Digital innovation will take center stage in London this summer as some of the biggest names in sport and media converge for SVG Europe’s Digital Sports Summit.Scheduled for 25 June, the event will bring together senior figures from Snapchat, IMG, the Premier League and Sky Sports, among others, to examine how technology, data and shifting audience habits are reshaping the sports media landscape. From short-form social content and direct-to-consumer streaming to AI-driven production and fan engagement, the summit promises a deep dive into the strategies and tools redefining how sport is created, distributed and consumed.Hosted in the UK’s capital, it aims to provide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how leading rights holders, broadcasters and platforms are preparing for the next phase of digital transformation in sport.
How Snapchat and Premier League innovators are reshaping fan engagement at the Digital Sports Summit
Blending mobile-native storytelling with elite football IP, the collaboration between Snapchat and Premier League executives at the summit will spotlight how vertical video, AR lenses and chat-first formats are rewriting the matchday experience for a generation that lives on their phones. Delegates will hear how clubs and rights holders are building always-on narratives around fixtures, from behind-the-scenes access on training pitches to real-time reaction shows that live entirely inside Stories. Expect candid discussion on how creators, broadcasters and leagues are co-producing snackable content that travels from the stadium tunnel to the global fanbase in seconds, and how performance data is being used to refine everything from lens design to highlight packaging.
Beyond pure reach, the focus will be on deepening emotional connection and measurable value. Speakers are set to unpack how AR-led activations and chat-based communities are driving sustained engagement long after the final whistle, and how commercial partners are being woven into these experiences without breaking the authenticity fans demand. Key talking points include:
- Immersive AR match moments that let fans “step onto the pitch” from their sofa
- Data-informed content windows tailored to pre-match hype, in-game peaks and post-match reflection
- Creator-led formats designed specifically for vertical, sound-on consumption
- New sponsorship assets built around lenses, filters and interactive polls
| Innovation Area | Snapchat Focus | Premier League Impact |
|---|---|---|
| AR Experiences | Team lenses & live score filters | Richer remote matchday feel |
| Story Formats | Real-time vertical highlights | Expanded youth audience reach |
| Fan Communities | Private and public fan hubs | Stronger club-supporter loyalty |
| Brand Integration | Native, interactive ad units | New, measurable revenue streams |
Inside Sky Sports and IMG strategies for multi platform sports content in a crowded rights market
Both broadcasters are redefining how a rights portfolio is activated, moving from a linear-first mindset to a fluid, platform-aware strategy that reshapes content at the point of creation. Sky Sports has built end-to-end workflows that simultaneously serve live broadcast, OTT, social and owned apps, with editors and producers sitting side by side so that a single moment – a last‑minute winner, a controversial VAR call – can be clipped, captioned and distributed within seconds. IMG, simultaneously occurring, is treating leagues and federations as global IP owners, layering data, graphics and short-form storytelling on top of the world feed to create bespoke versions for different territories and platforms. The result is a production model that prioritises agility and rights efficiency as much as traditional production value.
Against the backdrop of spiralling rights fees and shifting fan behaviour, both organisations are leaning on data and smart packaging to stretch every contract further. Their current playbook includes:
- Tiered content windows that differentiate between live, near‑live and evergreen clips
- Audience‑specific cuts for pay‑TV subscribers, free‑to‑air viewers and social‑only audiences
- Data‑driven highlights that use real‑time engagement metrics to decide what is clipped and when
- Shoulder programming such as studio shows, explainers and tactical breakdowns to add depth without overusing core rights
| Focus Area | Sky Sports Approach | IMG Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Live Production | Integrated multi-feed galleries | Centralised world-feed hubs |
| Social Content | In-house vertical video teams | Platform‑specific edits for clients |
| Data Use | Viewer analytics for scheduling | Global audience insights for rights owners |
What rights holders must do now to monetise short form and vertical video across social platforms
With platforms like Snapchat, Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts now driving the first point of contact between fans and sport, rights owners can no longer simply cut down a broadcast feed and hope it performs. They must invest in dedicated vertical-first workflows, agile editorial teams and data-led story selection that align with the rhythms of each app’s algorithm. That means building mobile-native narratives around athletes, behind‑the‑scenes access and live moments, while deploying clearer rights windows and geo-targeting to avoid cannibalising premium broadcast products. Crucially, commercial teams need to price and package this inventory differently, treating a seven‑second clip with millions of views as high‑value sponsored real estate rather than “bonus” content.
- Develop vertical-native production with on-site social crews and real-time editing.
- Structure rights packages that separate live, near-live and archive clips for targeted monetisation.
- Align brands with moments – reactions, celebrations, and fan culture – not just match action.
- Exploit platform tools such as AR lenses, stickers and interactive polls to drive retention.
- Measure beyond views by tying engagement to ticketing, subscriptions and sponsor KPIs.
| Focus Area | Action | Revenue Angle |
|---|---|---|
| Match Clips | Real-time, vertical highlights | Pre-roll + branded frames |
| Behind the Scenes | Locker room, travel, training | Series sponsorship |
| Fan Content | UGC curation, duets, reactions | Community campaigns |
| Player IP | Co-created short-form series | Talent-led partnerships |
Building future ready digital teams practical takeaways from London’s leading sports media executives
Executives from Snapchat, IMG, the Premier League and Sky Sports are set to lift the lid on how they are reshaping their digital operations for an audience that lives on multiple screens at once. Rather than talking in abstractions,they will focus on the nuts and bolts of transformation: how to blend traditional broadcast expertise with data-driven experimentation,how to recruit creators who understand vertical video as intuitively as directors once understood OB trucks,and how to structure teams so content,product and commercial no longer sit in silos. Expect candid discussion on what has worked – and what hasn’t – in areas such as short-form storytelling, second-screen engagement and real-time highlights, all framed around one central question: how do you build teams that can pivot as quickly as fan behaviour changes?
Attendees will leave with a set of actionable ideas rather than high-level theory. Panels and case studies will dig into:
- New role profiles that blend editorial, analytics and platform fluency
- Workflow redesign to handle always-on publishing and live moments in tandem
- Cross-functional pods bringing engineers, producers and marketers into a single sprint cycle
- Upskilling frameworks for legacy broadcast teams entering the creator economy
- Partnership models with platforms and rights-holders that reward innovation
| Focus Area | Practical Takeaway |
|---|---|
| Talent | Hire for platform-native skills and coach for sporting context |
| Data | Use live dashboards to steer content in real time, not just in post-mortems |
| Culture | Reward rapid testing, small failures and fast iteration |
| Workflow | Build templates for clips, stories and reels to speed up match-day output |
Future Outlook
As the sports media landscape continues to evolve at pace, the Digital Sports Summit in London on 25 June is shaping up to be a key barometer of where the industry is headed next. With Snapchat, IMG, the Premier League and Sky Sports among the headline names, the event will bring together the platforms, rights holders and production specialists currently defining how fans consume sport.
From short-form social content to next-generation broadcast workflows, delegates can expect candid insight into the strategies driving digital engagement and revenue today – and the technologies poised to reshape tomorrow’s viewing experience. For anyone looking to understand the new rules of sports storytelling and distribution, the conversations in London this June will be tough to ignore.
