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Axios
16 hours ago
- Business
- Axios
Axios Event: Media execs are betting big on women's sports
CANNES, France – Media executives are focusing investments into the fast-growing market of women's sports, they said at an Axios event at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Why it matters: Women's sports is booming in viewership, engagement and fandoms as more women's teams are launching and business executives are noticing the growth opportunities. Axios' Sara Fischer spoke with Roku Media president Charlie Collier, NBCUniversal global advertising and partnerships chairman Mark Marshall, NBC Sports host and play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico and Tubi CEO Anjali Sud at the June 18 event, sponsored by Nielsen. What they're saying: Roku Media and Tubi see opportunities in investing and promoting women's sports. "We have all sorts of women's sports and we have a women's sport zone and we've invested in women's volleyball and we've invested in women's soccer," Collier said. "Platforms like iON that had the [WNBA player] Caitlin Clark games as part of their package before Caitlin Clark blew up, we absolutely made sure that we got our viewers to those games on iON. It wasn't our rights, but it was absolutely our right to elevate that pop-cultural moment," he added. "For women in sports in particular, there's just a need here. There's a vacuum that I think we have an opportunity to fill," Sud said. Sud also mentioned that Gen Z audiences care about the stories behind the athletes as well as the game, so Tubi is developing more "shoulder content" to appeal to younger audiences. "We just announced … a [tennis player] Naomi Osaka doc that's going to be coming out on Tubi in August," Sud said. "It's going to be talking about her journey coming back into the game after having a baby." "Beyond the diehard sports fans, there are people who are in it for the culture. And we need to serve them with compelling stories and content and build that momentum." Separately, NBC Sports discussed its major deal with the NBA, which will broadcast on NBC from Sunday to Tuesday nights, blending linear and streaming to maximize reach. "Sunday, we'll have a pregame and then the game," Tirico said. "Monday, there'll be games on Peacock. …Tuesday, on NBC. … We'll have an NBA game on the East Coast at 8 Eastern time and then we'll have a game for our Mountain and Pacific time zone affiliates at 8 o'clock Pacific time." "What I'm excited about is the amount of NBA that will be on broadcast TV in prime time. So you'll have a game every week on Tuesday night, which I think will be a boost for the league and really get the package off to a great start." Marshall added: "Part of what I really was hoping for and it worked out was to be on the front half of the week and so we can promote the rest of the entertainment programming that will happen on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Whereas, you know, 'Sunday Night Football,' that's what we've done for years. Now we'll actually go from 'Sunday Night Football' to 'Sunday Night Basketball' on Peacock every Monday night and Tuesday on NBC prime time." "So all of a sudden we have this huge promotional platform that's going to bring a younger, more multicultural audience to NBC that's probably been there, that's not there every week as we sit here today." In a View From the Top conversation, Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao emphasized the major growth of women's sports.
Axios
19-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
Sports rights boom lifts media companies beyond major broadcasters
Major sports events benefit media companies beyond the main rights holders, executives from Fox-owned Tubi and Roku Media told Axios at an event in Cannes on Wednesday. Why it matters: The value of sports rights have soared as media companies bid for assets they hope will retain audiences in a competitive landscape. What they're saying: The interest in athletes can drive interest in related programming. "One thing we know about Gen Z audiences is they care as much sometimes about these athletes, the stories behind the athletes — what we call shoulder content and programming — as they do the live event," Tubi CEO Anjali Sud said. Roku can help audiences track down games and their favorite programming as the "front door to television," said Charlie Collier, president of Roku Media. "Before Caitlin Clark blew up, we absolutely made sure that we got our viewers to those games on ION. It wasn't our rights, but it was absolutely our right to elevate that pop cultural moment," Collier said. Zoom in: Tubi is investing more in this type of content with a Naomi Osaka documentary slated for August and a docuseries on NFL No. 1 draft pick Cam Ward. "I think it's just recognizing that beyond the die-hard sports fans, there are people who are in it for the culture, and we access some of that with compelling stories and content and build that momentum," Sud said. What to watch: Sud said Tubi would be interested in acquiring its own live sports rights beyond what Fox already has "if we could make the math work." "But it's very expensive today, and I think it's a hard strategy in this current environment to scale," she said.
Associated Press
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
‘Let Me Call…' Podcast Returns with Candid Conversations from the Entertainment Industry
Insider Access, Unscripted Conversations, and No Topic Off-Limits. A Must-Listen Podcast Exploring the Intersection of Entertainment and Technology. 'I aimed for a brief podcast covering all international industry topics, featuring guests from our conferences. I include a Gen Z perspective in each episode to stay current with audience views' — Valentina Martelli - Let me and Host LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, February 21, 2025 / / -- The acclaimed podcast Let Me Call... is back, bringing fresh and insightful conversations from the entertainment industry's most influential figures. Hosted by the renowned Italian-American journalist Valentina Martelli—CEO and founder of ITTV International Forum and TechInEntertainment—the podcast continues to offer unparalleled access to the latest trends shaping the worlds of TV, film, and technology. 'I wanted to create a short podcast that you can listen to quickly, where no international industry topic is off-limits. The guests are all friends and speakers at our ITTV International Forum and TechInEntertainment conferences. The industry is constantly evolving, and even experts have questions. Plus, we need to stay attuned to shifting audience perspectives—that's why I incorporate a Gen Z question in each episode.' What sets Let Me Call... apart? These aren't just interviews; they're dynamic, unscripted phone calls packed with exclusive insights and a friendly yet professional vibe. No industry topic is off-limits—each guest, a leader in their field, offers a glimpse into the forces driving change in media, from mergers and acquisitions to artificial intelligence, NFTs, the metaverse, and the evolution of content production and distribution. Adding an exciting twist, each episode ends with a cliffhanger: the current guest poses a question for the next caller, challenging Valentina to find the perfect respondent. This unique format creates a continuous, interconnected dialogue across the entertainment landscape. Past Guests Include: * David Eilenberg – Head of Content, Roku Media * Andrea Scrosati – COO, Fremantle Group & CEO, Fremantle Europe * Kevin Goetz – CEO/Founder, Screen Engine/ASI; Host, Don't Kill the Messenger * Matteo Perale – Serial Entrepreneur, Investor, and former co-founder of Wiip * John Attanasio – Co-founder & CEO, Toonstar * Neal Baer – Award-winning Showrunner (ER, Law & Order: SVU, Designated Survivor) * Gary Marenzi – Former President, International Television at Paramount Pictures & MGM * Donato Carrisi – International Bestselling Author, Writer, and Director * Anthony Batt – Co-founder, WeVr Produced by IbiscusMedia, Inc., Let Me Call... is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. With a new year ahead, Let Me Call... promises to continue delivering engaging, thought-provoking conversations that simplify complex industry shifts and offer a global perspective on the future of media and entertainment. Tune in to Let Me Call... for quick yet powerful conversations that make sense of a rapidly evolving industry. Valentina Martelli X LinkedIn Legal Disclaimer:
