Recast

Merry Christmas from Team Recast! 🎄 2024 has been a year of growth, challenges, and some big moments of pride. From traveling across the globe To connecting with incredible people in the industry To seeing firsthand how quickly the media landscape is evolving. (To posting consistently on LinkedIn… A challenge in itself) The 2024 standout for me was gaining the backing of inspirational partners - Visionaries who share our purpose and passion for redefining the future of sports and entertainment. And none of Recast’s achievements this year would have been possible without the incredible dedication and talent within our team. This year, we’ve: → Opened up new opportunities for media owners to engage with + monetise their audiences. → Shown that flexibility and innovation aren’t just ideas, they are real + the opportunity is now. → Continued to push the boundaries of what’s possible in content monetisation. Heading into 2025, the opportunity for the industry is bigger than ever: → Fans want accessibility and flexibility. → Media owners need solutions that drive real revenue. ↳ And we’re more determined than ever to make it happen. I couldn’t be more excited about what’s to come. I also want to say thank you to: → Our backers for their unwavering support and shared vision. → Our team for their hard work and passion for what we’re building. → The industry leaders and innovators who continue to drive change. → All of you! Because changing the game for us all as consumers is why we do what we do! 2025 is going to be a big year for us at Recast. And we can’t wait for what’s to come next. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours! 🎄

Engagement isn’t the problem. Monetisation is. Over the past decade, sports has focused heavily on engagement. → Real-time stats. → Exclusive behind-the-scenes content. → Loyalty programs. These tools have brought fans closer than ever. However… The challenge is that engagement doesn’t automatically translate into revenue. ↳ And this is where the industry faces its biggest challenge. How do you convert engagement into cash flow? The answer isn’t more subscriptions or higher ticket prices. It’s about flexible, fan-first monetisation: 1. Microtransactions ↳ Let fans pay only for the content they want, even for as little as £0.01. 2. Rewards-based systems ↳ Engagement triggers rewards, which can be redeemed as currency to access content. 3. Frictionless tools ↳ Give fans instant, seamless ways to engage and transact—on their terms. At Recast, we’ve seen the power of this approach: → Our conversion-to-cash rates exceed 15%, proving that fans are ready to spend when you make it easy for them. → Engagement tied to rewards doesn’t just deepen the fan relationship, it drives revenue in ways traditional models can’t. The solution exists. The friction only remains for those stuck with outdated monetisation models. For sports to thrive, it’s not just about more engagement. It’s about creating systems that turn every interaction into an opportunity for growth For fans, rights owners, and everyone in the ecosystem. Monetisation follows engagement. The key is ensuring the path between the two is seamless.

I am seeing the sports industry starting to wake up and embrace change. However, for some, it might already be too late. As many of us know, sport is no longer just competing with other sports. It’s up against so much more, such as: - Gamers and creators live-streaming interactive, engaging experiences. - Platforms like YouTube that deliver fast, flexible, and relevant content. - Gaming itself, where fans actively participate rather than passively watch. These alternatives are more accessible, frequent, and engaging than our traditional live sports. The reality: → Traditional distribution and subscription-only models do the opposite of what fans want. → You can’t just add more games, it’s not scalable. The solution? Simultaneously maximise distribution and revenue! Here’s how: At Recast, we enable: - Selling any piece of content, at any price, even as little as £0.01. - Instant revenue sharing between rights owners, affiliates, and hosts. - Incentivising athletes, influencers, and fans to promote content, earning a share for every view they refer. Maximise distribution → minimise friction to monetisation. With the right approach, rights owners don’t have to compromise between reach and revenue. For sports to stay relevant in today’s entertainment landscape, adaptation isn’t optional. It’s the future of fan engagement and monetisation.

In 2023, microtransactions in media felt like a niche concept. By 2027, they’re predicted to generate $288 billion globally (according to Statista). The shift is already happening. Over the next four years, consumer spending on media is projected to reach: → $1.3 trillion on subscription video on demand (SVOD). Compared to… → $288 billion on microtransactions - one-time purchase. And it’s not hard to see why. Microtransactions offer: → Flexibility for casual viewers. → Low barriers to entry for consumers. → New revenue streams for rights owners. They’re not replacing subscriptions, but they’re bridging a critical gap (please read that again. And again…) Because not everyone wants to commit long-term. But they will pay for what they consume. For creators and media owners, the question is no longer if microtransactions will play a role. ↳ It’s how they’ll be integrated into your strategy. Microtransactions are cementing their place as a key driver of media revenue growth, reshaping how audiences engage and spend. The reality is: → Subscription dollars dominate due to the sheer volume of offerings, driven by incumbent platforms. → Micropayments, though minimally adopted, already account for nearly a fifth of this subscription-heavy landscape. Imagine the value that could be unlocked when: → More creators adopt flexible monetisation models. → Even incumbents embrace micropayments as part of their strategy. As for the The $288 billion projected for microtransactions? That’s untapped potential, waiting for those ready to adopt it as a revenue stream. So, the question is… What are you doing to capture and maximise your share of that $288 billion?

