How Shorts, Reels, and Stories are Changing the Way Sports Fans Consume Content in MENA

Broadcast Pro

2 days ago

Entertainment as we know it is changing. And changing fast. Screens once dominated by full-length broadcasts have transformed into rapid-fire feeds of reels, shorts, and stories.
Entertainment as we know it is changing. And changing fast. Screens once dominated by full-length broadcasts have transformed into rapid-fire feeds of reels, shorts, and stories.
To help sports rights holders keep up with fans' unquenchable thirst for content, WSC Sports developed the industry's leading platform for creating innovative AI-tailored content experiences that help organizations deepen the connection with their fans. To get a better understanding of the latest content trends, we analyzed data from over 550 of the world's leading sports rights owners that use our platform.
According to the data, the average length of videos created by sports rights holders on the WSC Sports platform has decreased by 24% year over year to an average of 1:11 minutes. In the MENA region, the average video length is just 1:05–-almost a 10% difference compared to the rest of the world.
Even websites and streaming apps traditionally associated with long-form video are being affected by this shift. YouTube Shorts, for instance, now account for over 20% of all videos uploaded to the platform. TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Stories across have conditioned fans to expect fast, punchy, highly engaging content—especially in sports, where every second can feel like a highlight.
Impact on the Sports Industry
For sports rights holders it's a signal to adapt quickly, if you haven't already. Long-form content will always have its place, especially for live broadcasts and deep storytelling. But the window to capture fan attention before and after the game is narrowing.
And here's the catch: a lot of organizations are investing millions—sometimes hundreds of millions—just to secure the rights to live sports. Maximizing the value of that investment means extending the life of each broadcast as long as possible. That's where short-form content comes in.
By slicing key moments into dynamic, bite-sized videos optimized for social, mobile, and on-demand platforms, teams, leagues, and broadcasters can get exponentially more return on the rights they've acquired—especially in a region with one of the highest average screen times. In Saudi Arabia and Egypt for example, the typical smartphone owner spends 4 ½ hours per day on their phone. That's more than a half hour longer than the global average.
When it comes to vertical content—that could be anything from a 4:5 post on Instagram to 9:16 reels and stories—organizations from the MENA region are also outpacing their global counterparts by creating 13% more vertical videos on average. In total, the majority of videos created by WSC Sports' clients—an astounding 67%—were in a vertical format.
If short-form consumption continues to rise—and there's every reason to believe it will—organizations that don't recalibrate their content strategy risk falling behind in the race for relevance and reach.
What Rights Holders Are Doing—And What They Need to Do
To keep up, many organizations have ramped up their short-form production, and even hired dedicated teams to manage everything 'content'. From finally saying yes to opening that TikTok account, to adapting to new content formats like shorts and stories, the push is clearly there. But creating this volume of content quickly, accurately, and at scale remains a challenge—and only one piece of the puzzle.
To engage today's evolving audiences, broadcasters and rights holders must begin operating more like digital entertainment platforms by blending innovation, content, culture, and personalization to connect with different fans.That means providing experiences they've come to expect, like an app filled with the type of videos already being created for social. An app should also be home to anything you'd find on an organization's website including tickets, news, standings, and upcoming events—the key differentiator here: you own and access user data in your app, something that you miss when only publishing to social media platforms.
Sound like a lot? That's because it is. Traditional production and post-production workflows weren't built for this kind of pace. And while some teams might have the manpower to produce content in real and near time, it's often reactive, inconsistent, and difficult to maintain—especially across multiple platforms, formats, and audience segments.
AI-Automation is No Longer a 'Nice to Have'
Just like every other industry, sports organizations will need to adopt the latest AI tools to stay in the game and keep their brands competitive. WSC Sports helps rights holders meet fans where they are—with automated, personalized video content that's ready for every screen, every moment, and every platform. Our AI-powered platform takes live broadcast streams and transforms them into short-form videos, built for the way fans consume content.
Who's Doing it Best?
We've seen firsthand how our global client base is leveraging the WSC Sports platform to not only meet the demand for short-form—but to lead it.
The NBA : produces hundreds of real-time, personalized highlight packages per night, delivered to the NBA app, social accounts, and more
produces hundreds of real-time, personalized highlight packages per night, delivered to the NBA app, social accounts, and more NASCAR : delivers real-time highlights to its Timeline Feed in the NASCAR app so fans can follow along with zero delay
delivers real-time highlights to its Timeline Feed in the NASCAR app so fans can follow along with zero delay Bayern Munich Basketball: creates scores of videos for social media and their mobile app—including in new content formats like stories.
These organizations aren't just increasing brand reach—they're winning more engagement with content. And the success has been measurable.
Download the Full Report
The data is pretty clear: short-form is getting shorter, and it's only gaining momentum. As platforms shift and fan behavior evolves, rights holders need to stay ahead—not scramble to catch up.
At WSC Sports, we're helping organizations take control of the moment. Let's make sure your fans never miss a second—even when seconds are all they've got. Download the report and learn about the 5 latest trends in sports content.