The CSN
Playbook
The CSN Playbook is the framework for creator-led live sports broadcasting. It defines three new rights categories that didn't exist before, and the platform stack that makes simultaneous multi-creator live distribution work at scale.
Why a new playbook is needed
Traditional sports broadcasting was built for a single distribution channel: one TV network sending one signal to a passive audience. That model worked when audiences were forced to find sport at appointment times on a fixed channel. It does not work for the 18-34 audience that grew up watching sport through the trust of a creator they already follow.
The CSN Playbook starts from a different premise. The same live game can run through dozens of creators at once, each one hosting the broadcast for their own community, in their own voice. The audience does not have to leave the platform they trust. The brand does not have to pay separately for each placement. The league reaches an audience the existing TV deal could never touch.
The three new rights categories
The Playbook introduces three rights categories that did not exist in the traditional sports rights market. Each one solves a specific problem with how live sports rights have historically been structured.
Creator Rights
The right for an individual creator to broadcast a licensed live event to their own community. CSN clears the rights centrally, then activates a curated network of creators who each host the live broadcast on their own channel. The creator brings the audience, the trust, and the voice. CSN brings the rights, the production stack, and the commercial layer.
Athlete Rights
The right for an athlete or team to distribute a live event of theirs through their own channels and through partner creators. The athlete becomes a distribution partner, not just a participant. This is how live sport finally meets the NIL / personal-brand era.
Keyhole Rights
Narrowly-scoped live rights inside a specific audience, market, or moment, rather than a blanket territorial deal. Keyhole Rights let leagues monetize audiences existing rights deals do not reach without disturbing the underlying TV agreement. The classic example: a league's TV deal owns the U.S. broadcast, but its 18-34 mobile audience is up for grabs.
The platform that powers it
Distributing one live event through dozens of creators at the same time is not a workflow you can run on consumer streaming tools. The CSN platform stack handles the four hard problems that need to be solved simultaneously:
- Simultaneous multi-creator distribution across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitch, with synchronized starts and unified failover.
- Live overlay graphics that render consistently across every creator stream, so brand integration looks the same on every channel.
- Brand integration at the broadcast layer, not the creator-by-creator post-roll layer, so sponsorship runs once and reaches every viewer everywhere.
- Unified measurement across all participating creator channels, so the league, the brand, and the creators all see one set of numbers.
What the Playbook unlocks
For a league, the Playbook unlocks a younger, more engaged audience without renegotiating an existing TV deal. For a brand, it unlocks a single integrated activation that runs live in front of millions of 18-34 viewers across creator-owned channels at once. For a creator, it unlocks a category of content (live sport) that was previously locked behind broadcast rights they could never afford to license alone.
Every CSN production - from the Paramount x ONE Championship activation to the work with Bundesliga, Formula E, Liverpool FC, and others - runs the Playbook framework end to end.
Common questions about the CSN Playbook
Is the CSN Playbook a product or a framework?
Both. The Playbook is the framework that defines the three rights categories and the operating model. The CSN platform stack is the product layer that makes it executable at scale. Most CSN partners engage with both.
Does the Playbook replace traditional broadcast rights?
No. The Playbook is designed to sit alongside existing rights deals. Keyhole Rights specifically were structured so leagues can monetize creator-distributed audiences without disturbing their TV partners.
Can a creator opt into a CSN broadcast on a per-game basis?
Yes. CSN's network is curated, but participation is per-event. A creator who hosts a Liverpool FC broadcast is not committed to hosting every CSN broadcast.
How do brands buy into a CSN broadcast?
Brands engage directly with CSN. A single integration buys placement across every creator channel hosting that live event, with consistent overlay graphics, unified measurement, and brand-safe contextual placement.
How long has the CSN Playbook been in market?
CSN was founded in 2024 and the Playbook framework has been operating across live productions since launch, including activations with Bundesliga, Formula E, Liverpool FC, ONE Championship, and others.