Short-form media orchestration: how sports organizations strengthen fan loyalty

Nowadays, fans can follow their favorite sports via many different digital channels. While live broadcasts (via stream or digital TV) serve linear consumption, social media platforms, messenger apps or the organization’s own websites are mainly used for the delivery of short video formats and photos. With the constant improvement of mobile broadband connections, short formats have naturally become even more important. Why? Because they are perfect for in-between consumption via smartphone.

Social media is often consumed in parallel to a broadcast on the TV screen or used for live commentary. Younger people (in particular from Generation Z*)  use mobile apps to actively interact with other fans on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok or X.

Many leagues and clubs, as well as many athletes themselves, have recognized this and are trying to adapt to the new consumer habits. But this is not trivial. On the contrary – workflows that really do justice to the matter go far beyond simple automation. They fall into the area of media orchestration.

* Born between 1997 and 2012. To put it bluntly, one could also speak of the Generation Mobile-first.

What is media orchestration?

Generally speaking, media orchestration encompasses the strategic control, management and provision of content via various media channels. The overarching goal is to ensure consistent and effective brand communication. It’s about conveying consistent (non-contradictory) messages and reach relevant target groups in the best possible way.

Orchestration vs. automation – what’s the difference?

Automation refers to individual processes such as the transcoding of video files, the optimization of metadata (e.g. through tagging) or publishing at set times.

Orchestration, on the other hand, involves the coordination and integration of these automated processes to ensure a seamless and optimized overall workflow. While automation streamlines individual steps, orchestration ensures flexible and scalable distribution of media content across multiple platforms.

We have listed the most important components of successful media orchestration for you in the next section. The prerequisite is, of course, that target group analyses have been carried out and the media habits of the target groups are known.

Key components of media orchestration

• Channel-specific adaptations: content must be adapted to the respective audience and the special features of individual channels. Messages for social media postings, for example, must be particularly concise. However, with longer formats (long-form content) such as blog posts or podcasts the message can be more extensive and complex.
• Timing: the right timing can be decisive for the reach of a campaign. Precise control of playout and distribution ensures that all media are available in the respective channels at the right time. This can also mean that one channel is used first before others are added for support.
• Cross-promotion: using the particular strengths of one channel to direct traffic and attention to other channels. For example, a high-reach TV advertisement could refer to an online campaign.
• Integration of feedback data: collection and analysis of interaction data that has arisen on the various channels and platforms in order to adapt and optimize the strategy if necessary.
• Automation: with AI-based image recognition routines, media files can be delivered almost in real time (e.g. via smart albums). Short formats in particular can be brought to social media during an ongoing event.
• Virtualization: use of cloud and virtualization technologies for improved scalability as well as more flexibility and security when storing, editing and distributing media content.

Interim summary

Media orchestration is a crucial means for maintaining brand consistency. It requires a deep understanding of the individual media channels as well as careful planning and coordination. It should already be clear that professional media orchestration requires special software systems and infrastructures.

Large companies in particular, which need to distribute thousands of media files via a wide variety of channels and to just as many recipients, benefit from intelligent solutions with a robust technical infrastructure.

In the next section, we return to sports and discuss how such a solution can help to process and deliver short formats such as video clips and photos to fans.

SMO – the orchestration of short formats

The abbreviation SMO stands for short-form media orchestration. This term is not commonly used, yet. But we should not worry about that. We will use it anyway, including the abbreviation.

To understand the next sections, you should remember that SMO refers to the orchestration of short formats such as video clips and photos. The decisive target groups are largely made up of digital-only or mobile-first consumers.

What are the features of an SMO platform?

An SMO platform is a software solution that enables companies to plan and automate numerous processes relating to the delivery, consolidation, management and distribution of digital short formats. It acts as a central hub for the efficient organization and provision of newly generated content. The overarching purpose is to increase fan engagement in target groups that primarily consume media via mobile devices.

With an SMO solution, sports organizations can deliver digital media experiences across all channels, engage fans with greater consistency, and cultivate a passionate online fan base. This results in greater impact and value from both existing and future media assets.

In addition, integrating an SMO platform into the corporate tech stack improves collaboration with internal and external stakeholders as well as overall operational efficiency.

Core functions of an SMO platform

The most important features and functions of an SMO platform include:

• Real-time storage of digital content: new content can be uploaded and synchronized by photographers and videographers during a live event. Of course, this also includes high-resolution film material recorded with professional equipment. SMO solutions are explicitly designed for processing large files.
• Advanced AI functions: object and person recognition in photos and videos, automatic keywording (tagging) of image files, AI-based visual search. These are just some of the applications that are used in this area.
• Digital asset management (DAM): robust functions for storing and managing all kinds of digital media such as vector graphics, raster graphics, videos, animations, documents or presentations. These include, for example, tools for managing metadata or image licenses.
• Workflow automation: repetitive tasks in the creation and distribution of digital media content can be controlled and processed partially or fully automatically with the right SMO software.
• Distribution and publishing: seamless distribution of digital media content to different branches of a company, teams and external partners via different channels and platforms.
• Analysis and optimization: insights into asset performance, user engagement and target group behavior through comprehensive analysis and reporting functions.

Summary

Media orchestration is a critical tool for professional sports organizations to effectively reach fans across multiple digital channels. While automation streamlines specific tasks such as transcoding and metadata tagging, orchestration integrates these processes into a seamless and optimized workflow. This enables flexible and scalable distribution of media content that can respond to real-time data and feedback. By leveraging short-form media orchestration platforms, sports organizations can tap the full potential of their digital media assets, increase operational efficiency and build an engaged online fan base.

Strengthening fan loyalty with the Media Hub

The teamnext | Media Hub was developed especially for the orchestration of short formats. It is very popular with professional sports organizations. Well-known sports associations, leagues and clubs such as the German Olympic Sports Confederation, the German Football Association, the German Handball League and FC St. Pauli rely on our solution.

With the Media Hub, content can be collected efficiently, managed intelligently and shared in real time with social media and associated athletes. Innovative AI functions also ensure the automation of numerous processes. The Media Hub also stands for simple and intuitive usability.

Get to know our solution

Are you curious to find out more about the teamnext | Media Hub? Then make an appointment for an individual online demo with one of our experts. Or get started right away with a free 14-day test phase!

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us personally. You can find our contact information here: teamnext.de/en/contact