights cycle. 💷 What’s looks smart to me is that these two deals don’t start until a few weeks into the season, allowing them to focus first on driving engagement and access on their own platform before widening the net for the North American races. I’m curious how far they go with this approach. I’d still expect them to talk to major outlets like ESPN or NBC Sports about sublicensing the live US races. The other races aren’t real needle-movers if you look at the ratings they generate, so I’d expect Apple to keep those on their own channels unless someone comes in with a big offer. ⏰ Summary: This is all about Apple getting more value from the rights, but it's also critical for F1 to ensure they gain wider visibility and regain audience growth and momentum- Apple's ratings will get nowhere close to what they pulled with ESPN for obvious reasons. If audience interest and ratings do dip under this new agreement, the next rights cycle could lead to a nasty shock to the system when offers start coming in below expectations. #streaming #sportsbiz

The National Football League (NFL) has terminated one of the top deals it has in Europe and DAZN. Here's my initial reaction to this announcement: DAZN are in the middle of a 10 year agreement with the NFL around their D2C Premium proposition - Game Pass. This termination isn't connected with that deal. But the NFL has terminated 2 years early the exclusive rights deal for 5 live matches in Germany. Why does this matter? A few things: 1️⃣ Live and exclusive matches are the best marketing and acquisition tools out there for driving subscriptions to the premium Game Pass 2️⃣ This early exit mirrors the approach the NFL is set to take in the US with its major rights partners 3️⃣ So why did the NFL do it? - Is there another partner knocking on the door to pay more? (i.e. Paramount, Netflix or even the key German domestics?) - Has DAZN missed some of its rights payments and that's caused a reaction out of the NFL? - Has the audience numbers been too far below NFL's needs as it tries to grow its fanbase in Europe's biggest market. - Or are they just trying their luck? 4️⃣ Does this reflect their perception of the wider deal around Game Pass? - It's worth noting that DAZN committed significantly more for the rights than their main competitor (I heard more than double) - Did they never get the subscribers back that they lost in the initial migration from the NFL's own platform to DAZN? - DAZN have recently shared that numbers have gone up 24% from last year. 5️⃣ Is DAZN still in cost cutting mode after their recent moves pulling out of French and Belgian football? And if so, was it really DAZN that instigated the shift? One important point is that I believe the relative financial value of the visibility in this DAZN deal, versus giving those rights to one of the established FTA's or Sky Deutschland GmbH would be night and day if awareness is still the key driver in the DACH market Is this news going to send shockwaves for either side of the deal? No, not really. Who knows, you might find them renegotiating a new version of the deal again. But maybe, just maybe, there's something more profound here than just a minor rights deal being terminated early - and that's about what's to come from both parties in their approach to media rights partnerships across the globe. #Streaming #sportsbiz

Big things happening in sports media right now, right across the globe! Here are this week's Key Talking Points from the StreamTime Sports Podcast we released today: 👇🏼 1️⃣ Is Apple ’s early exit from MLS a warning sign for its new Formula 1 partnership? 2️⃣ Can F1 avoid the reach and visibility challenges that undermine the MLS deal? 3️⃣ Are in‑game ads on free‑to‑air the future of funding live sport in Europe? 4️⃣ What does the Premier League’s international growth mean for its European rivals? 5️⃣ Can Dyn’s split unlock a profitable B2B streaming tech business? 6️⃣ Will the Kings League new investment accelerate growth or raise expectations it can’t meet? listen here: lnkd.in/dmZMrerx YouTube: lnkd.in/dNSHwN9K

A spicy podcast this week. I share my views on: 1️⃣ How sports properties (including the International Olympic Committee – IOC ) might be misleading itself by pointing at growing content consumption whilst ignoring that global content consumption is also on the rise, and fragmented experiences can be leaving real fans losing interest despite what the big number might suggest. 2️⃣ How unimpressed I've been with streamers and broadcasters inability to market their sports content to potential customers (like me) and instead relying on just the sports itself to do all the work. 3️⃣ How sports is crushing it on TikTok, and their affiliate style approach + the launch of the gameplan platform in-app might be more disruptive and additive to live sports and streamers than I first thought. 4️⃣ Why the latest Ligue 1 saga might not be their own doing this time around, and we should be looking at other party in the deal a lot more closely (I'm looking at you FIFA)... Listen to the Podcast: podfollow.com/streamtime-pod… YouTube: youtu.be/Kqir1RWymBc?si…

