Reports are consistent and estimate that the average adult spends 4.6 hours on the phone every day (and that doesn’t include phone calls). While computers and TV screens still might be the go-to choice to watch a series, movie, or sports event, vertical video is becoming an attractive alternative, in particular with younger audiences and especially when that content is in shorter-form.
Displayed in a 9:16 aspect ratio, vertical videos are shown to viewers in a portrait orientation, and make the perfect fit for mobile devices. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have popularized the format—the former two requiring videos to be posted in a vertical format—and another popular medium Google Web Stories, display most major sports games and events in a vertical stories format, accessible at the top of Google Search inside Google OneBox.
Recognizing its popularity, major sports organizations are now prioritizing vertical video and integrating In-App Stories into their OTT services (commonly short and long-form replays), and club/team apps which include a lot of exciting highlights. This strategic move allows them to deliver immersive, mobile-optimized experiences directly to fans, while retaining full control over content and engagement metrics.
In this article, we’ll discuss the challenges sports organizations face when creating and implementingvertical video content, its significant impact on sports media, and real-world examples of how vertical content is bringing fans closer to the action than ever before.
VERTICAL VIDEO IN SPORT: WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES?
Despite the growing demand for vertical content, the transition for sports organizations isn’t as simple as flipping a switch. The biggest hurdle is this: while audiences crave vertical content, sports events are still captured with a broadcast or studio-quality camera and shot in a traditional 16:9 horizontal format designed for TV.
What else is holding organizations back? First, there’s the issue of infrastructure. Decades of investment in horizontal filming equipment and techniques can’t be thrown out overnight. Additionally, there’s still a need to capture events traditionally for broadcast audiences who prefer watching games on TV or highlights in the 16:9 format. Teams and leagues also face the difficulty of maintaining quality when cropping widescreen footage to accommodate both horizontal and vertical formats.
While some organizations have experimented with recording major sports events vertically, it requires significant changes to camera positioning and can result in an experience that’s unfamiliar to longtime fans. Instead of overhauling entire production processes, sports organizations are turning to software designed to do the job for them, and using it to publish vertical content to websites, OTT services, and social media pages. AI-powered algorithms can automatically reframe and crop horizontal footage into engaging short-form content, eliminating the need for redundant filming setups. This tech-driven approach streamlines production workflows while providing fans with the content experiences they want on their phones.
THE IMPACT VERTICAL VIDEO CREATES FOR RIGHTS HOLDERS
The shift toward vertical video isn’t just about keeping up with trends; it’s about driving fan engagement and revenue. Ninety-four percent of the time, consumers are holding their phones vertically. It’s no surprise that sports organizations embracing vertical formats are seeing impressive results across the board. Vertical content boasts higher watch-through rates, gets more shares and interactions on social media, and creates new opportunities to deliver great content. More generally, it’s about offering fans the best possible user experience—and great experience and engagement can lead to new monetization opportunities.
Higher interaction rates make vertical video attractive to advertisers looking for new channels to showcase their brands. Additionally, there’s a money-making opportunity in offering consumers a vertical watching experience for major events and games—the higher the view rate, the higher potential to make money.
REAL-WORLD SUCCESS STORIES
Sports rights holders are already seeing the benefits of integrating vertical video content across their socials, OTT services, and club-specific apps—capitalizing on the growing trend of younger consumers preferring to watch on their phones. The proof is in the numbers:
LALIGA, THE NHL, AND NASCAR PAVING THE WAY
Major sports properties, like LALIGA, the NHL, and NASCAR, are Using AI solutions to automatically produce short-form, 9:16 vertical video content for platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. This approach allows them to meet the growing demand for easy-to-watch vertical content. By delivering highlights and key moments in a format optimized for mobile viewing, the leagues ensure they remain relevant and engaged with a new generation of sports fans that consume content on the go.
VERTICAL VIDEO DURING THE FIFA WORLD CUP
In 2022, Google rolled out Google Web Stories for one of the biggest sports events of the decade, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Combining prime real estate at the top of Google Search along with a ‘stories’ format similar to what fans know from social media, FIFA, and broadcasters worldwide displayed highlights of the matches in real-time, offering fans instant access to game highlights, in addition to news, scores, standings, and more.
By capitalizing on the extensive reach and visibility of Google, they successfully directed traffic to their own apps and live broadcasts, maximizing the value of their original rights investments. Fans eagerly engaged with the content, resulting in over 365 million story views and an impressive 30% click-through rate (CTR).
THE NEW NBA APP
Since the launch of its official mobile app in 2022, the NBA has put vertical content and In-App Stories at the forefront of its digital strategy. Instead of relying solely on traditional post-game highlights, the league now delivers 15 to 18 bite-sized stories per game, offering fans a fresh, dynamic viewing experience. According to the NBA’s Vice President of Global Media Distribution, Bastien Lacheny, in just a year, the NBA app’s engagement tripled, with stories emerging as the platform’s most popular content format, driving a remarkable 700% increase in video consumption.
The growth doesn’t reflect just an increase in content volume, It shows that we’re getting better at helping fans discover what they want to see. The app’s discoverability and usability have significantly improved, largely due to the focus on vertical, short-form content.”
Building on this success, the league has used stories to further promote other content within the app, resulting in dramatic increases in views and engagement across the entire app.
Driven by its multi-platform digital strategy, the NBA finished the 2022-23 regular season with record-breaking engagement across the NBA App, NBA League Pass and NBA social media accounts.
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 11, 2023
THREADpic.twitter.com/GVv2O3fjK0
CREATING VERTICAL CONTENT WITH WSC Sports
Looking ahead, it’s clear that the demand for vertical video is not going away anytime soon. As fans continue to demand immersive, mobile-first experiences, sports organizations that embrace this shift are positioned to win big in terms of engagement, retention, and revenue.
To learn more about how WSC Sports’ In-App Stories solution, and how to create vertical video content at scale, read more here.