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- [00:00]
Ankar Desai
This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK.
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Sebastian Usher
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Paul Moss
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Karl Harper
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Sebastian Usher
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Narrator / BBC Global News Host
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- [00:31]
Laura Bicker
Visit your nearby Lowes
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Ryan Seacrest
hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway this spring. Sweeten your day one sweet treat at a time. Now through May 26th. Whether you're shopping for gifts for friends and family or just want to pick me up for yourself, get great deals on your favorite sweet treats. Shop in store or online and save on items like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Trident Sugar Free Gum, Albanese Gummy Bears, Kinder Wafer Eggs or SN Snickers Bars. Get these deals before they're gone off rent May 26. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.
- [01:08]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
This is the global News podcast from the BBC World Service. Hello, I'm Uncle Desire and at 15 hours GMT on Thursday 30th April, these are our main stories. Saudi Arabia is to stop funding the live golf tour at the end of the season LIV was formed as a breakaway from the long standing PGA Tour, with billions of dollars offered to lure top players. President Trump has said his administration is considering reducing troops from Germany, appearing to be in retaliation for some critical comments by the German chancellor Friedrich Metz. Pro Palestinian activists say a flotilla of boats carrying aid to Gaza has been intercepted by the Israeli military in international waters near Greece. Also in this podcast, we hear about workers in Kenya who allege they had to view distressing images captured by Meta Smart Glasses.
- [02:03]
Ankar Desai
Sometimes people employed in doing this work encounter extremely graphic content. One person said he felt doing this work he'd lost his humanity.
- [02:12]
Karl Harper
And any idea that the Roman Empire creates a really impermeable frontier that holds its own and then all of a sudden breaks down and gives way to a wave of barbarians is incredible.
- [02:24]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
A study reveals the collapse of the Roman Empire may not have been as swift and dramatic as once thought. It was supposed to be a game changer for the game of golf as we knew it. But five years since its launch, is the Saudi investment bubble in the sport set to burst? Saudi Arabia is to stop funding the LIV Golf Tour at the end of the season. The LIV has formed as a breakaway from the long standing PGA Tour offering billions to tempt away some leading players in the sport. The tour features some of the biggest names, including Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau. And with millions invested across other sports, could this be the start of a snowball effect? Our golf correspondent Ian Carter is following the story.
- [03:09]
Ankar Desai
The big problem as far as Liv is concerned is that it has failed to really cut through in a broadcast
- [03:16]
Karl Harper
sense in terms of attracting a wider audience.
- [03:18]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
It has had successful talks, tournaments, particularly
- [03:21]
Karl Harper
in South Africa and Australia, in terms
- [03:23]
Ankar Desai
of people turning up to watch and creating a great atmosphere.
- [03:27]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
But it hasn't delivered really on its
- [03:29]
Ankar Desai
stated aim of revolutionizing the game of
- [03:32]
Karl Harper
golf and the way that it is
- [03:33]
Ankar Desai
consumed by people at home. As for the players, we're hearing reports
- [03:38]
Karl Harper
of a number of agents trying to
- [03:40]
Ankar Desai
contact the established tours, PGA Tour and the DP World Tour to try to find a pathway back for those players to compete there. Now how that works out is going to be really fascinating.
- [03:53]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
So why have the Saudis lost interest? Sebastian Asha is our Middle east analyst.
- [03:57]
Sebastian Usher
I think partly what we were just hearing there, that this hasn't been the big hit that the Saudis wanted it to be. And that's what the Saudis are after. I mean, we've seen it with boxing, we've seen it with wrestling, we've seen it with motor racing, gaming. All of these events now taking place in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Huge global events attracting big audiences, recalibrating not just for sports, but the image of Saudi Arabia. That's been the big thing and that's been achieved to some extent. Critics call it sportswashing because of Saudi Arabia's human rights record. But from a Saudi perspective, it was trying to reorient the image of a country, its future, a thing called Vision 2030 under the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. But I think there has been a recalibration, an assessment and an admission by the Saudi authorities. But some of these projects aren't really working out. They've become too expensive, they're too pie in the sky. That's going beyond sport. That's looking at these extraordinary sort of sci fi architectural ventures like the Line, the Cube, which have all been put on hold. There was a big skiing, alpine resort that was being built. Now there is snow in Saudi Arabia, but only for about four or five days a year. That's also being curbed. So it's really looking at the practical side of where the money should go and getting as much return as possible. The investment that they hope to get for those projects wasn't coming in either.
