Retention Zone

🏖️ For Episode 49 of Retention Zone, which I am recording while at SPORTEL Monaco, I decided to go off-script and put my face out there... 🗞️ Yesterday, I stumbled upon a really thought-provoking article in The New York Times about how Netflix's endless content buffet has flipped our viewing habits and shaken up the cultural landscape. It got me thinking: if this is happening in entertainment, what's going on in the world of sports? Being knee-deep in sports tech and having a front-row seat to the streaming evolution, I decided to dive in and explore. 📺 I took a deliberately positive and optimistic angle to create a strong contrast with the article's perspective. And since we're talking streaming, we can't ignore the overwhelming influence of social media stirring the pot in the same space. So, in this long-form piece and a video podcast episode, I'll unpack how these shifts are playing out in sports, how social media is changing the game, and why the sports industry might just be better equipped to handle these challenges. Let's jump in and see where this takes us. Key topics: 1️⃣ The Allure of Infinite Choice 2️⃣ The Paradox of Too Much Content 3️⃣ The Impact on Cultural Cohesion 4️⃣ The Economic Implications 5️⃣ Technological Advancements and Challenges 6️⃣ Reconnecting with the Audience 7️⃣ Sustainability and Ethical Considerations 8️⃣ The Future of Streaming Retention Zone is presented by Cleeng Hosted and produced by Carlo De Marchis: A guy with a scarf Alexis Gaï Kirstin White Hjalmar Koedijker Alex Regan Joachim Bergman Chris Welsh Olga Spînu Maarten Jacobs Reaves Carrington Jessica Anguiano #streaming #sports #entertainment #netflix

Episode 48 Retention Zone with Hugo Sharman, sharing invaluable insights on sports streaming evolution and fan engagement! Key takeaways from our conversation: 1️⃣ The streaming bubble has burst, but it's leading to a more realistic approach. Sports organizations are recalibrating their strategies and expectations around D2C streaming revenue. 2️⃣ Live sport isn't everything anymore! The stories and personalities behind the game are becoming increasingly important in engaging fans across platforms. 3️⃣ Tech integration is crucial: "Having a flexible enough CRM, Martech stack and payments platform that basically talks to one another" is key to preventing churn and driving engagement. 4️⃣ Testing and learning is vital - fans are forgiving when you try new approaches to content and pricing, as long as you keep delivering value. 5️⃣ The future of sports media isn't about streaming alone. The most successful organizations are thinking holistically about fan engagement, incorporating "cultural elements, music, lifestyle, art" alongside live sports. 6️⃣ Customer acquisition remains challenging, but hyper-focused targeting and clear calls to action can drive results when done right. 7️⃣ The market won't return to pre-pandemic patterns - organizations need to adapt to a new reality where traditional revenue models may not work as they used to. Listen to the full episode to dive deeper into these insights! Retention Zone is presented by Cleeng Hosted and produced by Carlo De Marchis: A guy with a scarf Alexis Gaï Kirstin White Hjalmar Koedijker Alex Regan Joachim Bergman Chris Welsh Olga Spînu Maarten Jacobs Reaves Carrington Jessica Anguiano #SportsStreaming #DigitalTransformation #FanEngagement

Going to SPORTEL Monaco Oct 28 to 30! I have been invited by SVG Europe (Ken Kerschbaumer) to moderate two sessions at the SPORTS & GENERATIVE AI WORKSHOP on Wed 30 morning. 1️⃣ 9:30 - Understanding the Current Generative AI Landscape with Ken Kerschbaumer and Paul Devlin, DBA 2️⃣ 10:30 - Generative AI & the Business of Sport with Shifa Garg, Scott Gutterman and Maurizio Barbieri I will be around trying to get some cool interviews with smart people - so don't be shy - for my channels A guy with a scarf, Retention Zone (with Cleeng), Untangling AI, Realtime Fan Engagement (with Ably). Listen to a preview podcast - from my AI friends Miles & Faye - on the workshop below! #ai #sportstech

