Sport is getting social
Social media continues to open up new avenues for the sports industry to engage with fans.
While this does not mean the end of TV, it is important to look into why sport is getting more social. Social media platforms have pools of potential audiences for sports broadcasters and teams to dive into.
Sports fans are craving more curated accessible content which means that sports teams, broadcasters and sponsors need to offer an engaging digital experience that immerses the viewers.
One route for a more engaging online experience is live video, which allows teams to connect with fans in new and exciting ways.
Whether it’s looking to find out friends’ reactions to a big game, searching for information about a particular athlete,sport content created for the social media space has a big role to play in sports.
Sports fans criss-cross a range of platforms, on different devices and in different timezones. It is therefore in the sports industry’s best interest to continue to keep fans entertained, no matter where in the world those fans may be.
Social media offers fans other ways to keep up with the action and sports live streaming provides new revenue opportunities to both social networks and sports leagues and sponsors.
A study conducted by GWI, shows that in the U.S. sports fans are looking for exclusive content that brings them closer to the athletes and teams they love.
While in the UK, fans want to see highlights from their favourite teams matches.
Globally, the content that sports fans seek from their favourite teams is driven mostly by their age. While older generations want existing content, like archived game footage and highlights, younger generations seem more focused on new content.
The sports industry is already utilising the power of digital and social media and there’s still plenty of room for growth. There’s no doubt that the worlds of social media and live sports will become even more interlinked as video on social media moves between short user-generated clips to the live-streaming of major events and rights properties.