- [05:18]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
And could the shadow of the conflict in the Middle east also play a role in this in terms of an impact further down the line?
- [05:24]
Sebastian Usher
I think so, because I mean these big events taking place in Saudi Arabia, for example, and they need to be in a zone that is relatively stable and that has been now knocked sideways. We've seen several high profile events having to be canceled in Saudi Arabia and in the uae. So that's a big knock on effect. And you know, another key element that Saudi Arabia is still focusing on is on tourism. Now it's been successful to a degree with internal tourism, Saudis spending their money in Saudi Arabia rather than abroad. But aside from the big events and of course for pilgrimage every year for Haj, it hasn't really broken through. So I think that is playing a part as well. Also, as I mentioned before, the human rights issues, the shadow that hung over MBS for years over the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, that's dissipated to some extent. But there's still an issue about that. The golf players, the footballers, all have to face some kind of condemnation for going to play there or to work for the Saudis.
- [06:18]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
Sebastian Usher with that assessment, next, relations between the US And Germany are being tested over the war in Iran. In the last few days, President Trump and chat Slam Metz have criticized each other for their stance towards Tehran. In his latest social media post, Mr. Trump announced that he was considering reducing the number of US soldiers posted in Germany. Mr. Metz has responded by calling for a reliable transatlantic partnership. A global affairs reporter, Paul Moss, told me why there are so many US Troops in Germany in the first place.
- [06:52]
Paul Moss
This actually dates back to the Second World War when American troops came to help fight Nazi Germany. But when that conflict ended, it was followed immediately by the Cold War Germany, of course, the front line between the communist east and the democratic West. At one point there were half a million American troops in Europe. Now, the end of the Cold War raised the question of why those troops were still there. And in a sense that question never really went away. But no one has raised that question more than Donald Trump and indeed the like minded politicians around him. I mean, last year his self styled Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, warned the deployment of American troops in Europe Europe would not last forever. So in a sense there's nothing terribly new except that Donald Trump at the moment really is very angry with other NATO countries for, as he sees it, failing to help the United States in its war with Iran. He's particularly angry though, at Germany's Chancellor, Mr. Merz, who said that Iran was currently humiliating the United States in Iran, hence his renewed threat to pull troops out.
- [07:53]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
And what exactly has Chancellor Metz said about that threat to pull them out?
- [07:57]
Paul Moss
Well, he was speaking today while he was watching an army exercise and everyone was waiting with bated breath to see how he would respond to what Donald Trump said. In fact, he didn't address the threat directly, but as you said, he talked about the importance of a reliable transatlantic partnership. And he said that this partnership was important for him personally. And it should be remembered that Friedrich Mertz really means this. He's a man who spent a lot of time in the United States, unlike a lot of chancellors, he speaks perfect English. He was chairman for 10 years of an organization called the Atlantic Bridge, which brings together American and European politicians. However, I think that kind of experience and inclination really doesn't cut much ice with Donald Trump. He tends to react to what he sees as provocations and hence his latest threat.
- [08:43]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
Now, what would it mean for the US if they did pull their troops out of Germany and more so for the future of their relationship?
- [08:49]
Paul Moss
I mean, it would be really huge. I mean, on a practical level, these are the American troops closest to Russia. If there ever were a conflict in Europe, it would be a lot harder to airlift troops from Texas rather than having them wait against Stuttgart or Wiesbaden. Now, no one expects that conflict on land anytime soon, but I think psychologically it would raise again doubts about whether the United States really was committed to NATO and to NATO's key idea that if one nation is attacked, the others will all come to the rescue. That has already been doubted. Pulling troops out of Germany certainly would. It would, of course, also make Vladimir Putin very happy indeed. I think we'd hear him laughing all around the Kremlin. That said, we shouldn't get too excited, as I've suggested, we have seen these threats before. At the same time, Donald Trump is sometimes, some people say, impulsive. You never know what he's going to do.
