As part of our end-of-the-year coverage, the Boardroom staff put together a few special editions of Headline to Go that recap the biggest moments and trends across the sports and entertainment industries. We hope you enjoy them, and happy holidays!
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Netflix Solidified Its Place in the Sports Streaming Sector
Not too long ago, Netflix was the home for mindless binging and highly anticipated original scripted programming. Looking back, 2024 was the year that the streaming giant stormed into the live events space. From staging a tennis match for the ages between the newly retired Rafael Nadal and rising phenom Carlos Alcaraz to the hotly-anticipated Tyson / Paul match, the year culminated in Netflix’s first-ever NFL broadcasts – and the “Beyoncé Bowl,” drawing 27 million viewers. Despite some technical challenges, fans kept tuning in. In addition, Netflix doubled down on its documentary-style storytelling with successful series, including Sprint and Starting 5. On the back of the success, Netflix prepares for a stacked schedule of storytelling, while also securing the rights for the upcoming 2027 and 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which poses new challenges with its global draw.
NBCUniversal Spun Gold with Paris Olympics Coverage
When it comes to events that held our attention in 2024, the Paris Olympics certainly rank high on that list. Tasked with coverage of the event, NBCUniversal overperformed and attracted a record-breaking 30.4 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, and other major NBCUniversal properties. In addition to gripping competition, NBCUniversal worked with the likes of Snoop Dogg and Call Her Daddy‘s Alexandra Cooper to further fuel its coverage. This translated to an 80% increase in viewership from the Tokyo Games, which were held in 2021 due to the 2020 pandemic. The network also recorded 23.5 billion streamed minutes of Olympics coverage, an impressive 40% jump from all prior Summer and Winter Olympics combined across NBCUniversal digital platforms.
Teams Took Charge with Direct-to-Consumer Broadcasting
In 2024, sports teams embraced the responsibility of owning and airing their own content. By cutting out the middleman, teams began to deliver exclusive content, live streams, and interactive experiences straight to its top supporters, enhancing loyalty and creating new revenue streams. This shift has been fueled by continued advancements in technology, which allow teams to personalize their offerings and create a more immersive fan experience. We saw Chicago Sports Network go their own route, Portland Trail Blazers come out with their own broadcasting platform, and other franchises ditch corporations for local ventures. With these successful efforts in place, many teams are expected to follow suit, raising new questions for struggling traditional regional sports networks.
Movies Brought Back the Major Marketing Moment
This year marked the return of Hollywood’s major marketing moment. You couldn’t miss the extended build-up to major blockbusters, as the films’ top talent took over every channel in the run-up to their global releases. The hotly-anticipated adaptation of Wicked left fans scooping up signature products and “holding space” with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande and the rest of the film’s charming cast. Meanwhile, 24 years after the original, Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal, and the cast of Gladiator 2 fueled countless viral moments with their signature candor. Elsewhere, Nicole Kidman remained the busiest woman in Hollywood as she tirelessly hit the talk show circuit in support of her role in Babygirl. Zendaya served an impressive run of tenniscore fashion across the globe for Challengers and Glen Powell continued his ascension as one of Hollywood’s brightest young stars in the lead-up to Twisters 2. Collectively, these marketing moments harkened back to a nostalgic time in Hollywood, connecting fans to their favorite stars and providing social media buzz unlike anything we’ve seen before.
Hollywood Leaned Into Its IP Era
If you were to look at the list of the highest-grossing films in 2024, you’d notice one common trait among the top 10: All but one are sequels of previous blockbuster successes. Inside Out 2($1.7 billion) and Deadpool & Wolverine ($1.4 billion) posted massive global earnings, capitalizing on the success of its predecessors. Beyond the sequels, biopics proved to be a wildly popular genre, with Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, and many more receiving the silver screen treatment. Even television leaned into the archives, as Max’s Penguin, Disney+’s Agatha All Along, and Paramount+’s Matlock, and more series put new spins on familiar characters. Perhaps Hollywood’s continued reliance on proven results was a catalyst, but original ideas taking a backseat to familiar, fan-favorite narratives suggests that audience loyalty and major box office returns go hand in hand.
The Business of Podcasts Rebounded
Massive dips in the business of podcasting fueled questions about the future of the medium in 2023, but this year saw a massive rebound. A record-setting 505 million people tuned into listen to their favorite talent. According to Spotify, the top five podcasts of 2024 were The Joe Rogan Experience, Call Her Daddy, This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von, Crime Junkie, and The Daily (New York Times). This uptick was mirrored by massive deals for the biggest stars. In the last 12 months alone, Call Her Daddy drew a massive $125 million deal from SiriusXM, which also inked SmartLess to a 3-year deal worth more than $100 million from Amazon, while Travis and Jason Kelce’s New Heights scored a reported $100 million deal with Wondery. However, it was Kylie Kelce who took over headlines at the year’s end as the debut of Not Gonna Lie With Kylie Kelce took over the No. 1 spot on the Apple charts from The Joe Rogan Experience.
