We’re only in the third month of the year, but already the Digital Sport monthly topics have covered OTT and live streaming, as well as esports. There’s a reason for that: these are two topic you’re going to be hearing quite a lot about over the next few months. They are emerging peaks on the digital sports landscape.

That and the World Cup, of course: apart from the Olympic Games, perhaps, there is no bigger sporting carnival. And therefore no better place for advertisers, brands and publishers to get in on the action.

These are the staples of this morning’s Daily Digest: chow down.

NHL enters esports with international tournament (ESPN)

This month’s topic of the month is esports, and interest generated by new and popular sports coming onto the scene isn’t the only phenomenon to bear in mind here. The fact that teams, leagues and some very famous athletes are getting involved with esports by creating their own teams and competitions is an exciting development, and one which could have numerous benefits for everyone involved.

The latest sport to jump in with both feet is ice hockey, as the NHL has partnered with EA Sports to launch a worldwide league. Interestingly, the league is partnering with three of its biggest broadcast partners to cover the new esports league, too. Watch this space.

Twitter and Fox Sports have high hopes for World Cup live show (Endgadget)

Live streaming and the World Cup are going to be major topics this summer and they are inextricably linked.

Every four years, we talk about how this World Cup is the most digital yet, or even the most social media orientated. This time, we’re likely to be saying the same thing. Fox Sports certainly think so: they’ll be cranking up their coverage with 27 shows streamed on Twitter and filmed in a studio in Moscow’s Red Square. With the USA not participating in this summer’s finals, the broadcaster is hoping that interest in the country isn’t diminished.

Netflix will not enter the race for live sport (Yahoo)

There’s always been speculation about whether Netflix – as perhaps the biggest beast of the on-demand, OTT game – will enter into the sporting world and take on the likes of Amazon and Facebook in bidding for rights.

That has been put to bed, in the short term at least. The company’s CEO, Reed Hastings, gave a very direct “no” this week, “There’s lots of things we don’t do. We don’t do news, we don’t do sports. But what we do do, we try to do really well.” That’s, you know, a week after winning an Oscar for doping in sport documentary Icarus.

That’s that, then. For now at least.

DIGITAL SPORT RECRUITMENT…

Senior Channel Manager – Leading YouTube Channel