BOSTON: The future of the sports industry is uncertain as it faces a fan defined by technology, open to options and no longer bound by the loyalties of the past, according to a new study.
In the study “A New Age in Sports”, Sports Innovation Lab, a market intelligence platform and research provider, analyzes the changing dynamics in sports and the impact on the “fluid fan”, which it defines as open to change, empowered to choose and continuously evolving.
“This research is a wake-up call for the leaders in the sports industry,” Angela Ruggiero, chief executive officer and co-founder, Sports Innovation Lab, said. “When sports thrive, they unify, break down barriers and heal us. I was in the Korean locker room in Pyeongchang, South Korea, when the North and South Korean women’s hockey teams united for the 2018 Winter Olympics. These women knew what they were doing was bigger than sport. And that’s the power of sport — when it’s done right.
“The challenge facing us, however, is that our fans are undergoing a metamorphosis, driven by technology,” added the four-time Olympian and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. “This research is critical for the understanding of tomorrow’s fan and how the industry can adapt now to serve them.”
There are several characteristics of the fluid fan already emerging:
Follow digital communities – Teams will no longer own the dialogue with fans, as communities like the NBA-themed subreddit, which has 1.8 million subscribers, has already demonstrated. It’s just one more channel teams will need to follow and influence to reach their fans.
Loyal to players, not teams – When Lebron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Los Angeles Lakers, his Lakers jersey quickly become the NBA’s biggest seller. Wayne Rooney, the talented D.C. United forward, has 17 million Twitter followers – the team itself has 150,000 followers. Increasingly, the athlete has the loyal fans, not the franchise.
Cheer for her values – Nearly three-quarters of consumers under the age of 20 say they are willing to pay more to brands that are committed to positive social and environmental impact.
Multiple selves – The next generation of fans will have grown up in digital communities, whether it be Twitter, Twitch or Fortnite. Their identities will be less fixed and more dynamic and contextual.
Creator, not just consumer – As new platforms emerge to support user-generated content, professional sports will become a platform for the generation of a broader, more dispersed ecosystem, as has already been witnessed in video games and with the popularity of esports.
