• by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, November 17, 2014

Time-shifting technology is fundamentally changing what it means to be a sports fan, media experts agree. “Being a fan isn’t measured [by] attendance anymore,” according to Angus McNab, Head of Content Distribution, North America, at Opta/PERFORM Group. “It’s measured in knowledge [of the game],” he told attendees of Soccer in America’s Marketing Sports conference, on Monday. That’s a direct result of technology -- from DVRs to all manner of content-streaming devices -- taking hold among fans, and the young in particular. Today, it’s necessary to “educate your child as to what a broadcast schedule is,” said Mike Bloxham, Vice President of National Television and Video at Frank N. Magid Associates. As such, the days of TV driving the media discussion are numbered, said Bill Squadron, Executive Vice President at STATS. Even for live sports events, “We’re [experiencing] a paradigm shift,” Squadron said.