The Premier League's tremendous success in generating media rights revenue is supported by its unwavering focus and investment in content creation, and as they look to broaden its rights market, this dedication would not have gone unnoticed by digital-first giants such as Apple, Amazon, and YouTube. Should they invest, they would be highly attracted to the Premier League's ability to deliver compelling digital content.

By constantly driving innovation and adapting content strategies, the Premier League remains the leading domestic league globally, securing rights and valuable partnerships with these emerging powerhouses in the digital space.

While working on Premier League broadcasts, the demand for fresh and engaging content ideas was constant. From offering three live matches per week and 32 weekly highlight and preview shows in 1998, Premier League Productions (PLP) evolved to launch a 24/7 TV channel alongside a core service of 380 live matches, highlights show, previews, special features, classic matches, studio programs, goals and review shows, news bulletins, and phone-ins.

With the shift towards streaming and OTT, the league's content has further evolved to support digital integration. While the priority remains live matches, highlights, and previews, the focus now lies on seamlessly integrating content with the digital platforms of their customers. This shift caters to a younger and more diverse audience and widens their market to attract the likes of Apple, Amazon, and Google in the sports rights market.

The 24/7 channel has scaled back to allow PLP's digital department to flourish, providing instantly available clips, highlights, news, previews, player and manager updates, and captivating stories to broadcast partners. The league now offers highlights packages ranging from 30, 12, to 6 minutes of every match shortly after full-time. A live, data-rich service called the 'Data zone' has been developed to focus on game and player data. Offering these services requires significant investment in people and facilities by the League, but by doing so, they not only support their partners creatively and digitally but also help them low production budgets in return for a rights fee. For Apple, Amazon and Google, hours of content are immediately available to support any rights investment, reducing the need to build internal production teams for their acquisition.

I am honoured to have been involved in the Premier League's production and broadcasts, contributing to the evolution of its content strategy. The league serves as a shining example for sports federations, broadcasters, and content creators, constantly engaging international and domestic audiences through groundbreaking shows, a 24/7 content service, and a seamless transition to digital platforms. Embracing change and continuously revamping content creation approaches is essential to remain relevant and appealing to fans in the ever-evolving world of sports broadcasting.

At LCA, we specialise in helping clients map their content creation plans and achieve success in their respective sports industries. Let us work together to keep you at the forefront of your industry.