NAB Show: Clay Travis Urges Broadcasters To Experiment.

Clay Travis has built a media business that reaches audiences across radio, television and digital platforms, and he believes the key to succeeding in today’s fragmented media environment is a willingness to experiment. With consumers facing more entertainment choices than ever, the radio and TV host says broadcasters can’t afford to rely on the same distribution strategies that built their audiences in the past.

“You have to be experimental. I’m a data guy, but I’ll try a lot of things,” Travis said during a conversation with National Association of Broadcasters President/CEO Curtis LeGeyt at NAB Show New York on Wednesday (Oct. 21).

Travis pointed to his Premiere Networks syndicated radio show with Buck Sexton, which is simulcasting on C-SPAN this week as an example of exploring new ways to reach listeners and viewers. He acknowledged that he has no idea how many people will discover the program through the cable network, but said the opportunity to introduce the show to another audience makes the experiment worthwhile.

“The most important thing in media today is understanding that grabbing attention and audience is hard,” he said.

Travis recalled starting his online writing career with no audience and building readership to as many as a million readers. The lesson he took away is that audience growth requires patience and a willingness to try new things. “Scale comes with time, but it also comes with experiment,” he said.

That approach is becoming increasingly important as younger consumers develop media habits far different from those of previous generations. Travis said young people spend much of their entertainment time on YouTube, where algorithms continually serve up short videos tailored to their interests. Outside of live sports, he said, they rarely watch traditional television.

For broadcasters, the challenge is finding ways to introduce their programming to audiences who have almost unlimited entertainment options competing for their attention. Travis also sees an advantage for local broadcasters to use popular programming to introduce audiences to other content. “Sports is often the bridge that allows people to become aware that you have a great local news program,” he said.

LeGeyt noted that major sports programming also helps provide the financial resources local television stations need to support news and other locally produced content. “If they don’t have the funds to invest in that local programming, they’re not carrying premiere sports,” he said.

Streaming Disconnects

While Travis sees opportunities for broadcasters to expand their audiences through digital platforms, he offered a considerably less enthusiastic assessment of how streaming is changing the experience of watching live sports. His complaint is consumers are paying more money for a product that has become increasingly difficult to access.

Travis is increasingly taking that argument to Washington, where he says lawmakers from both political parties recognize growing public frustration with the cost and complexity of watching sports. After he testified in June to a congressional hearing, Travis said he was struck by the bipartisan agreement.

“Everybody is representing a constituent base that recognizes that this is a broken system, and that we have to do a better job of it,” he said. Travis, who is also an attorney, questioned whether the NFL’s expanding use of streaming-exclusive games is consistent with the Sports Broadcasting Act, arguing that the league’s existing legal protections should come with obligations to fans. His contention is that some streaming arrangements violate federal law.

“If this is just a question of dollars and cents for a sports league, we are going to end up in a world in which these games, even the Super Bowl, are behind a paywall,” LeGeyt said. “But our competitive advantage is the fact that these leagues don’t exist without their fan base.”

Travis warned that the consequences could extend well beyond irritating existing fans. Younger audiences have more entertainment alternatives than any previous generation, and he believes leagues risk losing future fans if kids can’t easily watch games during the years when their loyalties are developing. It also has broader implications for the U.S.

“Sports is a unique connector, and in an era when everything is so divisive, being able to connect everyone matters more and more,” Travis said. He sees it as “an escape” from the serious things in life, which is why he believes most fans don’t want athletes and leagues to wander into debates about hot-button issues. “They don’t want sports to be a reflection of politics,” he said.