Berkida Ventures

Post 7 - Pivotal Events in Sports, Media, and Entertainment in 2024 AI’s Expanding Role in Sports: From Fan Engagement to Game-Changing Innovation In 2024, artificial intelligence (AI) continued to revolutionise sports, enhancing the way fans engage with their favourite games and athletes. From personalised content delivery to real-time analytics, AI is creating many opportunities. Wimbledon served as a standout example, introducing its "Catch Me Up" feature powered by IBM’s generative AI. This tool provided fans with personalised player stories and match analyses, making the tournament experience more accessible and engaging. Despite minor challenges, the initiative showcased AI’s potential to bring fans closer to the action. And even more innovations are coming in 2025, such as electronic line calling. Across the sports industry, other applications of AI included: Customised Experiences: AI-driven platforms tailored content for fans, from personalised match highlights to ticket recommendations. Enhanced Broadcasts: AI-assisted tools offered dynamic replays, real-time stats, and contextual insights during live events. Performance Analytics: Teams adopted AI to refine player training, analyse tactics, and predict game outcomes with greater precision. As we look toward 2025, AI is poised to play an even bigger role in sports, from immersive AR/VR experiences to deeper fan personalisation. What’s your take on AI in sports—an essential evolution or just another tech trend? #SportsInnovation #AIinSports #FanEngagement #SportsTech #Wimbledon

Post 6 - Pivotal Events in Sports, Media, and Entertainment in 2024 Manchester United Ownership Saga Resolution In 2024, Manchester United’s long-anticipated ownership change marked a significant moment in football’s financial landscape. The club’s sale, valued at £6 billion, set a new benchmark for football club valuations, reflecting the enduring global appeal and commercial power of iconic sports brands. The transaction highlighted key trends shaping the industry: Rising Club Valuations: Manchester United’s record-breaking valuation underlines the growing influence of global fan bases, commercial partnerships, and media rights in determining a club’s worth. Investment Appeal: Football clubs continue to attract interest from diverse investors, including institutional investors seeking to capitalise on the sport’s expanding global footprint. This milestone demonstrates how football remains at the forefront of sports business innovation, with clubs increasingly operating as global brands. What does this mean for the future of football ownership and investment? #FootballBusiness #ManchesterUnited #SportsInvestments #ClubValuations #GlobalSports #BerkidaVentures Photo by STEVE CHAI on Pexels

Post 5 - Pivotal Events in Sports, Media, and Entertainment in 2024 The Rise of Women’s Sports 2024 was a milestone year for women’s sports, with record-breaking viewership, sponsorship deals, and fan engagement across the globe. The continued growth of women’s leagues and tournaments highlighted the immense potential of this underinvested area of the sports market. Key moments in 2024 included: Record-Breaking Attendance: The Women’s UEFA Champions League final drew over 60,000 fans, setting a new benchmark for European women’s football. Sponsorship Growth: Major brands like Nike, Adidas, and Visa increased their investments in women’s sports, with sponsorship revenues continuing to grow. Global Fan Engagement: Events like the Women’s T20 World Cup and the WNBA Finals saw significant spikes in international viewership, underscoring the global appeal of women’s sports. The surge in interest proves that women’s sports are a key growth driver for the industry. However, challenges remain in achieving parity in revenues, funding, media coverage, and infrastructure development. How do you see the rise of women’s sports reshaping the global sports industry in the years to come? #SportsBusiness #WomensSports #FanEngagement #Sponsorships #GrowthOpportunities #BerkidaVentures Picture by IMG_1979 Števonka on Pexels

Post 4 - Pivotal Events in Sports, Media, and Entertainment in 2024 In 2024, Apple TV+ and Major League Soccer (MLS) solidified their partnership, showcasing a bold new model for broadcasting and fan engagement. With a 10-year, $2.5 billion deal, Apple and MLS delivered an innovative, direct-to-consumer streaming service—MLS Season Pass—that eliminated blackouts and offered fans global access to live matches. This partnership wasn’t just about accessibility—it was also about redefining the viewing experience. Highlights from 2024 include: Increased Engagement: MLS reported a 15% rise in subscriptions compared to initial projections, driven by fan-friendly features like personalised notifications and multi-language broadcasts. Lionel Messi’s Impact: The arrival of Messi to Inter Miami in 2023 continued to drive international interest in the league throughout 2024, boosting subscription numbers. Global Model: The Apple-MLS approach is being closely watched as a potential template for other leagues seeking to innovate in the digital era. Meanwhile, Netflix’s experiment with live-streaming NFL content signalled a growing interest in sports by platforms traditionally focused on on-demand entertainment, further blurring the lines between traditional broadcasting and streaming. This raises key questions for the sports industry: Can on-demand streaming services like Apple TV+ or Netflix provide a sustainable alternative to live streaming players / broadcasters? And how will such direct-to-consumer models shape the future of sports media? #SportsBusiness #MLS #AppleTVPlus #Netflix #SportsBroadcasting #InnovationInMedia #Streaming Picture from caughtoffside

