The TV audience appetite for sport is bigger than ever and we are seeing a growing trend for a 2-screen experience according Steve Plunkett, Director of Customer Innovation at Red Bee Media.

Plunkett’s comments came as part of the ‘Where next for broadcast technologies?’ panel at ‘Sport & Technology: The Conference 2010’ by SportBusiness Group on Friday 16 July.

He explained that this 2-screen experience is being brought about by two key developments – firstly, the internet coming to the TV and secondly the divergence of content onto other devices. Plunkett said that in the 2-screen world, the TV is all about watching the content in the best way possible, while the second device (a mobile, laptop or similar) is all about socialising and critically how the viewer can get involved. In the end, he argued, it's about a devolution of power – the consumer is now taking control of their overall viewing experience and choosing how and when they consume content and how they engage with it.

Plunkett, who was joined on the panel by BBC Head of Interactive & F1, Ben Gallop, and Aidan Cooney, CEO of Opta, said that rights for such global events were so expensive it was now a financial imperative for media outlets to be able to wring as much value from them as possible, and that the ability to add to the viewer experience by creating ways for users to socialise and learn together (i.e. provision of game statistics) adds an enormous drawcard for audiences. In Plunkett’s view, the multitude of platforms allows a media outlet to help viewers ‘continue their pub conversation’ - bringing social interaction into the living room.

- Rachel Froggatt, director of sport at Braben (www.braben.co.uk) the PR partner of the SportBusiness Group Conferences and Events division.