- [09:39]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
Paul Moss reporting. Pro Palestinian activists say a group of more than 50 boats carrying aid to Gaza were intercepted by the Israeli military in international waters near Greece. The organizers of the trip, the Global Sumid flotilla, called it illegal, posting footage on X of those on board surrounded. And they say they were threatened at gunpoint. Israel says more than 175 people were detained in the operation. I got more details from our correspondent in Jerusalem, Yoland Nell.
- [10:13]
Yolande Nell
This is a departure from past protocol where the Israeli navy intercepted These boats in this flotilla bound for Gaza, deep in international waters, far from the Gaza coast, about 600 nautical miles away, or 1,000 kilometers, actually, close to the Greek island of Crete. The Israeli Foreign Ministry is saying on X that 175 activists from more than 20 boats are now, quote, making their way peacefully to Israel. It's not clear what happens to the other vessels because we Understand there are 58 vessels in this flotilla. They set sail, some of them from Spain two weeks ago. Others joined from France and also from Italy. And there are activists on board with all different nationalities. The Global Samud Flotilla is calling this an act of piracy by Israel. It says it jammed communications, abducted civilians, and set a lawless precedent in international waters. The Israeli military has been saying that it enforces the naval blockade of Gaza and insists that that is legal. The Israeli Foreign Ministry is the one that is really commenting here, though, and is accusing the activists who are on this flotilla of being in hands with Hamas and with the aim, they say, of sabotaging President Trump's peace plan and divert attention from Hamas's refusal to disarm in Gaza. They're insisting that Gaza has been flooded with aid since the ceasefire came into force last October. That is a description that humanitarian organizations would take issue with.
- [11:40]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
And Yolande, this isn't the first time something like this has happened in recent months.
- [11:44]
Yolande Nell
No. So actually the Global Samud Flotilla itself had a flotilla of boats back in October that were setting sail for Gaza, trying to break the blockade. And that was at a time before the ceasefire came into force, a time of very high tension that got a lot of media focused at that point. The Swedish activist Greta Thunberg was on board. This time there has been sort of less focus on this flotilla, but it is an extremely large one. And they are making accusations against Israel, saying they're deporting people, having brought them against their will to Israel. And it does flag up lots of international law issues that the defense Israel has. It seems as they're basically using counterterrorism laws to justify this.
- [12:27]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
Yolande reporting from Jerusalem. The technology giant Meta is under pressure to explain why it canceled a major contract with the company it was using to train AI after some workers alleged they had to view graphic content captured by Meta Smart glasses. The claims were made by some Kenya based employees of the firm sama. Our senior technology reporter Chris Valance has been investigating and spoke to Christian Fraser.
- [12:53]
Ankar Desai
This concerns Meta's smart glasses. You can use them to take photos, video, and you can get Meta's AI to Answer questions about what is captured. Particularly useful if you're partially sighted, for example, it'll tell you about some of the things that you've seen. Now. In February, in a major scoop, two Swedish newspapers spoke to workers based in Kenya at Meta subcontractor Samaritan. They were working on improving and training AI, and they said as part of their work they'd been asked to review footage captured by the smart glasses, and that included sometimes footage of users on the toilet, users having sex, and also intimate footage of other people that were being captured by the glasses. That that was something they occasionally encountered. Now, Meta said in response at the time that material was private, unless users chose to share it. Staff might sometimes review AI content to improve customer experience, which is said was a common industry practice. And this was made clear in its terms of service.
- [13:59]
Paul Moss
So Samra has lost the contract. What does that mean for the workers at the company?
- [14:03]
Ankar Desai
Well, about two months later, it became clear that the contract had been cancelled and Sama said as a result, it was going to make redundant 1,108 staff. Metta said this was because Sama's work was substandard. Sama said, well, this was news to them as far as they were concerned. They had met the standards that Meta had set. But, you know, really we haven't been able to find out what not meeting Meta's standards meant. Some Kenyan workers organizations say, really the failure of standards they allege was that workers had spoken out and that was what Matter really objected to in a
- [14:43]
Paul Moss
much more generic sense. Chris, and maybe beyond AI, in terms of content moderation, is there a safeguarding issue here for the workers that are doing this, those that are annotating data, or those who are training the AI?