Post 3 - Pivotal Events in Sports, Media, and Entertainment in 2024 In 2024, media rights negotiations for Europe’s top football leagues highlighted both opportunities and challenges in the sports broadcasting landscape: English Premier League: The Premier League secured a £6.7 billion domestic TV rights deal for 2025–2029. While the overall deal value increased, it includes 270 matches per season (up from 200), resulting in a lower per-game value than the previous cycle. This suggests potential market saturation domestically, even as international rights continue to grow and sustain the league’s global dominance. Serie A: Serie A finalised its domestic TV rights deal for 2024–2029, valued at €4.5 billion over five years (€900 million per season), reflecting a slight decrease from its previous cycle (€930 million annually). Efforts to increase the international rights value have also had unclear results. Bundesliga: The Bundesliga announced a €4.484 billion domestic TV rights deal for 2025–2029, representing a modest 2% increase from its previous cycle. While steady, this growth signals the league’s need to continue innovating to remain competitive in an increasingly crowded market. Ligue 1: After much efforts, Ligue 1 managed to secure a deal with DAZN and beIN Sports valued at approximately €500 million per season, significantly below their original target. These trajectories show how Europe’s top leagues need to adapt their media rights strategies. While the Premier League maintains global leadership, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 are working to unlock value in domestic and international markets. How do you see these leagues evolving in the face of market saturation and changing viewer habits? #FootballBusiness #MediaRights #PremierLeague #SerieA #Bundesliga #SportsBroadcasting

Post 2 - Pivotal Events in Sports, Media, and Entertainment in 2024 In February 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery announced a major restructuring of its sports broadcasting operations, underscoring the challenges traditional broadcasters face in a rapidly changing landscape. With rising production costs, fragmented audiences, and increasing competition from tech-driven platforms, the industry is reimagining how to deliver live sports effectively. This shift was mirrored by other major moves. Yesterday’s announced merger of Hulu + Live and FuboTV, along with DAZN’s recent acquisition of Foxtel, highlights a clear trend: media giants are turning to consolidation to balance profitability with audience engagement. As the industry continues to evolve, the key question remains: Can broadcasters—both traditional and emerging—develop sustainable models that keep fans engaged in an increasingly fragmented market? #SportsBroadcasting #MediaTrends #InnovationInMedia #Streaming #DAZN #Hulu #WarnerBrosDiscovery

Post 1 - Pivotal Events in Sports, Media, and Entertainment in 2024 The proposed merger between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour was undoubtedly one of the most significant sports business stories of 2024. It underscored the growing influence of sovereign wealth in shaping the future of global sports. For golf, this was anticipated to be a transformative moment. The unification of rival tours promised innovation and new opportunities, but it also raised critical questions about governance, player autonomy, and the role of external funding in professional sports. Now, with the deal facing regulatory scrutiny and delays—and LIV Golf rumoured to be closing in on a major TV deal in the US—it’s clear that this story is far from over. This saga offers valuable lessons for other sports navigating partnerships and collaborations: How can leagues balance innovation with transparency, stakeholder alignment, and sustainable growth? And will the merger go ahead? #SportsBusiness #Golf #InnovationInSports #SovereignWealth #LIVGolf #PGATour #BerkidaVentures Image by Nadim Shaikh on Pexels

🎄 On the twelfth day of Christmas, Berkida Ventures embarks on a journey through the key moments that defined sports, media, and entertainment in 2024. Over the next twelve posts, we’ll revisit pivotal events from the past year—some celebrated, others overlooked—that have shaped our industries. Together, we’ll reflect on their impact and explore what they mean for the opportunities and challenges of 2025. Join us as we kickstart a conversation on how these moments continue to influence the business of sports, media, and entertainment in the year ahead. #SportsBusiness #MediaTrends #EntertainmentIndustry #YearInReview #2025Planning

As 2025 begins, we at Berkida Ventures would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our clients and partners for their trust and support during our first year of activity. It’s been a year of exciting projects and meaningful collaborations in the sports, media, and technology sectors. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved together and look forward to continuing to build on this momentum in the coming year. Wishing you all a successful and prosperous 2025! #BerkidaVentures #SportsInvestment #MediaAndTechnology #Partnerships #2025Vision #ThankYou

Some thoughts around how AI impacts our daily life. What do you think? Would you ride a Waymo?