Sports and Video: The New Ultimate Duo

Two weekends ago, Jeff called me in a panic.

Not only was my friend certain to miss his beloved Miami Dolphins first playoff appearance in seven years, he had also been caught in a situation that has basically become a cardinal sin for the avid sports fan—he didn’t have a DVR.

Now more than ever, sports and video have become inextricably linked. From live game broadcasts to instant replay and YouTube highlights, video has an integral part of the sports consumer’s experience.

And the race to bring fans the best sports viewing experience is at full speed.

Take a look at any of the four major leagues’ websites, and you’ll find video highlighted as a top feature of each website.

This trend doesn’t stop in the United States either — the English Premier League also features video on their website.

The National Football League takes this a step further, featuring well-organized,  extensive video packages, so that fans can view everything from game recaps to reviews of every officials’ call from each game.

The NFL could be onto some of the reasons why video has spread like wildfire in the sports realm.

For one, more readily available video content provides another way for fans to get close to the action. Another relevant aspect to this growth is that of personalization. Instead of having to choose what to watch because consumers had no choice about when to watch, fans can now watch it all, on their own time, and even share it with friends.

Options for fans to watch video while attending a live game are also expanding, as stadiums (such as the new Yankee Stadium) integrate digital screens and also handheld instant replay devices for the fans.

And as fan demand for the availability of video increases, so does the insistence for high quality of that video. Nowadays, anything less than high definition is in an unacceptable viewing experience for avid fans.

Sony even offered a snapshot of the future of sports video recently, delivering a 3D broadcast of the Florida-Oklahoma BCS National Title game to viewers at CES in Las Vegas.

Much as it did for propelling the ubiquity of high definition broadcasts, one can only assume that sports will also serve as a principle driver for 3D broadcasts.

As innovation around sports video travels at this lightning speed, fans must be wondering — what could be next?

Whatever it is, one thing is clear. Move over Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, sports and video are the newest ultimate duo.

Posted by Parisa Bastani at 07:00AM PST