Streaming sports events online provides more freedom than live television broadcast. Through online streaming, people are able to enjoy the games instantly through their mobile devices. Even people stuck in the office can still enjoy the sport event. Online streaming has great interaction between fans. On every web page of the game there will be a chatting box or window that allows fans to discuss the game and interact with each other. With this a huge fan base can be built up and much revenue will be streaming to Google and Youtube.
Google is looking all over the world for exciting and popular games and shows. The success of the Indian Premier League streaming has convinced many professional sports leagues and associations. Google’s business success also gives them chips to negotiate with these sports leagues.
However, people are still buying televisions. We will not see a stop to television purchases because the invention of television has been deeply entrenched in our civilization. For years, the sales of television have been increasing year after year. Every television buyer purchases television to watch whatever he/she wants to watch. Television also had become a necessity in many households a long time ago. Because of the advancing technology, sports fans have become a very unstable group of viewers. Big screens and small screens begin to compete with each other for this group. Yet they both have their advantages and disadvantages that the fans are able to see. Professional sports leagues will begin to look for new direction very soon and start to explore new ideas and new markets.
Nonetheless, online sports streaming has its obvious disadvantages. On Youtube’s fans feedback section, some Indian Premier League viewers noted that the quality of viewing was very poor. One fan mockingly remarked that it was as though he was watching a 3D movie without the 3D glasses. In general, online streaming also take away a lot of data flow daily, threatening other online viewers and surfers. Recently, AT&T even started to limit the usage of iPad 3G. iPad 3G users would no longer be able to watch videos that take away more data flow than mobile videos. When these users open a window of such videos, a message from AT&T would come out, telling them to watch these videos at WIFI spots.
Traditional television networks and broadcasters will not ignore the power of online streaming. They will try their best and think of new ideas to retain their current customers by incorporating online streaming into their business instead of treating it as a source of competition. NFL has achieved great success from mobile broadcasting. Their success would be a reminder for other sporting leagues and broadcasters that online streaming should be their friends, not enemies.