- [14:57]
Ankar Desai
Well, I mean, we talk a lot, don't we, about the billionaires at the top of the tech industry. Of course, there are whole loads of people and many in outsourced jobs around the world on whose backs some of those billions are made. And yes, occasionally, and we have reported on this, and indeed in Kenya, there is ongoing legal action around this, that sometimes people employed in doing this work encounter extremely graphic content, very disturbing content. I spoke to one person a while ago who said he felt doing this work he'd lost his humanity. And then there is a safeguarding issue, I think, for sure, in terms of the employees safety and mental health. I mean, Sama say they've put a lot of effort into that. Some of their workers have disagreed.
- [15:41]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
BBC technology reporter Chris Valance. Still to come in this podcast, traditional sports are having A makeover to attract younger audiences.
- [15:52]
Karl Harper
Oh, my goodness me.
- [15:54]
Ankar Desai
He's won a million dollars.
- [15:56]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
Shorter, sharper and more action packed. But will it last?
- [16:00]
Paul Moss
These peripheral sports that we're seeing now, they need to have that substance and that longevity. So you've got them year after year. They can't come in and disappear.
- [16:18]
Martha (Kohler Ambassador)
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- [17:40]
Laura Bicker
Allergy season always has a way of sneaking up on you. One minute you're listening to your favorite podcast, the next it's non stop sneezing and a runny nose. That's why it's essential to keep Kleenex Ultra Soft tissues on hand. They're silky soft for up to 100% irritation. Free skin and allergist approved so when allergies hit and they will be ready with Kleenex Ultra Soft tissues for whatever happens next, grab Kleenex.
- [18:05]
Ryan Seacrest
This is Ashley Akonetti from the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast. You know that moment when you're in your stylist chair and you're describing your dream hair like it's a Pinterest board come to life, but you have zero idea how to make it happen at home? That is my Roman empire. But Amiga totally gets it. They're clean, vegan, cruelty free, clinically proven formulas.
- [18:29]
Yolande Nell
Why?
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Ryan Seacrest
Stylists swear by them. I'm obsessed with the wizard detangling primer. It's like a magic spell for my hair. For a limited time, say 15% off your order with code FAMOUS15 on loveamica.com restrictions may apply hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway this spring. Sweeten your day one sweet treat at a time. Now through May 26th. Whether you're shopping for gifts for friends and family or just want to pick me up for yourself, get great deals on your favorite sweet treats. Shop in store or online and save on items Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Trident Sugar Free Gum, Albanese Gummy Bears, Kinder Wafer Eggs or Snickers Bars. Get these deals before they're gone. Offer ends May 26th. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.
- [19:17]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
This is the global news podcast next to the ongoing legal battle between two of the world's largest technology firms. In a California courtroom, Elon Musk is suing his former friend and co founder of OpenAI, Sam Altman. Mr. Musk accuses him of abandoning the company's non profit mission. Mr. Musk has been testifying for a second day. Christina Kridle is a technology reporter at the Financial Times and was in court. Rob Young asked her what she made of Mr. Musk's performance.
- [19:48]
Christina Criddle
This is the first time I've heard him talk at this length in person, so it definitely was a moment. And basically the trial centers on Musk's allegation that he was deceived into donating roughly 38 million to OpenAI under the premise that it would remain a nonprofit. And today he called it stealing a charity. Yesterday his lawyer kind of likened it to having a museum with a gift shop where you wouldn't have a museum gift shop sell Picassos and pocket the profit. That's the analogy that he used. And then today we saw Elon Musk in cross examination where OpenAI's lawyer was trying to get him to answer very narrow yes or no questions. And Musk was basically refusing to do so, finding ways out of it, asking for clarification and really pushing back. I mean, at one point he said, your questions are not simple. They're designed to trick me essentially, and I need to give longer answers because a simple answer would be misleading the jury. And he even used the example of if you ask the question, have you stopped beating your wife? I can't just answer yes or no. And so they were really having this back and forth.
