Smashi Sports: A New Era of Local Live Sports Streaming in Middle East
Streamers Series MENA
Hey streamers 👋
Welcome to my brand new "Streamers Series”, dedicated articles analyzing streaming services in the Middle East, North Africa, and India. Expect in-depth reviews, trend analysis, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.
This week, I have a look at Smashi Sports, the sports segment of Smashi TV streaming service ↓
Today’s program:
The evolution of Smashi into the Sports arena
A closer look at Smashi Sports content
Smashi Sports' winning playbook
And… Action!
The evolution of Smashi into the Sports arena
I already reviewed Smashi last October, when I tried to understand its very unique mindset: A business news network streaming live from the heart of the Arab world, for the driven, the dreamers, the doers.
Here is a quick summary of my analysis:
The Story of Smashi: Augustus Media has expanded into a network of brands including Lovin Dubai and Smashi, an innovative player in the MENA streaming ecosystem.
Smashi's unique approach: Launched in 2019, Smashi started as a business news network and has evolved to include diverse content like local live sports.
Content verticals: Smashi differentiates itself by organizing content into unique verticals, such as Smashi Sports, Smashi Gaming, and Smashi Entertain, among others.
Original shows and series: The platform features a variety of original shows covering topics from business and entrepreneurship to technology, entertainment, and sports. These shows cater to diverse interests and are available in multiple languages.
If you want to understand where Smashi TV comes from, who is the company behind it, and where they want to go, read my full article “Unveiling the Smashingly Secrets of Smashi”:
I will focus today on Smashi sports, starting with the leagues and tournaments they distribute. ↓
A closer look at Smashi Sports content
Smashi started signing their initial sports leagues few years back, and they never stopped since then. Local organizations seem to have discovered in Smashi a reliable broadcasting ally, one that brings production support & expertise and local viewership audiences throughout the region.
Here are the leagues & tournaments that are available today on Smashi:
UAE Futsal (Season 2023 - 2024)
The UAE Futsal League is the top league for futsal in the United Arab Emirates. The winning team obtains the participation right to the AFC Futsal Club Championship.
Smashi also streamed several futsal tournaments on its platform: Emirates Reserves Cup 23-24, FAS Cup 23-24, Reserves Leagues 22-23, Championship League 22-23 and FA Cup 22-23.
UAE Volleyball (Season 2023 - 2024)
The UAE Men's Volleyball League features various teams competing in an indoor volleyball tournament.
Smashi also streamed the Men League 22-23, Vice President Cup 22-23 and Bani Yas Tournament 22-23.
UAE Basketball (Season 2023 - 2024)
The UAE National Basketball League is the top professional basketball league in the United Arab Emirates.
Smashi also streamed the Vice President Cup 23-24.
UAE Handball (Season 2023 - 2024)
The UAE Handball League is the top professional handball league in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Smashi also streamed the President Cup 22-23.
MINA Cup
The Mina Cup sees professional teams travel to Dubai from all corners of the globe. They will compete alongside regionally based academies & clubs that successfully qualified through the UAE local qualifiers.
Smashi just signed the streaming rights for MINA Cup and already streamed 83 live matches for the UAE based qualifiers in November this year. Smashi will then stream the MINA Cup on April 2024.
EDC - Emirates Drifting Championship (2024)
Established In 2017, Emirates Drift Championship is the official national series of the U.A.E. that follows the international standards of rules & regulations set by the FIA & EMSO. I can’t wait to watch this one on Smashi 🏎 💨
One more thing: Smashi also produces “Who’s Crushing Koora”, a weekly show in Arabic that gives you the latest news and trending stories from the world of football.
Smashi Sports' winning playbook
If I had to summarize Smashi Sports' winning playbook, I would say they found the right balance between Content, Tech and Community.
Content & Tech
Managing sports content presents several challenges, including the high cost of acquiring rights, engaging viewers, combating piracy, ensuring adequate bandwidth and streaming quality, integrating advertisements, providing multiplatform accessibility, etc.
Despite these obstacles, Smashi has successfully navigated each aspect of the process, establishing sports content as a feasible model.
Rather than securing rights for high-profile sports, they focus on local & regional sports struggling to connect with audiences online.
Their approach to viewer engagement is multifaceted: they broadcast games previously unavailable elsewhere, funnel their audience from other Smashi channels to the sports segment, and leverage their substantial social media following to attract viewers.
They oversee the entire value chain, managing a network of AI cameras all over UAE with a software that enables remote broadcasting for all the clubs. And it looks like they are about to upgrade their cameras’ capabilities. Stay tuned ;)
While their platform isn't flawless, the key point is their commitment to continual learning and willingness to upgrade their technology & advertising capabilities as needed.
Community
Smashi Sports offers three primary types of content: live games, highlights, and shorts. The inclusion of shorts is particularly interesting, as it introduces a format previously exclusive to social media platforms into their streaming service.
What’s next for Smashi Sports?
Looking ahead for Smashi Sports involves several objectives:
Continue expanding their local and regional sports offerings
Implement strategies to engage current fans more deeply
Increase awareness and visibility of the sports they distribute
However, this is just the starting phase for them. As they operate in a constantly evolving industry, they must continually adapt and ensure that they establish a sustainable model within the region.
If you want to know more about the next Basketball, Futsal, Volleyball and Handball games in UAE, subscribe to Smashi newsletter on their homepageor follow Smashi TV on Instagram.
That’s all for today, a review of Smashi Sports. If you enjoyed this breakdown, please consider sharing it with your friends and colleagues.
I hope everyone has a great weekend, see you online next Monday. Until then, enjoy the Futsal game Al-Bataeh VS Dibba Al-Hisn Club, today at 7:15pm.
This edition is part of my new “Streamers Series”, dedicated articles analyzing streaming services in the Middle East, North Africa, and India. Expect in-depth reviews, trend analysis, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.
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