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How a leading European sports broadcaster brought its multi-sport catalog to more fans, navigating growth amid the complexities of the OTT world.
When SPORTDIGITAL launched its first streaming product in 2007, watching sports online still felt new. But the Hamburg-based broadcaster saw the potential of OTT early and set a clear goal: expand across German-speaking markets and bring its growing multi-sport catalog to more fans.
As an early mover, the company quickly realized that scaling streaming would not be simple. Growth would require new systems, new workflows, and a smarter approach to managing content across devices.
Managing multiple platforms while maintaining consistency across screens became increasingly complex. Each new sports right required a manual publishing process, making it difficult to react quickly to programming changes or promote content in real time.
As the portfolio expanded, so did the pressure. The team needed a more scalable way to manage apps, accelerate updates, and deliver a seamless experience across every screen.
The Challenge: Managing Growth Across Leagues, Platforms, and Regions
SPORTDIGITAL’s portfolio grew into six dedicated channels and more than 3,000 live matches each year, spanning football, MLB, NASCAR, rugby, and eSports. But with every new league and region came added operational complexity. Publishing new rights required manual processes and extended lead times, limiting their ability to respond quickly to programming shifts or audience demand.
To keep pace with live sports, the team needed a more scalable way to manage content, streamline updates, and maintain consistency across every screen.
“As a sports brand, we need speed and flexibility. If we get new rights, we have to be able to put them live immediately and promote our content. Traditional app development just isn’t that flexible.”
Marco Scheel, Head of IT Management at SPORTDIGITAL
The Solution:
A scalable foundation built for modern OTT complexity
In 2024, SPORTDIGITAL set out to modernize its OTT operations and selected Applicaster’s Zapp platform to simplify complexity without compromising sophistication. Zapp offered something distinct: simple to operate, yet advanced in its capabilities.
Fully interoperable with SPORTDIGITAL’s in-house CMS and existing systems, it gave the team complete control over their app experience, from real-time updates that keep pace with live sports to cross-platform management that ensures a consistent brand presence. The result was a unified, scalable foundation built to support continued growth across leagues, channels, and markets.
The Results:
Greater agility across content, channels, and markets
With the new foundation in place, SPORTDIGITAL can now expand and update its offering with far greater agility. New sports, leagues, and regional expansions can be introduced without relying on heavy development cycles or external agencies.
Operational independence has improved, content updates move faster, and the team can focus on growing their portfolio rather than managing technical bottlenecks. As they continue enhancing the fan experience with features like personalized content preferences, SPORTDIGITAL is positioned to evolve confidently alongside the demands of modern sports audiences. .
“Even from a commercial point of view, we’re able to do a lot on our own. We don’t need expensive agencies to release new versions. This makes us very flexible, and from a cost perspective, it’s extremely efficient.”
Bendix Eisermann, Managing Director at SPORTDIGITAL TV
The Takeaway:
Scaling without losing control
SPORTDIGITAL’s journey reflects a challenge many sports broadcasters face today: expanding content, channels, and markets without increasing operational friction. By building on a scalable and interoperable foundation, the team has created an OTT operation that is both advanced and adaptable.
Today, SPORTDIGITAL continues to grow across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and beyond, delivering a consistent, high-quality sports experience while maintaining the flexibility to evolve with the industry.
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