- [20:56]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
So it got quite tetchy.
- [20:57]
Ankar Desai
Then. Did he persuade the jury in your
- [21:01]
Sebastian Usher
assessment, what was his performance like?
- [21:03]
Christina Criddle
I can't really speak to what the jury thinks, but he definitely was able to get his point across in his cross examination without really giving too much away or Giving any howlers that made me think, oh, he maybe shouldn't have said that. So he really made his point very clearly and then didn't really answer the questions where he could have been on the hook for something, at least in my view.
- [21:26]
Ankar Desai
We've still got to hear from the boss of OpenAI and the head of Microsoft, which is a large shareholder in OpenAI, later on in the trial. What does Elon Musk want from this case?
- [21:37]
Christina Criddle
Yeah, exactly. So we still have to hear from lots more people in this trial. Musk was the first person to take the stand. And so naturally we're hearing lots of his arguments for why he's bringing this case. And we need to hear everybody else's arguments in defense as well. Musk is arguing that OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit, which is true, with this mission of ensuring that AI benefits all of humanity. And he's arguing that when he donated this money, he believed it would remain a non profit and that by creating this hugely valuable for profit entity now, which is worth over $850 billion, it's one of the the most valuable companies in the world. Musk argues that that means that it's not going to be as focused on its mission of ensuring that AI benefits all of humanity, because instead it's going to be focused on profits and so
- [22:30]
Sebastian Usher
what is potentially at stake in the trial.
- [22:33]
Christina Criddle
So if Musk wins, He's pushing for OpenAI to unwind its for profit, which would make it very hard for OpenAI to then IPO as it plans to do very soon. He's arguing that he should be having over 130 billion in damages, but he actually said that he wouldn't take that himself, he would donate it to OpenAI's charitable arm. So I think he's saying that to give himself a bit of coverage as well. He's not trying to enrich himself or at least he's saying he will donate the money. And he's also called for chief executive of OpenAI, Sam Altman and OpenAI's president Greg Brockman to be removed from their executive positions. So that's if Musk wins, if he loses. Musk was very inflammatory this morning where he said that it would basically cause the American charity system to fall apart, that it would set a precedent in case law for anybody to loot a charity.
- [23:31]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
Technology reporter Christina Criddle. For more on what the outcome of the trial could mean for the future of the AI industry, catch up with our technology reporter Mark chislak on our YouTube channel. Search for BBC News on YouTube. And you'll find Global News Podcast in the podcast section. And there's a news story available every weekday. China may be one of the world's largest producers of drones, but actually flying them in the country is set to become much harder from today. New restrictions are being brought in, limiting the sale of drones and requiring permits for those who want to fly them. I found out more from my China correspondent, Laura Bicker.
- [24:09]
Laura Bicker
If you go to a Chinese tourist site, maybe the Avatar Mountains in Zhangjiajie, or you go to Huashan Mountain near Xi', an, you will hear that familiar buzzing noise above your head as tourists try to get the kind of social media picture and portrait on a drone. And I think you know, when it comes to the reasons behind this, it has been the fact that drones are becoming more and more popular in Chinese society, but also the Chinese government will be eager to track them, to trace them, to know who's flying them, where and when.
- [24:49]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
And just why are they clamping down? Exactly.
- [24:52]
Laura Bicker
No one's given any specific reason. So the Ministry of Public Security has said this is for security and safety reasons. But there's no doubt this is going to hit China's biggest drone supplier, drone maker dji, hugely. Here in Beijing, for instance, there's a total ban on all flights. Now, it's already difficult to fly a drone or any kind of aircraft in Beijing, but now there's a total ban on even bringing in drones or components for drones from outside the city. And there is footage from many of the DJI shops, this famous drone maker across Beijing, and there is not a single drone in their shop outside of Beijing. The restrictions are a little bit easier, but still, you have to go to the police station, you have to register with your id, you have to take a special course to say that you'll be a responsible citizen. You have to download software in order that the authorities can track every single flight in real time. So it makes it even more difficult for anyone to fly a drone. I think the other thing is you can apply for permission, but we're hearing online anecdotally from social media users that even getting permission to fly the drone days in advance is very, very difficult.
