What is keeping sports broadcasters awake at night? This core question sparked vibrant discussion and deep insight during the Sports Group Meeting at the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union’s General Assembly in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The panel moderated by ABU News Director Indra Singh brought together a distinguished line-up of industry voices: former Sri Lanka cricket captain Marvan Atapattu, Telstra’s Steven Dargham, and Ashok Bagariya, CEO of RT in India.

Addressing the financial pressures facing the industry, Bagariya highlighted how smaller regional broadcasters in the Asia-Pacific can join forces to bid collectively for major sports rights. In an era where escalating rights fees stretch traditional broadcast budgets to their limit, regional collaboration offers a strategic way forward to secure premium live content.

On keeping audiences engaged, Atapattu stressed that media organizations must actively elevate the entire viewing experience. With today’s shorter attention spans and shifting media consumption habits, broadcaster innovation is critical to keeping viewers hooked throughout a match or tournament.

Bringing a technological perspective, Dargham emphasized that even as Artificial Intelligence reshapes media operations, human expertise remains indispensable. Rather than replacing broadcasters, AI serves best as an augmenting force where human judgment and technology work in tandem to deliver higher quality output.

The panel also confronted broader industry shifts, noting that while satellite transmission is rapidly yielding to digital delivery, the transition has done little to bring down sports rights fees. Compounding this challenge is the aggressive rise of global streaming platforms, which continue to challenge traditional broadcasters in the competition for top-tier rights.