The foundation of any OTT success lies in its fan base. The larger or more passionate the audience, the higher the chance of sustainable subscription models.
However, smaller leagues can still succeed by starting with a focused approach — streaming live games first, then progressively adding editorial content (interviews, highlights, behind-the-scenes footage) once subscriber acquisition proves strong.
2. Consistent, high-quality production
An OTT platform is not just a distribution channel — it is a living media ecosystem. The most successful projects illustrate the importance of varied and consistent editorial content. OL Play, Olympique Lyonnais’ OTT service, offers far more than match replays: highlights, news shows, documentaries, behind-the-scenes access, and immersive formats featuring its youth academy. This steady flow keeps fans engaged throughout the season and strengthens the perceived value of the subscription. Without a clear editorial rhythm, a platform risks losing momentum and attention. The ability of leagues and clubs to mobilize stakeholders and coordinate content production across the season is therefore a key strategic factor in the success of any OTT project.
3. Easy distribution and accessibility
Success also depends on accessibility. Fans now expect to watch on any device — App Store, smart TVs, or a simple web app. The smoother the user experience, the higher the retention.
4. A strategic investment with multiple benefits
Depending on the ambition, OTT projects require a wide range of technical, editorial, and marketing investments. Before launching, leagues must carefully assess production costs and fan acquisition efforts against expected revenues such as subscriptions, advertising, or partnerships.
Beyond the platform’s standalone profitability, an OTT initiative should be viewed as a long-term strategic investment whose impact grows over time. By expanding competition visibility, deepening fan engagement and enriching first-party data, OTT can indirectly drive growth across other revenue streams including ticketing, merchandising, sponsorship and club memberships. The economic equation cannot be reduced to short-term subscriber numbers. Real value comes from how the project supports the broader strategy and strengthens the brand over the long term.
Anticipating risks and limits
- Fragmentation: According to Deloitte 2025 Sports Industry Outlook, 35% of consumers say they must subscribe to too many services to follow all their favorite sports, and nearly half admit missing matches because they don’t have access to the right platform. This creates frustration and risks diluting fan attention.
- Cost & ressources: The production costs and resources required to guarantee a high level of technical and editorial quality should not be underestimated. Manchester City, whose OTT project is very ambitious, has its own studios to feed its City+ platform.
It is therefore essential to define the scope of the OTT project in relation to financial resources and objectives. For smaller structures, rationalizing costs is possible with providers, such as Asport, which operate white label platforms.
- Generational challenges: Younger fans, while digitally native, often have limited purchasing power. Putting too much content behind paywalls can slow the discovery of a sport and weaken long-term engagement. Conversely, older audiences may feel technologically excluded, confused by streaming subscriptions or login systems after decades of traditional TV habits.
Data as the common thread
The true value of OTT lies in the data it generates—subscriptions, purchases, viewing behaviors. Structured properly, this data builds a digital fan identity and enriches understanding of audiences. As the Financial Times points out, nine of the ten largest clubs in the world now have an OTT service that requires registration. In this way, they are transforming their fans into identified users, collecting first-party data, and diversifying their revenues.
But that data is only powerful when centralized and activated—this is where CRM takes over.
The key role of CRM: connecting data to action
When OTT integrates with a CRM, data transforms from a KPI into a marketing lever.
It enables clubs and leagues to:
- Identify regular OTT viewers who’ve never bought tickets and target them with offers
- Recommend merchandise based on team preferences identified by viewing behaviour
- Measure sponsor exposure by match or duration
This cross-channel activation is what platforms like Arenametrix enable—connecting OTT data to ticketing, e-commerce, apps, and newsletters for a unified fan strategy.
Examples: integrating OTT data into Arenametrix
- Swiss Football League (SFLtv by Asport) integrates its subscription and viewing data into Arenametrix. This makes it possible to know which contacts have subscribed to which type of offer (single match, team pass, global subscription).
- In France, Ligue Nationale de Volley uses Alpha Networks to track consumption data from LNVtv. This includes detailed insights into the different types of purchases such as French Cup subscriptions, playoff series passes, or single-match access.
Connecting this data with CRM tools allows fan behavior tracking across competitions, refining marketing actions, and measuring engagement over time.
Beyond these examples, forward-thinking leagues no longer view OTT as a separate entity but as a cornerstone of their digital ecosystem—complementing ticketing, e-commerce, and mobile apps to build a coherent, data-driven fan strategy.
Conclusion : making OTT a lever for fan engagement within a broader CRM strategy
The rise of OTT platforms is transforming how sports organizations connect with their audiences. Yet success relies on more than content quality or technical performance — it depends on how well OTT integrates into a global fan relationship strategy.
When streaming data is connected to CRM, OTT becomes far more than a media channel: it becomes a lever for engagement, loyalty, and long-term value. An OTT platform is not an end goal — it’s a bridge between media, marketing, and fan knowledge. The real challenge isn’t launching a platform, but making it a meaningful part of a connected, data-driven ecosystem.
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