- [26:04]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
And will there be any exceptions? You mentioned earlier people wanted to take that magical photo or video. What about tourists? If they come to visit, would they have to turn up with some sort of a permit or apply for one when they're there?
- [26:17]
Laura Bicker
I think you can apply for one, but I think the chances of you getting one, it might be still difficult. No One really knows exactly how this will play out. If you're looking at a major tourist site, will you be able to fly there? And I think that's very, very uncertain right now. I think in terms of where we are with Chinese restrictions, once they put it in place, it's very difficult to even go near the gray area. There will be people patrolling, and we've already heard from people, you know, who are switching on their drones and already getting visits from the police to check that they're complying with the regulations. There are exceptions if the size of the drone, for instance, and of course, if there are areas on the map that are green or white, then you are able to fly them to a certain height. But outside of that, and particular here in the capital, it will be very, very difficult.
- [27:05]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
Laura Bicker reporting from Beijing. The collapse of the mighty Roman Empire in AD 476 may have not been as swift and dramatic as once thought. That's according to a new German study. It suggests that barbarians tribes gradually integrated over time rather than overrunning Roman territory. Researchers analyzed the DNA of more than 200 individuals buried in cemeteries in southern Germany starting from about the year 450 CE. They found their genomes pointed to a melting pot of soldiers, farmers and barbarians instead of a single mass migration event from northern Europe. Tim Franks asked Karl Harper, historian at the University of Oklahoma, for his assessment of the study.
- [27:50]
Karl Harper
There's a really exciting new frontier for those of us who work in history and archaeology. And what this new study does is add another piece of the puzzle that helps us see that any idea that the Roman Empire creates a really impermeable frontier that holds its own until sometime, you know, after 400 and then all of a sudden breaks down and gives way to a wave of barbarians isn't credible.
- [28:15]
Ankar Desai
So in other words, scientific backup to theories of history that you and others have been positing for some time. And that sort of end the idea of neat compartmentalization of history, which is so attractive and so misleading. I suppose there are still questions, though, over why and how people from barbarian tribes did spread across Western Europe.
- [28:37]
Karl Harper
Right. And I think that this paper belongs to a wave of studies over the last few years that do indicate that there was a lot of migration, people were moving around. It's just that a lot of that migration predates the breakdown of the frontier. And this does include people from northern Europe who probably speak an ancestor of the German language, who are coming into the Roman world. Many of them are probably very highly Romanized. Many of them probably are Romans and certainly probably think of themselves as Romans before the frontier itself collapses. And so it's another reminder that the Roman Empire itself moves people around and creates mechanisms for migration long before the frontier falls.
- [29:19]
Ankar Desai
Do you think that part of the issue here is the word barbarian conjures such sort of pejorative overtones of sort of uncouth, uncultured, aggressive, almost unhygienic, that it lends itself to the idea that they must have been so distinct from the Roman Empire.
- [29:38]
Karl Harper
That's what the Romans want you to believe? I think. So that stereotype goes back a long way and it's certainly true that there are important cultural and technological and social differences in the way people are living on one part of Europe or another. But those change and those in many ways converge. And by the later Roman period, it can sometimes be amazing how similar culturally and socially people were on what we may think of. If you draw a line on a map and say that's where the frontier was by, by the later Roman period, that's not a very reliable indicator of where civilization stopped and barbarism began. And the genetic studies just give us this amazing new insight on it that's almost from the ground up. And what this paper does is even reconstruct kind of the family history. And you can see people intermarrying. And that's what's so powerful about the human gen is you can retrace the family dynamics down to the individual level and you can see people who have different ancestry marrying.
- [30:38]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
Kyle Harper of the University of Oklahoma clicks and views the modern age of social media and sport. They seemingly go hand in hand. In recent years, the world of sport is being reshaped with new formats emerging for quick shareable moments online. From influencers managing sports teams to bite sized versions of traditional games like three a side football, more sports are fighting for the attention of younger fans. But is it working and is it bringing in the money? Matt Lyons has been taking a look.
- [31:07]
Sebastian Usher
What is baller league anyway?
