Loud And Live’s New Broadcast Platform Empowers Viewers

This past weekend, Loud And Live Sports debuted The Trials Finals, an international online competition that provided CrossFit fans an opportunity to watch a unique competition but also be part of a unique broadcast.

One big thing: According to Loud And Live’s Media Director Kristen Chandler, “The Trials provided a unique opportunity for the community to compete at a time in late fall 2020 when there was none. We believe our new platform will change the sport and the viewing experience for spectators at home. Loud and Live is in the business of creating life-long lasting memories and experiences for our pillars: athletes, spectators, volunteers, & brands. If we can do so in a meaningful, impactful, and innovative way, we will. This is only the beginning.”

Why it matters: The platform they created was unique in that it put the power of the broadcast in the hands of its viewers. Every person that tuned into the broadcast could create a unique viewership experience, one where they could choose what athlete or athletes they could watch on their screen from the comfort of their homes.

• The options of who the viewers could select to watch were not limited to just elite athletes, as each of the 20 divisions were available to choose from ranging from Masters to RX divisions. In all, over 180 athletes had their own stream which viewers could choose to watch.
• Due to travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic, CrossFit competitions have been almost non-existent for most of 2020. International competitions have been hit the worst and the creative minds behind The Trials wanted to fix that.
• The end result was over 70 countries being represented in the online competition.
• This resulted in truly diverse viewership numbers as 40% of those tuning in and using the platform were from the United States. Spain made up 10% followed by Portugal (9%), Brazil (8%), The United Kingdom (7%), Canada (7%) and Mexico (6%). The remaining percentage were broken up over various other countries.
• The two-day broadcast finished with over 22,000 unique viewers.
• The total broadcast time was 44-hours spread across two channels and featured six commentators including a Spanish-speaking broadcast team.
• Chandler: “We hit our goals for participation and exceeded those for viewership. We believe that now that the Trials’ new format and new way of broadcasting has been seen and better understood, future participation will grow.”
• As expected, the broadcast was a huge undertaking, requiring over 120 volunteers working an average of 20 hours each during the broadcast.
• Chandler: “We have gotten tremendously positive feedback about the Trials Finals from athletes and spectators. The most common comments are about the platform. Viewers appreciated the ability to select and focus in on the athletes they wanted to watch.”

The bottom line: Starting with the Rogue Invitational in June and later with the online stage of the CrossFit Games, the development of online competition broadcast technologies and platforms has been critical in maintaining the interest of the growing sport of CrossFit through a global pandemic. 

• Loud And Live’s newest development continues to develop the ability of making online competitions exciting and attractive to fans of the sport. Giving viewers the choice of what they can watch allows them to control the narrative. It also allows the friends and families of athletes who are not competing in the Elite divisions an opportunity to compete on the same stage as their more well-known counterparts, something that Loud and Live is known for and strives to do in their live, in-person competitions. For them to reproduce that in today’s online environment is telling and shows that they are committed to not only growing the sport of fitness but also trying to make it better and more accessible for everyone.