OVERVIEW OF THE AFRICAN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY
SPORTS
Football remains the dominant property on the continent, with CAF driving development and commercialisation even stronger with the soon-to- launch CAF Super League. An investment of over $200m is positioned into football development.
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South Africa hosted a successful FIFA World Cup in 2010, achieving the highest sponsorship and viewership returns in the history of the World Cup. The Premier Soccer League in South Africa is an example of a well- operated commercial property with major stakeholders in broadcasting and sponsorship.
The NBA’s focus on Africa started at a development level with Basketball Without Boarders. The launch of the Basket Africa League is a testament to the confidence in the growth of the market, as it’s the first investment the NBA has made outside of the US market.
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NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that the league is "committed to using basketball as an economic engine to create new opportunities in sports, media, and technology across Africa" and in August named Victor Williams, an investment banker, the new CEO of NBA Africa."
EMERGING TRENDS
AND TECHNOLOGIES
SPORTS TECH TRENDS & INNOVATIONS IN 2023
TECHNOLOGY
The entertainment industry in Africa has seen a rush and scramble for its market, both
from an on-demand platform perspective and in talent acquisition.
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Multi-Choice had a first-mover advantage in the African market, but this has been
challenged over the past 5 years with the introduction of new players from the US, such as
Netflix. This has seen what we define as "Streaming Wars" and what is certainly clear is that
competition benefits the consumer.
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Live events have seen a re-introduction, post COVID restrictions. How can technology play
a role in the scaling of these properties and improve the experience?
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The role of rights holders, industry partners, and governments has become increasingly
important to achieve alignment.
ENTERTAINMENT/ MEDIA TRENDS & INNOVATIONS IN 2023 MEDIA TRENDS
Dynamic Entertainment
Sensation Tiers
Remote Event Attendance
Volumetric Video
Interactive Displays
Over-the-Top
In-Car Entertainment
MARKET ANALYSIS
MARKET DEFINITION
The Sports segment contains apps that stream or simulate sports. For example, the ESPN and NBC Sports apps are dedicated to official sports coverage and include live videos and news articles about leagues, teams, and athletes. Fantasy football apps allow users to create hypothetical teams of football athletes and earn points according to their real-life performances.
• Total revenue in the Sports segment is projected to reach US$5.27m in 2022/23.
• Total revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2022- 2027) of 9.02%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$8.49m by 2027.
• In-app purchase (IAP) revenue in the Sports segment is projected to reach US$2.27m in 2022.
• Paid app revenue in the Sports segment is projected to reach US$1.69m in 2022/23.
• Advertising revenue in the Sports segment is projected to reach US$1.32m in 2022/23.
• The number of downloads in the Sports segment is projected to reach 20.03m downloads in 2022/23.
• The average revenue per download currently is expected to amount to US$0.26.
• A global comparison reveals that most revenue is generated in the United States (US$871.00m in 2022/23).
*stats provided by Statista.com, Digital Market Insights App Sports - Africa