Ross Biddiscombe
Ross Biddiscombe is a sports and TV journalist with over 35 years experience and his work has appeared in many newspaper and magazine publications, broadcasting stations and online outlets spread all across the world. His journalism has appeared in titles ranging from The Daily Telegraph and Sport Business to Golf Monthly and Broadcast while his TV work spans National Geographic channel in the UK and SuperSport in South Africa. Over the years, he has also been a newspaper columnist, radio broadcaster, on-stage presenter, TV producer, speech writer, PR consultant and writing teacher. Ross has written 12 books on sports including the highly-acclaimed Ryder Cup Revealed and The Official Encyclopedia of Manchester United.
Industry TrendsLive TV sports rights to take a Covid-19 hit?
As sports return to our screens, analysts are predicting a downturn in the sports broadcast rights market. But what will be the longer-term impact? Ross Biddiscombe investigates.
- Industry Trends
Covid content bridges the sports gap
As major sports return following postponement due to coronavirus restrictions, Ross Biddiscombe looks at how broadcasters and OTTs have bridged the gap in sporting content.
- Industry Trends
Wilder vs Fury II: Fight night set to KO PPV records
Boxing heavyweights Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury are set for a championship clash in Las Vegas this weekend. But the real winners could be the broadcasters set to air the epic rematch, writes Ross Biddiscombe.
- Industry Trends
Super Bowl LIV ratings mount comeback for NFL ahead of rights negotiations
Super Bowl 2020 saw a slight increase in viewing figures for the American Football showpiece for the first time in four years – good news for the NFL ahead of another round of rights negotiations writes Ross Biddiscombe
- Industry Trends
Women’s World Cup scores with viewers worldwide
The 2019 Women’s World Cup is drawing to a close, but the tournament has already broken viewing records worldwide, writes Ross Biddiscombe.
- Executive Interviews
Sundar Raman: Learn to innovate like live cricket
Sports production needs to take innovations from cricket and lessons from the advertising world by putting consumers first, says Reliance Sport CEO Sundar Raman.
- Industry Trends
Super Bowl LIII: Who watched the game?
The final whistle of Super Bowl LIII sounded on Sunday ending its lowest scoring head-to-head in history and the build up to its perennially anticipated half-time show saw numerous high profile drop outs in support of Colin Kaepernick. Ross Biddiscombe explores how the event’s viewership fared.
- Industry Trends
Up to the Task: Selling comedy to the world
Gameshow Taskmaster has been a standout hit for UKTV and is now entertaining audiences around the world. Creator Alex Horne and execs from UKTV and production company Avalon explain how the show was exported to 17 countries.
- Industry Trends
DAZN: The Netflix of sports?
Just two years old, DAZN has spent hundreds of millions acquiring sports rights in a bid to win subscribers to its subscription streaming service. But will its big spending ways pay off? Ross Biddiscombe profiles the OTT platform that’s disrupting the sports broadcasting industry.
- Industry Trends
How Serie A went OTT with IMG
IMG’s entry into the OTT marketplace with its new Serie A service has ramped up the battle for sports audiences on digital platforms after a couple of years of cautious rights buying by the likes of Amazon and Facebook.
- Industry Trends
The challenges of niche sports production
Sports federations are increasingly partnering with sports producers to broadcast their niche events, IBC365 talks to leading sports producers about the do’s and don’t of covering smaller tournaments.
- Industry Trends
The beautiful game of apps
Sports apps are on the rise, able to deliver subscription income and other rewards to rights holders and sponsors, but we’re likely to see even greater development of the genre to benefit both the sports brands and their fans.
- Industry Trends
The TV set triumphs at the World Cup
The FIFA World Cup broke many television and online viewing records around the world, even if US audiences were down this year. But the big winner, in the age of the mobile, was arguably the traditional TV set.
- Industry Trends
The serious business of comedy
The business of being funny is no laughing matter. Compared to genres like factual, reality and drama, comedy can be too expensive, too regionally specific and just too much of a risk.
- Industry Trends
Has VR scored at the World Cup?
Reviews for VR coverage of the World Cup have so far been mixed. Yet many in the VR industry say it is too soon to judge the technology, and that the best is yet to come.
- Industry Trends
Catching the pirates offside
With the Fifa World Cup underway and constant announcements about vast amounts of money being spent on live rights fees, piracy is still too often making a mockery of the industry, writes Ross Biddiscombe.
- Industry Trends
Analysis: What Discovery’s $2bn golf deal means for the broadcaster
Discovery’s $2 billion purchase for all non-US television and digital rights of golf’s PGA Tour tournaments could create the largest single sport OTT offering, but why has the broadcaster decided to invest so much in the sport?
- Industry Trends
Analysis: Has Amazon scored with its Premier League package?
Amazon’s estimated £100 million purchase of an English Premier League football package puts beyond doubt any question that the future of live sports viewing is now in the hands of the tech giants.
- Industry Trends
NBA shoots for eSports glory
The new age battle for eSports audiences and revenues between the world’s top professional leagues took a giant step forward this month with the launch of the NBA’s own eSports league.
- Industry Trends
Sports advertising: A whole new ballgame
Sports advertising, like many other ad sectors, has to tackle the high level of boredom that audiences show for brands, but a new breed of innovative campaigns are targeting fans in fresh ways.
