Structured Abstract: Esporte Interativo—Building a Platform for Sports Fans in Brazil

Abstract

The media landscape has been changing during the several few years. The TV model based on a passive audience sitting in front of a screen is challenged by the advent and proliferation of broadband, anytime, anywhere, consumer-controlled alternatives (Bradley and Bartlett 2007). New information and communication technologies (ICTs) are reconfiguring the media landscape, shifting industry boundaries towards comprehensive ecosystems which integrate previously separated industries such as content, telecommunications, and computers. Mobile devices enable a ubiquitous connectivity scenario, creating opportunities for access and content creation (Labrecque 2013). Those new ICTs can be disruptive in the media ecosystem (Christensen 1997) given their impact on markets and business models. The Brazilian media environment is unique in both its audience behavior and advertising spending. Broadcast TV is present in 98 % of Brazilian households, earning a 68 % share of advertising budget. Dissemination of new media has direct impact on the way people entertain and inform themselves. Broadcast TV audience has steadily decreased over the last few years. The Internet grew considerably, but captured less than 5 % of total share (Projeto Intermeios 2014). Sports play an important role in this environment, both because of the huge audience and the valuable live content, which fits the grid of linear channels and keeps the traditional broadcast and pay-TV business models healthy for some years to come. Within a scenario of many changes and uncertainties, this study seeks to shed light on the key challenges and opportunities faced by Brazilian TV, given changes in consumer behavior and the advent of new media. This study’s objective is to understand how incumbents are dealing with opportunities deriving from new media from a company’s perspective, analyzing the case of a young and innovative sports media group: Esporte Interativo.