How Sports and Other Entertainment is Moving Online in Oceania

Live sport and other live entertainments have always traditionally been something experienced in person. But as technology continues to advance, it is now possible to participate in the full live experience without the audience physically being in the same room. These types of live-streamed events and performances have continued to grow in popularity throughout Oceania and the rest of the world.

"esports" (CC BY 2.0) by sam_churchill

The Live Entertainment Moving Online

Sports

The push towards online coverage of sports is continuing to grow worldwide. On-demand highlights are now readily available on YouTube and other social networking sites, and live sports streaming access is growing. Since Kayo Sports launched in Australia, it has over 600,000 subscribers as of September 2020. Kayo Sports, which was only established in 2018, has deals in place to show the biggest sporting events and leagues including Aussie Rules, NFL, Basketball, Soccer, Rugby, and many more.

How live sports are being watched and consumed is also changing. It is now possible to watch some sporting events live using virtual reality headsets with certain broadcasters. There have been instances of broadcasters providing pitchside view cameras so fans can use their VR headsets to watch an event with a view representative of actually being in the arena.

eSports

One relatively new source of entertainment that has always predominantly been consumed online is eSports. The rise of eSports is set to continue, as trends indicate viewership could grow to around 646 million in 2023. Websites such as Twitch and YouTube provide competitive video game players with the platform to stream their gameplay to fans and other players. In addition to this, live eSports events are broadcast online, with fully-fledged commentary teams as well as live analysis.

Casinos

Many casinos are trying to capture that feeling of being at the tables by offering live casino games through their online platforms. There is an Oceania based online casino called Caxino that offers the live casino experience through their online platform, which is further expanded upon in a really detailed review of Caxino by Josh Long editor at Bonus Finder New Zealand. The live casino experience includes table-based games such as Roulette, Blackjack, and Baccarat. These live tables are dealer dealt and live-streamed through video straight to the casino's online platform, giving the player a more authentic experience of interaction.

Music & Performing Arts

Access to music online is of course nothing new, however, for the first time, lots of active bands and artists are hosting live-streamed gigs through social media platforms and various websites. This is enabling music fans who are unable to attend gigs in person a chance to see their favourite bands and artists live. It also allows the musicians to be able to host a gig from the comfort of their own homes.

Equally, this is a trend that the performing arts have been exploring in which many productions are now available online. It is now possible to watch theatre, dances, and other performing arts online. Live streaming these types of performing arts through online platforms is allowing the productions to be seen by new audiences from all over the world.

Source: Pixabay

Will the Trend Continue?

As live streaming becomes more popular, the rise of live-streamed entertainment events looks set to continue. These types of broadcasted events are allowing entertainment to reach wider audiences, so fans in Oceania can experience live events being held on the other side of the world.