As we all know, the world has changed dramatically over the last couple of months. With more people staying at home and socially distancing, it has become extremely important for businesses to find new ways to provide their services to their existing members, as well as trying to protect their current income streams whilst still attracting new members. The lack of live sports has also left broadcasters and rights holders having to put different content formats front and centre of their offerings. This has led to a rise in the demand for video, either live or pre-recorded, in order for businesses to connect with their audience. No other platform allows for such level of interaction and its recent growth certainly shows its importance in our current society.
During a live stream on social media channels, viewers can post their comments and it shows up live. There is then an opportunity for other viewers and the presenter to interact with that person as well which creates conversation. This instant fulfilment creates a deep connection between the viewers and the presenter and can also drive more viewers to engage with your content. In the instance of gyms, live streaming fitness classes means that both the personal trainer and the participants are getting most of what they initially signed up for, despite the lack of facilities they would usually get at the gym, and they also feel part of a community, which, during this turbulent time, is what people are longing for.
Another benefit of streaming content is that it’s possible to reach a larger audience. Certain platforms favour live streams and will therefore promote your content to the wider web, meaning that it’s possible to generate more leads, followers or subscribers to your business without having to put huge amount of time and money into marketing strategies. Developing nations have positively influenced this trend due to growing internet connectivity and the rising popularity of social media platforms, which is in turn creating new markets for certain businesses.
The convenience of being able to produce as well as access content from the comfort of your own home may mean that streaming could continue to be the norm even after the pandemic is over. Our lives are constantly busy, however both pre-recorded and live streaming makes certain aspects of it easier and quicker, so why should that change?
Inexorably, sport has to change in light of the pandemic. Although normality seems to still be some way off, it has not stopped the sports industry from trying to spot trends that could shape the future. Video streaming is a growing and extremely popular market and is expected to reach $688.7 billion by 2024. With connectivity and technology constantly developing, nearly everybody has access to content 24/7 on smartphones and personal devices. The demand for content is on the rise, especially when the population have more time on their hands to browse the internet. Businesses need to make sure they don’t get left behind in an ever-evolving world and give their members/followers/subscribers what they are looking for, otherwise they’ll go and find it elsewhere.