- [31:09]
Ankar Desai
Alright, we've got a brand new football
- [31:11]
Paul Moss
league that's changing the game. Bowler league is coming to the uk.
- [31:14]
Ryan Seacrest
The best part of hockey is going Global. Introducing the 3ice World Cup.
- [31:20]
Matt Lyons
From football to ice hockey, cricket to basketball, sports, sports all around the world are now rolling out new, faster, more action packed versions of their games. All designed to be shorter, sharper and hard to ignore. One of the newest of these formats is tennis's one point slam, an event at the Australian Open where professionals and amateurs play in matches of a single point with the winner going home with 1 million Australian dollars.
- [31:44]
Ryan Seacrest
Oh my goodness me, he's won a million dollars.
- [31:48]
Matt Lyons
Lawrence Rose Robertson is the tournament director at the event.
- [31:51]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
We completely outperformed all of the metrics we set ourselves in terms of community reach, domestic audience reach. As we sit here now in March, with nine months to go until next year's Australian Open, we're already in fairly advanced talks with brands and partners about who want to get involved with the one point Slams.
- [32:11]
Matt Lyons
And it's not just about shortening the game and making them ideal for TikTok or Instagram. It's also getting names involved who have big social media followings. It started in boxing with YouTubers getting in the ring to battle it out against each other and now it's a move to football with the baller league, a 6 a side football tournament pitting non professionals against each other in 30 minute games with the teams managed by the likes of former Premier League greats Alan Shearer and Ian Wright. There's also a host of influencers and YouTubers involved, including KSI and Angry Ginge. Felix Stark is the CEO of the Baller League.
- [32:44]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
Of course our audience is younger than
- [32:45]
Paul Moss
the Premier League's audience and 80% of
- [32:47]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
our viewing is between 20 and 35.
- [32:49]
Karl Harper
That's our biggest chunk of audience.
- [32:51]
Sebastian Usher
Maybe the Premier League right now is
- [32:52]
Karl Harper
losing audience year in, year out and
- [32:54]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
we're gaining audience year in, year out.
- [32:56]
Matt Lyons
I asked Chris Beer, senior data journalist at gwi to take a look at the numbers for me to see if these formats are attracting new audiences.
- [33:03]
Karl Harper
Fans of Baller League, Kings League, like these are almost all football fans.
- [33:07]
Ankar Desai
So I wouldn't say that this is
- [33:10]
Karl Harper
getting new people into the sport, but serving an existing audience in a new way.
- [33:15]
Matt Lyons
But is this all just a flash in the pan trend or does it have a long term future?
- [33:19]
Paul Moss
I think it's probably necessary innovations, what they are. If you want to attract a younger audience, you've maybe got to do it in a different way. And the gamification of the experience, which maybe I'm responsible for in my past life, I don't know.
- [33:32]
Matt Lyons
Peter Moore is the former CEO of Liverpool FC and a man who knows a thing or two about innovation and attracting younger audiences from his time as head of EA Sports and overseeing Xbox at Microsoft.
- [33:43]
Paul Moss
Look, if they're built for just clicks, they'll fade and die. Traditional sports are multi generational. My dad was a Red, my granddad was a Red in Liverpool. Thank goodness I had no choice, right? I'm a Red. These peripheral sports that we're seeing now they need to have that substance and that longevity and that sustainability. So you've got them year after year. They can't come in and disappear. You'd like to think some of these shorter formats are going to be around in 10 years, but I'm not sure because it just feels sometimes like they're built to be controversial and they're built for TikTok. They're built for clicks and engagement and they're not built for sustainability and substance.
- [34:21]
Narrator / BBC Global News Host
Matt Lyons reporting. And that's all from us for now. If you want to get in touch, you can email us@globalpodcastbc.co.uk and don't forget our sister podcast. It's called the Global Story, which goes in depth and beyond the headlines on one big story. This edition of the Global News Podcast was mixed by Rosenwin Durell and the producers were Nikki Virico and Oliver Bellau. The editor is Karen Martin and I'm Ankar Desai. Until next time. Goodbye.
- [34:57]
Karl Harper
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