October 20th
The Guardian explores a century of the BBC broadcasting
It has been a landmark week in UK media. 100 years have now passed since the creation of the British Broadcasting Corporation on 18th October 1922.
Auntie’s centenary has been cause for looking back, looking forward, and asking questions about how the BBC can be funded in the years to come.
It seems impossible that any organisation with the same remit and scope can emerge again in the digital age but in any case, this is a good moment to understand how significant its influence has been.
The Drum and Variety report on the challenges facing Netflix
A much more 21st century kind of media company, Netflix, has faced a very different set of challenges in recent months.
Feeling a little better about itself after a decent Q3 showing, the streaming giant is now ready to roll with its new cut-price ad-supported tier.
It is a move that will be understood from a consumer experience perspective but, as Variety reports, it also points to a fundamental shift in the digital media economy.
The Verge and Scientific America examine the future of Amazon
Amazon’s streaming strategy has always seemed, primarily, to be about driving conversions to its ecommerce membership platform.
Retail growth is the end goal of everything Jeff Bezos does – almost – and now it has developed the perfect sporting set-piece for its needs: an exclusive NFL game to stream live on Black Friday.
Deadline dives into CBS Sports’ new camera angle
CBS Sports’ new broadcast innovation, on the other hand, might be one to approach carefully after a big Thanksgiving dinner.
The F1 reveals its new Arcade venue
Formula One has transformed its media strategy in the past few years and has now confirmed some details of its latest brand extension – entertainment venues with food, drink and racing simulators.
The first F1 Arcade will open in London next month. The project is being led by Adam Breeden, the creative force behind concepts like the darts bar Flight Club and bowling’s All-Star Lanes.
SportsPro releases its 13th annual list of the world’s 50 most marketable athletes.
The methodology of the rankings – and the subsequent results – have changed over the years, but the purpose of the exercise has always been to start a conversation about the role of talent in the sports ecosystem.
Purpose messaging, generational change and the rise and rise of women’s sport are just some of the themes to surface this time.
The Guardian and ESPN take a look at the interplay between ethics and sponsorship
On the subject of athletes’ brand influence: Australian Test cricket captain and climate change activist Pat Cummins will not be making any more promotional appearances for Alinta Energy, whose sponsorship of Cricket Australia ends in 2023.
Meanwhile, with the men’s T20 World Cup now underway Down Under, global players’ union FICA says it will back players who back out of obligations to the International Cricket Council’s new partner: the state-owned Saudi oil company Aramco.
The New York Times and Dezeen investigate brand positioning
Luxury and premium brands playing with positioning is nothing new and there are different ways to do it.
Some have a clear strategic dimension. For example, the Swatch Group created one of the marketing sensations of the year a few months ago with the Moonswatch line, an affordable co-branded replica of the high-end Omega Speedmaster watch best known for its role in NASA’s Apollo missions.
Others, well… Fashion house Balenciaga has a history of tongue-in-cheek pop culture partnerships. Now, it hopes the hottest trend-makers will be clutching a $1,500 packet of crisps.
The Guardian and CNN tackle the Mona Lisa of football paintings
LS Lowry’s 1953 masterpiece ‘Going To The Match’ is one of the most celebrated sports-based paintings of the last 100 years and there was much anxiety about its future when it went to auction this week.
In the event, The Lowry gallery in Salford was able to find £7.8 million to buy it and keep it on public display. But its depiction of a bygone era of fandom has drawn a wistful reaction – not least from the inimitable modern-day cartoonist David Squires.