I often find myself sharing this report by Forrester. Why? Because Forrester’s insights perfectly support what I’ve been saying all along. It highlights how the industry of media, whether live sports, podcasts, comedy content, written articles and more, will now shift to adopt micropayments and they'll start to go mainstream. On one side, you have rigid subscription models: → Growing cancellations. → High barriers for casual fans. → Frustrated consumers seeking flexibility. On the other, an inevitable model is emerging: → Pay-as-you-go and micropayments. → Minimal friction for fluid audiences. → Maximised revenue from every consumer. Forrester’s report makes one thing really clear: 2024 will be the year that micropayments will break out of their niche and become an alternative to subscriptions. And Forrester predicts a major content provider will soon adopt micropayments to offset rising subscription cancellations. (Link to report in comments) Offering micropayments as a ‘pay only when you use’ option will offset this lost revenue by enabling on demand micro-consumption. It will take micropayments beyond social, niche media, and the gig economy. When this shift happens: → Fans will get flexibility to pay for what they want. → Rights owners can monetise every interaction. ↳ Content becomes accessible to all, not just subscribers. This is something I’ve been advocating for years. You no longer need to compromise between reach and revenue. But you do need to act. The future of monetisation is already here. P.S. which industry do you think will adopt micropayments-for-media first?

Thanks for the shoutout, Michael Cohen! Younger audiences will pay for content if it’s affordable and on their terms. At Recast, we’ve made it simple: micropayments starting at $0.01, no subscriptions, and zero upfront costs for rights holders. Amazing for Andy Meikle and the Recast team to be recognised for the work we’re doing to rethink sports monetisation.

Could the numbers be any clearer? The Premier League recently agreed a three-year broadcast deal in India worth $65m = $22m / year. According to a 2024 report by Ormax Media (and other various sources): → 305m football fans in India. → Approx 50% of people in India have access to the Internet. ↳ 96% access the internet via their phone. This gives us an estimated total addressable football fan audience of 150m people. In India, you can buy a single cigarette for approx $0.20 (Note: estimated expenditure on cigarettes in India is $26.5 billion a year… If only sport was as accessible!). Let’s use the price of a cigarette as a price point. If 150m people paid $0.20 to watch one match a year, it would generate $30m ↳ $90m over three years. More realistically… If 20% of the addressable audience is willing to pay, that’s 30m fans. Here’s how the annual revenue could break down at a price of just $0.20 per view: → 50% (15m) pay to watch one match per season = $3m. → 40% (12m) watch one match a month (10 months = $2/year per person) = $24m. → 10% (3m) watch every match week (38 weeks = $7.60/year per person) = $23m. Total earnings = $50m / year = $150m over three years. And all the data to help drive other revenue streams. The power of micro-transactions is that they enable the media owner to sell greater volumes of their product to a greater addressable audience. Resulting in more paying customers while removing the friction from repeat purchases. The math is clear. Subscriptions-only models limit reach. Flexibility unlocks massive potential. At Recast, we believe that realising the full revenue potential of your audience lies in accessibility, not exclusivity. And we enable this. The opportunity for sports in markets like India isn’t just enormous, it’s transformative. P.S. Would you pay $0.20 to watch your favourite team play? (Link to article in the comments)

How I built Recast to be more than just a business. At the heart of what we do is a clear mission: Fairness. Fairness for content creators and media/rights owners who struggle to monetise their work. Fairness for people to get access to the content they want, when they want, in a flexible manner. From day one, my guiding values have been: → Integrity → Kindness → Fairness These aren’t just words They’re principles I’ve lived by and built into the fabric of Recast. We’ve built a platform where everyone wins: → Fans get affordable access to the content they love. → Media owners earn what they deserve, without gatekeepers. My personal values were shaped early in life and they remain central to the impact I try to have everyday on our industry. Recast is more than a business, it’s about doing what’s right. Building a business with heart attracts the right people, and that’s what changes industries. P.S. Shout out to the fantastic Recast team, who are fully aligned with achieving this mission of fairness. Together, we’re reshaping the future of media.

📣 𝐀𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲!  📣 We are looking for an experienced Partnerships Executive to nurture our growing list of exciting partners within sport and entertainment. The right candidate will be organised, have excellent people skills and will be eager to learn about Recast to help our partners adopt best practices for success! So, if you would thrive in a fast-paced, startup environment and are ready to make an impact, we’d love to hear from you! 🔗 Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/eNtRAUVZ #Hiring #PartnershipRoles  #ContentMonetisation #Innovation #SportsTech #ContentDistribution #Fintech #Recast

🚀 𝗪𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 🚀 We’re on the lookout for an ambitious Commercial Executive to help us grow Recast, a company at the cutting edge of content monetisation.  If you’re an excellent communicator with an entrepreneurial spirit and want to work within the sport, entertainment and media landscape, then we want to meet you! Find out more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/eNtRAUVZ #Hiring #CommercialRoles #ContentMonetisation #Innovation #SportsTech #ContentDistribution #Fintech #Recast