The Streaming Industry’s
Largest How-To
Online Event Series
Game On: Sports Streaming

Program

Streaming Media Connect 2026 this February 24 - 26 offers a dynamic lineup of sessions packed with practical advice, inspiring thought leadership, actionable insights, and lively debate. Learn how leading organizations are using innovative approaches to tackle the latest challenges in live streaming, OTT, content delivery, monetization, and more. Join us for cutting-edge information, analysis, and education that you won't find anywhere else.

If you'd like to join us as a speaker, please see our Call for Speakers or Invitation to Sponsor.

Tuesday, May 12

Day One - Free Online Sessions

 

TUE1. Keynote Fireside Chats

11:00 AM2026-05-122026-05-12

Tuesday, May 12: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (ET) / 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. (PT)

Additional Information Coming Soon!

Moderator:

, VP & Editor-in-Chief, Streaming Media


 

TUE2. Tool and DAI: Dynamic Ad Insertion, Ad Stacks, and Live Sports Streaming

12:30 PM2026-05-122026-05-12

Tuesday, May 12: 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (ET) / 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. (PT)

Sports remains readily monetizable appointment viewing in an on-demand age because it reliably delivers unforeseen, must-see moments. But if the ads that make premium sports streams possible and profitable preempt those moments, they’re gone forever. This panel showcases the ad tech-enabled creative formats that are actually working: dynamic overlays, pause-screen and squeeze-back sponsorships, branded graphics, contextual product placement, and interactive ads. Learn how new standards enable ads that feel native to sports rather than intrusive and how ad tech infrastructure fuels DAI innovation at scale.

 

TUE3. Reel Fandom: Live Sports, Fan-Created Content, and the Creator Economy

02:00 PM2026-05-122026-05-12

Tuesday, May 12: 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (ET) / 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (PT)

The biggest moments in sports happen first on the field, but as soon as they’re streamed, they’re being captured, remixed, and amplified by fans across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, especially by Digital Native Gen Z and Gen Alpha fans. This panel explores how sports properties and platforms are embracing and monetizing fan creativity, from highlight licensing to revenue-sharing models for creators and building platforms that turn passionate fans into sustainable income earners. Learn the infrastructure, rights management, and community dynamics that make the sports creator economy thrive.

 

TUE4. Worlds Collide: Globalizing and Localizing Live Sports Streams

03:30 PM2026-05-122026-05-12

Tuesday, May 12: 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. (ET) / 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (PT)

As national sports leagues go global and international fan bases clamor for more games, delivery challenges abound. Network variability, rights fragmentation, regulatory frameworks, and language diversity make global sports streaming a puzzle with a thousand pieces. Learn how streaming architects and ops teams optimize for bandwidth-challenged markets, contend with regional blackout rules, manage localized commentary feeds, and work to ensure consistent quality across wildly different infrastructure in this candid look at how to make regional sports both global and local.

Wednesday, May 13

Day Two - Free Online Sessions

 

WED1. Keynote Fireside Chats

11:00 AM2026-05-132026-05-13

Wednesday, May 13: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (ET) / 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. (PT)

Additional Information Coming Soon!

Moderator:

, VP & Editor-in-Chief, Streaming Media


 

WED2. Watch Party: Maximizing Observability for Live Sports at Scale

12:30 PM2026-05-132026-05-13

Wednesday, May 13: 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (ET) / 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. (PT)

When millions of viewers are watching, you need to know what's breaking before they do. This panel explores the AI-driven analytics and the observability infrastructure that keep live sports running and the evolving dashboards that surface problems in milliseconds. Learn about automated root cause analysis, intelligent alerting that cuts through noise, and AI-assisted decision support for complex operational choices. Discover how experts in large-scale streaming ops maximize observability and manage complexity without drowning in data.

 

WED3. Encryption, DRM, and the Security Stack: Protecting Premium Sports Streams Against Piracy

02:00 PM2026-05-132026-05-13

Wednesday, May 13: 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (ET) / 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (PT)

By the time you know a high-profile stream is being pirated, thousands are already watching an illegitimate copy. This panel explores the cat-and-mouse game of detecting unauthorized broadcasts of premium sports streams in real time: fingerprinting technology that identifies stolen feeds within minutes, automated takedown systems that operate at internet scale, and the coordination between platforms, CDNs, and rightsholders that is required to fight piracy faster than stolen streams proliferate. Hear from stream security workers who've minimized pirated streams before they undercut their monetized counterparts.

 

WED4. Fans Forward: Creating Lean-In Engagement With Personalized, Next-Gen Sports Streaming Experiences

03:30 PM2026-05-132026-05-13

Wednesday, May 13: 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. (ET) / 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (PT)

One fan wants advanced analytics or tactical analysis; another wants enhanced commentary; yet another wants player-specific highlights. All want to see these elements at the point they are in the game. This panel explores how next-gen platforms deliver individualized sports experiences: customizable commentary tracks, fan-selected camera angles, personalized graphic overlays and statistics, and even AI-generated highlight reels tailored to individual interests. Learn about the production and technical hurdles of creating individualized experiences from a single live event and how platforms are making personalization feel natural rather than overwhelming.

Thursday, May 14

Day Three - Free Online Sessions

 

THU1. Keynote Fireside Chats

11:00 AM2026-05-142026-05-14

Thursday, May 14: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (ET) / 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. (PT)

Additional Information Coming Soon!

Moderator:

, VP & Editor-in-Chief, Streaming Media


 

THU2. Up All Night: Engineering Optimal Uptime for Live Sports at Scale

12:30 PM2026-05-142026-05-14

Thursday, May 14: 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (ET) / 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. (PT)

When millions of fans tune in for a World Cup match or the NBA Finals, downtime isn't an option. This panel explores how to meet the engineering demands of achieving and maintaining "five nines" (99.999%) uptime on live sports platforms. Learn about redundancy and failover strategies, chaos engineering, and the decision-making frameworks that keep high-stakes sports streams up and running when everything else is failing.

 

THU3. Need for Speed: Ultra-Low-Latency Sports Streaming From Stadium to Screen

02:00 PM2026-05-142026-05-14

Thursday, May 14: 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (ET) / 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (PT)

Sports fans expect instantaneous action—and between the explosion of betting culture and shared second-screen experiences, sports streaming demands not only low-latency delivery but seamless sync. This panel dives into the engineering fundamentals—capture, encoding, delivery, and playback—that underpin smooth execution through the first, middle, and last miles without sacrificing quality. Learn what breaks at scale, how to prepare for and ward off disaster, and why low latency isn't just a number but the difference between a winning broadcast and a blown opportunity.

 

THU4. Alpha Channel: Programming and Monetizing Sports on FAST

03:30 PM2026-05-142026-05-14

Thursday, May 14: 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. (ET) / 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (PT)

FAST channels thrive on volume and discoverability, but sports rights are costly and complicated. How do you fill a 24/7 channel with compelling sports programming without breaking the bank? This panel explores creative scheduling and content mixes, licensing strategies, fresh angles on balancing mass appeal and niche differentiation, and tips for identifying and serving passionate communities of fans. Learn what turns on FAST sports channel viewers and keeps them tuning in.