"Sports Leagues on the Verge of Fully Monetizing Highlights as Messi's Impact Grows"

The distribution of sports highlights on social media has become a popular way for fans to consume sports content, with a quarter of avid sports fans preferring highlights over live games. However, sports leagues have traditionally viewed highlights as a marketing opportunity rather than a commercial one. The lack of exclusivity and fractured nature of social media make it challenging to monetize these highlights. While leagues have partnerships with social media networks, the revenue generated from these deals is significantly smaller compared to TV agreements. There is a potential for leagues to sell "flash highlight" packages to media companies, offering timed exclusivity to immediate highlights, which could provide a new financial incentive for monetizing highlights.