Execs from a league, networks and a social media company opened Day 2 of the '15 NeuLion Sports Media & Technology Conference with a panel on “The State of Media Content.” Among a wide range of topics, Fox Sports National Networks President Jamie Horowitz and NBC Sports Exec Producer Sam Flood provided in-depth takes on their contrasting approaches at building an audience. Flood said that multi-sport shows, for now, are not a part of NBCSN's strategy. Instead, the net has chosen to go all-in on the properties it owns the rights to, such as “Sunday Night Football,” the NHL, the EPL, NASCAR and F1. “We’re not looking to serve everyone in the audience,” he said. “We’re looking to serve the specific audience that we have. Short term, you’ve got to be what you are and be in love with the sports you have, and embrace the sports you have. If we’re going to be a buffet restaurant, it’s going to be a lot harder to get the people in there. If people know we’re serving steak, they’re going to come for the steak.” Horowitz responded with a strong statement, “We’re here to compete. There’s no doubt about it. It’s a perfectly acceptable business and strategy that NBC is pursuing, but it’s not the one that Fox is pursuing. We’re here to compete all hours of the day, seven days a week. We’re not going to concede any ground to ESPN. Not now, not in the future, and I think that’s represented in the decisions we’ve made recently.” Horowitz added that one of the tools he uses to reach that goal is hiring “people who are fearless, original and thoughtful, and those tend to be people with really distinctive voices in the sports landscape." Horowitz: "The hardest part about that process is finding them and acquiring them.”
TO GIF OR NOT TO GIF: Twitter recently suspended the accounts of Deadspin and SB Nation for presenting league highlights in GIFs and Vines, and moderator John Ourand turned to Twitter Dir of Sports Partnerships Danny Keens for an explanation. Ourand: “If I am ESPN or Fox or NBC, I would be pissed at Twitter. Why is Deadspin still doing the GIF?” Keens, looking slightly uncomfortable, said, “I knew this question was coming.” He continued, “We take it really seriously, and we comply with the DMCA rules and all those bits and pieces, and if people aren’t playing by the rules, we have to take action, and that stuff happens.” Asked whether GIFs are within the boundaries of the rules, Keens said, “It depends, because it’s this area of fair use. If you’re legally allowed to do it, then they can do it, but if they’re treading over that line … then we’ll take it down. And we have that debate on a daily basis as to what can and cannot be posted.” Flood called the matter an “interesting gray area,” and MLS and Soccer United Marketing Senior VP/Media Seth Bacon weighed in as well. “From a league standpoint, the onus is on us certainly to protect the investment that our network partners have made with the sport,” Bacon said. “That said, the balance is, how do you do that in a way that’s not so heavy-handed that you’re disengaging fans and creating an atmosphere where fans don’t feel like they can take part in the conversation?” Horowitz: “The question is, ‘Is it really a highlight?’ A photo you would be OK with, a highlight you would not be OK with. The question is, Where on that spectrum does a GIF fall?”
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Flood took some playful jabs at his former
production assistant during the panel discussion |
IT’S ALL IN GOOD FUN: It seemed five minutes did not go by without Horowitz and Flood taking in-jest shots at one another, giving the Thursday morning crowd plenty to laugh about. It began with Ourand’s first question of the day, about ESPN President John Skipper’s harsh words for IAC Chair Barry Diller, who accused ESPN of operating in a “false economy.” Horowitz wasted no time in setting up his former boss, whom he later described as “for sure my first mentor.” Horowitz: “We should start with Sam on that.” Flood answered with a jab at Horowitz’s short-stint at NBC, saying, “I first want to congratulate Jamie for lasting more than four months in the same company. For those of you who had the over, you win.” Horowitz could be heard saying softly, “Well played.” Later in the conversation, Flood commented that so much of Twitter is filled with negativity, and Keens explained that that is likely due to who he follows. Flood: “I just follow Jamie.” At one point, Ourand began a question for Horowitz by saying, “You created ‘First Take.’” Horowitz corrected him, saying, “My team created ‘First Take,’ yes.” Flood jumped in, “Jamie’s learning to use the word 'my team' instead of ‘I, I, I,’ which is good.” Another one of Horowitz’ previous shows found its way into the cross-fire when Horowitz during a response uttered the words “numbers don’t lie.” Flood interrupted, “I thought numbers ‘never’ lie?” Horowitz deadpanned, “We had to get rid of that show, but it was the right idea.” Earlier, Flood said how great it was to be able to watch a hockey game while in the car, but he was quick to point out that he was not the one driving. “Jamie used to be a runner for me,” Flood said of his one-time production assistant, “so he would drive me in the past. This time I have another gentleman trying to climb the ranks.” Horowitz several minutes later said he learned from Flood to look for people who have the right combination of personality and authority. Flood: “Don’t blame me.” Horowitz: “There are other things I’ll blame you for.” Ourand: “I think you two should have your own show.” The final question was which storyline in the media each of the panelists would be paying closest attention to in the coming months. Horowitz said, “The ratings battle between ‘Today’ and ‘GMA.'" Flood: “That’s a walk-off.”
Notes & Quotes:
* Asked about rights fees that seem to be growing at an exponential rate, Flood joked, “I really believe they’ll start paying us. It’s such a great distribution system.” Bacon replied, “Sam’s been a visionary for years in that respect and still hasn’t caught on, unfortunately.”
* Flood talked about keeping digital media in mind while producing, “because you know it’s going to get consumed a second time, and you also come across great opportunities,” like NBC analyst Jeremy Roenick attempting to tackle an alligator. “Crocodile Dundee did not catch the alligator,” Flood said, “but it was great video, it was a great four-, five-minute segment on television we did two nights ago based on something that was out there and went pretty viral.”
* Horowitz said of people vilifying his former show, “First Take,” that he has learned to treat people who consume shows like customers. As long as they are analogously buying the product, there is no issue. “If you had a store and you were selling a product that was selling out every day and was outselling the other products on the shelf, you wouldn’t sit around and worry that someone wrote an article saying they disliked your product. We’re making these shows for the customers. We’re making these shows for the fans, and I think that’s probably a more honest reflection of the success of a show than whether or not somebody writes an article that they dislike it.”
