Antonio Briceno
For Antonio Briceño, General Director for the US and Canada of beIN SPORTS, streaming has extended the relationship with viewers. It allows them to not only watch matches live but also access highlights afterwards. “This also helps the industry monetize through both subscription-based SVOD services and programmatic advertising on AVOD platforms,” he explained. He pointed out that FAST is more economical to produce, but the downside is that you’re limited to advertising revenue.”
XTRA CHANNELS
To stay relevant, Briceño emphasizes that beIN SPORTS has focused on creating and maintaining high-quality content. He cites the creation of XTRA channels specifically for the free, ad-supported streaming (FAST) segment, which wasn’t an option when beIN SPORTS first launched.
To cater to the diverse audiences on various digital platforms, they’ve also ramped up production of short-form content. This includes platforms like the now-rebranded GAMAM (previously GAFAM): Google, Amazon, Meta (formerly Facebook), Apple, and Microsoft.
DIVERSIFICATION
Reflecting on beIN SPORTS’ evolution from a primarily soccer-focused channel, Antonio Briceño highlights key learnings. The diversification into tennis, other racquet sports, and extreme disciplines has been successful. “We’ve seen significant growth and audience interest beyond tennis in racquet sports, particularly Pickleball and Paddle. Our Premier Padel event productions have been a hit,” he says. “Combat sports like boxing and MMA have always been popular, and there’s a rising interest in extreme sports like skateboarding and surfing. These are all areas where we’re looking to increase our production hours.”
In the coming months, beIN SPORTS will be broadcasting a wide range of exciting events, including the Premier Padel tournaments, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, Women’s Softball World Cup, Women’s Baseball World Cup, SuperTri 2024, T100 Triathlon World Tour (London and Las Vegas legs), Liga Salvadoreña de Fútbol, CIBACOPA, and Lux Challenge.
BRAND INTEGRATION
Discussing the changing landscape of advertising sales, Briceño acknowledges the challenge of integrating brands seamlessly into sports content. They’re exploring various approaches, “always prioritizing a solution that benefits the brand, the content, and ultimately, the overall viewer experience.”
He calls this evolution “fascinating,” prompting them to explore new avenues and opportunities that might not have been considered before. “We’ve embraced a completely out-of-the-box mentality, leading to unexpected but positive results for the brands, consumers, and the channel itself.”
Highlighting the importance of social media, Briceño emphasizes its role in promoting beIN SPORTS’ content and expanding their global audience. He also recognizes it as a valuable avenue for monetization.
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