Live sports technology in 2024: Mediakind on personalisation, quality, and the road to 2025
By Jean-Christophe Pineault, Mediakind sports sales manager.
2024 has been a great year for sports broadcasting, defined by innovations and growing pains alike. Audiences demanded more personalised, interactive, high quality experiences – Altman Solon’s 2024 Global Sports Survey found younger viewers increasingly watching highlights and clips over full live games – pushing broadcasters and streaming platforms to evolve rapidly. However, high profile challenges, such as the technical difficulties experienced during large scale events, revealed how much work remains to optimise the live streaming space. Now is the time to examine how cutting edge technology reshaped live sports in 2024 and what lies ahead as we approach 2025.
Live broadcast quality
In 2024, live streaming quality came under intense scrutiny. The unprecedented scale of events challenged the reliability of live streaming, underscoring both the appetite for consuming content this way and the need for dependable solutions.
The industry responded by investing heavily in infrastructure upgrades, particularly in cloud and edge computing. These solutions enabled greater scalability, reducing lag and buffering issues even during high-traffic events. Additionally, pay-as-you-go models gained traction, offering a flexible approach to monetising live events while ensuring robust infrastructure for peak moments.
The message was clear: as fan expectations rise, so must the quality of the viewing experience. Broadcasters can no longer afford to treat reliability as an afterthought; it’s now a cornerstone of audience trust and therefore the key to long-term profitability.
AI’s growing role
Artificial intelligence has emerged as a gamechanger for live sports broadcasting, shifting from experimental novelty to essential strategy. In 2024, AI applications began to transform production workflows, with the promise of enhancing efficiency and creativity in unprecedented ways. Automated camera selection, for instance, can ensure optimal angles during live events, while AI-generated highlights are starting to provide tailored recaps to fans based on their preferences.
Despite its promise, the adoption of AI faced significant hurdles. Legal challenges – often stemming from data use concerns – frequently slowed progress, with resistance from both vendors and clients. Additionally, skill gaps within teams made experimentation expensive, highlighting the need for a centralised approach to AI strategies. When implemented strategically, however, AI-enabled breakthroughs in personalisation allow viewers to enjoy language-specific commentary, personalised graphics, and real time analysis tailored to their favourite teams or players.
This growing emphasis on personalisation reflects a broader industry trend; fans no longer want to passively consume, they want experiences tailored to their unique tastes. In 2024, AI met these expectations, setting the stage for more dynamic broadcasts.
Demand and potential
Personalisation reached new heights in 2024 with the rise of multiview streaming, a feature allowing fans to control their viewing experience through multiple camera angles, customised audio feeds, or simultaneous game streams. NBA League Pass’s multiview functionality, launched in 2024, was lauded for its intuitive interface, with Forbes highlighting its user-centric design.
The technical challenges of multiview are significant. Behind the scenes, a reliable and scalable engine is essential to support multiview functionality. This goes beyond the streaming layer to include entitlement and client authorisation systems that ensure seamless user access. Furthermore, the quality of ad insertions at this scale is critical; poorly executed ads can alienate viewers and impact engagement.
Multiview technology has already proven to be a powerful tool for fan engagement. Its largest use case to date was the US elections, where Comcast provided four simultaneous channels to meet high demand. Fans are more likely to linger longer on streams when they have control over what they watch, opening up new monetisation opportunities such as personalised sponsorships and hyper-targeted advertising.
As consumer demand for interactivity grows, multiview technology will likely expand further in 2025, driving broadcasters to adopt and refine these features.
Predictions for 2025
Looking ahead, 2025 promises to be another landmark year for live sports technology. As we head into the year, the industry faces an urgent call to action: embrace personalisation, prioritise quality, and deploy technology strategically to stay competitive. The road ahead promises a more dynamic, fan-centric future, one where every viewer feels like the MVP.
Here are three key trends to watch:
- Expanded Multiview Integration
Multiview capabilities will become standard across major broadcasters and streaming platforms, offering fans an unprecedented level of control over their viewing experiences. - AI-Powered Innovation
AI adoption will become more holistic, driving smarter production workflows, delivering hyper-personalised fan experiences at scale, and improving operational efficiency to control costs. - New Monetisation Models
Personalised broadcasts will fuel growth in targeted advertising and sponsorships, unlocking new revenue streams for content providers.
These advancements signal an exciting evolution in the live sports landscape, where fans will enjoy more tailored and interactive experiences than ever before.