WSMI Recap: Distribution Strategies, Trends, Techniques Take Center Stage at NAB Meeting

From the professional ranks to collegiate, from networks to venues, the sports market is growing at a rapid rate. The question is: can distribution strategies keep up?

On  April 17, members of SVG’s Women’s Sports Media Initiative took time away from the busy NAB Show floor to discuss this question. Nearly 40 women from all facets of sports production gathered at the Las Vegas Convention Center to network and participate in a discussion titled “Distribution Industry Trends From Creation to Consumption” and led by Jackie Donaldson, segment director of sports and media for Level 3 Communications.

Level 3's Jackie Donaldson led WSMI in a discussion on distribution trends in sports production.

The group discussed current trends in sports-distribution strategies and highlighted potential pitfalls in the path from acquisition through delivery to consumption and analysis. WSMI members targeted over-the-top distribution, expanded multiplatform content delivery, and an emphasis on the multitasking consumer as trends to watch, and engaged in a debate on the best techniques for storing this abundance of content. Many of the trends from the NAB Show floor found their way into the discussion, as the group considered digital rights, production quality, and monetization strategies for the second screen.

Prior to Donaldson’s presentation, Erin Thede, director of the Employer Partnership Office for the Office of the Chief Army Reserve, took the floor to explain why hiring a military veteran is more than the right thing to do, it’s good business. Thede, joined by Captain Rebecca Murga of the U.S. Army Reserve, led a dynamic discussion on the merits of hiring highly qualified, broadcast-trained veterans for any mobile-production need. Veterans are tech-savvy, responsible, physically fit, and leadership trained — not to mention, comfortable working in a predominantly male field — and make ideal candidates for sports-production employment.

For more information on joining SVG’s Women’s Sports Media Initiative, please contact WSMI Associate Director Karen Hogan at [email protected].