The LFP/ Ligue 1 just keeps on giving some absolute gold dust for headlines. After celebrating what looked like a significant win in securing domestic rights to the FIFA World Cup — a move I initially viewed as smart, particularly as a way to mitigate year-one churn risk for their newly launched platform — it turns out the celebrations may have come a little early. The rights have now ended up with beIN Sports - no doubt a better fit for FIFA - irrespective of the price they paid. Whether this deal was a reaction to the premature announcement, or the outcome all along is unclear. But whichever way you look at it, it leaves LFP Media in an awkward position once again. The knock-on effect is equally important. This creates further tension between the rights holder and another broadcaster at a time when the priority should be rebuilding those relationships and restoring confidence in the market (see strained relationship with CANAL+ Group). If French football wants a genuinely competitive rights landscape again, alignment with partners will matter as much as headline-grabbing moves. And so, the soap opera continues. More details here: sportspro.com/news/broadcast…

@RobertBlaszczak @DanRayburn Thanks Robert! I didn't realise we were getting edgier but will take it!

@SportsProNick A big fan of more edgy takes recently, particularly the @DanRayburn episode - much-needed #sportsbiz critical thinking!

3 questions for those in media and sports: 1) Should Paramount be concerned, okay, or thrilled with their start to the Ultimate Fighting Championship deal? 2) Whilst Netflix keeps crushing revenue, is consumption close to flat lining? 3) And should the BBC be committing its sports content to YouTube or sticking to their own platforms? We answer all of these on the latest StreamTime Sports Podcast. Listen on Spotify and Apple here: podfollow.com/streamtime-pod… Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/vLzJ0YYVa3Y?si…

As one platform starts to wind back their spending on live sports rights, another quietly took the mantle as the biggest spender in #streaming. Here's the top numbers coming out of a great piece of work from Ampere Analysis: • Global streaming sports rights spend is projected to reach $14.2bn (USD) in 2026, up 7% year-on-year • Amazon Prime Video is to become the largest single streaming sports rights investor, accounting for 27% of total spend ($3.8bn) • DAZN is expected to fall into second place at 22% share of spend • General streamers (Amazon, Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Paramount+) are to account for 44% of streaming rights spend, up from 31% in 2025 • YouTube TV (14%), Paramount+ (8%) and Netflix (5%) have also moved up the ranks and become meaningful sports rights investors It's worth noting that Amazon's increase is largely driven by its first full year with the National Basketball Association (NBA). And DAZN's numbers are elevated further thanks to that much talked about deal with FIFA for the Club World Cup, meaning their spend next year is projected to drop further... What feels most significant here isn’t simply who is spending the most - but how the composition of buyers and the rights they're buying is evolving. We see a real mix bag between one-off events global events, an ongoing heavy focus on US specific deals, and then longer term top tier rights packages driving the lion share of revenue in this space. And those with stronger advertising businesses appear to be increasing their market share. With DAZN taking a step back in their investment, it's even more clear that a sports stand alone service will struggle to ever reach top place alongside the investment the big entertainment platforms are making, and the reality that sports is just one key piece of the content mix for both consumers and the platforms. Will be super interesting to see how this evolves in the next year or 2 with big tech mopping up more rights, AND whether they'll really start to invest in other markets where streaming adoption has been slower to take off i.e. Europe. #streaming #sportsbiz more on the numbers here: sportspro.com/news/broadcast…

In this week's podcast, here from Bundesliga International CEO Peer Niclas Naubert on everything you need to know about their international media strategy! IMO, it's one of the most progressive strategies held by any of the major football leagues. A big thank you to Peer for being so insightful in our conversation together. Note: This podcast was recorded in Madrid at the @SportsPro Media Summit in November YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=JliJ8m… Pod channels: podfollow.com/streamtime-pod…

Next week we'll be hosting our latest event for StreamTime Sports members! So far already a great lineup of rights holders in attendance as in the imagge, as well as our StreamTime Sports Members. The topic will be about how to use social more effectively to drive growth and revenue. We'll have the likes of TikTok, DAZN and others presenting and talking about tactics around they've seen be effective on social media. There will be content about the event across the podcast, and if you want to more about the membership and access to these exclusive events then check out here: sportspro.com/membership/str…

@rugbybroadcast_ thanks for the share and listening to my waffle!

