Amsterdam Hosts Digital Sport - The Digital Future Of Sports Entertainment
Amsterdam, Netherlands — The power of digital media is growing in the sports world. The need today is for broadcasters and sports rightsholders to extend their brand and content beyond linear television. The recent rights deal between the NBA and ESPN/ABC increased by a value of $2.84 billion on that of the previous, sources attributing the increase primarily to digital assets. "Our fans seem to experience us in different ways … what you're seeing is the movement of the rights to follow the fan and enhance the fan's experience" (NBA commissioner David Stern1).
On the 15th and 16th of January 2008 in Amsterdam the Digital Sport event will bring together the leaders in sports entertainment. Confirmed participants include European soccer club AFC Ajax, incumbent telecoms operator KPN, and German broadcaster Premiere. The event will highlight those sporting clubs and associations, broadcasters and rightsholders who are leading the way in use of new-media channels to connect with fans, cement loyalty to clubs and secure new revenue opportunities.
The conference and exhibitors will focus on: rights issues, Internet sportscasting, content security, mobile sport, new channels for niche sports, content search and discovery, metadata and archiving, future sponsorship and advertising, communities, fantasy sports.
Confirmed speakers include: John C Jaakke, Chairman of AFC Ajax; Carsten Schmidt, Chief Sports and New Business Officer at Premiere; Alex Balfour, Head of New Media of the London 2012 Organising Committee; and Guido Bouw, Senior Marketeer of Sport at KPN Media.
1 Gough, Paul. 2007. "NBA deal goes beyond TV. New-media rights key to extension". The Hollywood Reporter, 28 June
Visit the event website for further information www.digitalsportevent.com.
SOURCE: World Trade Group