Retention Zone Ep. 47: Josh Walker - How to Retain the Fluid Fan I sit down with Josh Walker from Sports Innovation Lab to discuss the evolving landscape of sports streaming, fan behavior, and the challenges facing both established and emerging platforms in the US market. Key takeaways: 🏆 Live sports are the new battleground for streaming platforms 📊 Data is crucial for fighting churn and personalizing user experiences 🎯 Understanding the "fluid fan" is key to retention 🏈 Leagues are increasingly launching their own streaming platforms 🗓️ Overcoming sports seasonality is a major challenge for platforms 🔄 The future may see fans frequently switching between streaming services Retention Zone is presented by Cleeng Hosted and produced by Carlo De Marchis: A guy with a scarf Alexis Gaï Kirstin White Hjalmar Koedijker Alex Regan Joachim Bergman Chris Welsh Olga Spînu Maarten Jacobs Reaves Carrington Jessica Anguiano

🎉 🎉 🎉 1 YEAR of Retention Zone! 🎉 🎉 🎉 I just noticed we published our first Episode with Nick Meacham on October 11 2023, so it makes exactly 1 year of Retention Zone, and soon we will publish episode 50! We thought, in a moment when streaming profitability became the true focus - there was a gap in attention on the monetization, subscription, and especially retention - how to fight churn, how to retain customers - aspects of the streaming ecosystem and wanted to give a voice to those many professionals Quite an effort and a lot of work week after week, to keep the pipeline of guests alive and kicking, and for all the people who put the time to talk to me in these last 12 months. We are also incubating a community which saw the first IRL encounter around the IBC in Amsterdam with our own event Retention Zone LIVE, attended to 100 people with a 90 minutes content part (keynotes and panels) and some hours of networking and drinks and great chats. Very thankful for team Cleeng to be on board from start, and Benedicte Guichard and Gilles Domartini to support this initiative. We launched Retention Zone to raise awareness and share intelligence on such an important topic for the streaming ecosystem. We asked some feedback to our guests, here they are below. Hear from: Alessandro Tucci, Martijn van Horssen, Mark Schweitzer, Ciaran Quinn, Kirill Magaev, Nick Meacham, Christy Tanner, Roger Pitton, Colin Morrison, Matthew Collier, Alex Logan Retention Zone is presented by Cleeng Hosted and produced by Carlo De Marchis: A guy with a scarf Alexis Gaï Kirstin White Hjalmar Koedijker Alex Regan Joachim Bergman Chris Welsh Olga Spînu Maarten Jacobs Reaves Carrington Jessica Anguiano #streaming #retention #churn

For episode 46 of Retention Zone, I interview Martijn van Horssen, founder of 24i and serial entrepreneur (now with Marketlyft), who shares his extensive experience in the streaming industry and offers valuable perspectives on customer retention, technological innovation, and cross-industry learning. This is what he had to say: 1️⃣ Evolution is key: The streaming landscape is always changing. Adapt or get left behind! 🦎 2️⃣ Customer retention is gold: It's not just about getting subscribers, it's about keeping them! 🏆 3️⃣ Go multi-platform: More touchpoints = less churn. Simple math! 📱💻📺 4️⃣ Data is your best friend: Use it to really understand your audience. You might be surprised! 📊🧐 5️⃣ AI is the future: From recommendations to retention strategies, AI is changing the game. 🤖 6️⃣ Look beyond streaming: Some of the best ideas come from other industries. Think outside the box! 🎁 7️⃣ Get personal: A video message from the founder when someone tries to cancel? Game-changer! 🎥 Remember Martijn's words: "It's not the strongest or smartest that will survive, but the one most adaptive to change." 🦋 Retention Zone is presented by Cleeng Hosted and produced by Carlo De Marchis: A guy with a scarf Gilles Domartini Benedicte Guichard Alexis Gaï Kirstin White Hjalmar Koedijker Alex Regan Joachim Bergman Chris Welsh Olga Spînu Maarten Jacobs Reaves Carrington Jessica Anguiano #StreamingMedia #FAST #WomenInSports #MediaIndustry #RetentionZone