This week's quote of the week is courtesy of SportsPro's @SportsProNick: "You could be infatuated with watching a one-man band guy walking around in the woods filming his life and doing things and that’s enough to grab your attention against multi-billion dollar media enterprises."

📩Some highlights from this week's newsletter: 5⃣ Irish rugby matches featured in the top 10 most watched programmes in Ireland in 2025 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿The PREM continues to attract strong viewership figures this season 📺Potential Super Rugby blackout on linear TV rugbybroadcast.com/p/the-rugby-br…

How did @GraemeSmith49 launch the @SA20_League? How did he secure investment, and get up and running with only a few months before season kick off? Here all about it in this exclusive episode of StreamTime Sports: Listen: podfollow.com/streamtime-pod… Watch on Youtube: youtube.com/watch?v=bn2kWj… Thanks to @InCrowd_Sports Ellie Roach for also sharing her insights.

@RPMComo too true.

@SportsProNick It doesn’t get better. Part of a general reset in the world of work. As I wrote the other day Nick, AI is real. Everyone needs to think, what value do I bring? Really. Contacts? Network? Sales? Because the special knowledge bit is going to be tough to prove over AI.

Is it just me, or is the sports industry being flooded with a new era of advisors - but mainly because there are simply fewer opportunities for senior leaders? And if so, what does that mean for those who want to build a long-term career in the sector? It feels like every other day I see highly experienced leaders — people who’ve spent decades in sport, made mistakes, learned lessons, and delivered real success — struggling to land another full-time role at a similar level. And this is happening at a time when, I would have thought, strong leadership is needed more than ever. Instead, many are moving into advisory work, taking on projects for the very organisations or investors who won’t commit to them permanently. And I’m not talking about people close to retirement either— in some cases, these are leaders with just 15 years’ experience in sport, and who are positively regarded by those around them. Now, this isn’t about defending the “old guard” or dismissing fresh talent. 'Outsiders' can and do succeed. But for every home run, there are multiple strikeouts — particularly in an industry defined by relationships, leadership, and culture. And it’s also important to note that some of those moving to advisory are doing it by choice and/or are actually having even greater impact because of the freedom they have to work across multiple organisations rather than just one. My concern is that many are moving into advisory roles not by choice, but by necessity. When this becomes an industry-wide pattern, the effect is that institutional knowledge, networks, and judgment are being underutilised. Instead, the higher-risk, higher-reward appeal of hiring from outside the industry - often at a lower price point - becomes more attractive to the influx of new investors and owners looking to scale their capital investments in a new asset class. 'Go big or go home'. Those who know me know I don’t always speak positively about how sport has been run historically. I have often said "sport has been successful in spite of itself, not because of itself". But even I wonder whether it has gone too far in pushing for leadership change. A decade ago, many leaders may have turned their noses up at the need to innovate. Today, that mindset feels far less common. Most senior leaders I speak to understand that change is essential — and are actively trying to adapt. So here’s my question to the industry (and anyone who's read this far!): Are we seeing a serious loss of experienced leadership in the way I’m describing? And if so, is that as risky for the sector as I fear? Or is this actually a better outcome — having senior experience “on tap” for guidance, rather than fully embedded and overcommitted?

@RPMComo I frankly can't see how this gets any better for those individuals before it gets even worse... Especially when those who are stuck not finding work also can't seem to find their way in other sectors either

@SportsProNick That last bit is what you hear when these people talk to you honestly. I’m not in any way joking. I get a lot of people who speak to me on “career”. Wanting a “chat”. They will say this. “I’m the worse demo possible to get a corporate job.”

Should we be pessimistic or optimistic about the sports industry's future? And how does sports compete with one guy and a smartphone? These are the underlying themes of this week's StreamTime Sports. From trust and authenticity, to #AI, #betting, #streaming strategy and the pressure on #mediarights models, we discuss what feels different as the industry enters its next phase. Key Points: - Why trust and authenticity are becoming critical issues for sport - How AI-generated content is changing how fans engage - The growing influence of betting and prediction markets - Where YouTube fits in the current media ecosystem - Why media rights, pricing and commercial pressure are reaching a tipping point Pod channels: podfollow.com/streamtime-pod… YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=Zany_I…