TOP 10 COMMERCIAL TRENDS #4 - THE GREATER FUSION OF SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Global sports rights holders and venues are rethinking their current offering and are on a constant quest to enhance the experience! The more successful events integrate sports and entertainment and provide and well-rounded entertainment experience for existing fans while recruiting new fans by adding entertainment elements, such as concerts, fan zones and enabling more access to star athletes. 

Taylor Swift’s pre-race concert at the 2016 United States Grand Prix, the theater-style lighting deployed at the ATP World Tour Finals in London and, of course, the Super Bowl half-time show are all examples. Similarly, there are many examples of new entertainment events built around a sports element, including Andy Murray. Live, an evening of music and exhibition tennis, and the Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastic Champions, a 36-city tour of US Olympic gymnasts designed to capitalize on the team’s success at Rio 2016. The NFL and Cirque du Soleil, meanwhile, have partnered to create a major showcase installation in Times Square, due to open in 2017.

So...what does it all mean for rights holders & brands?

For rights holders there is an amazing opportunity to build something that will attract and retain your current fans, spectators, participants while attracting new ones. In my opinion, this should be the objective of any rights holder that truly cares about the experience. Even if you don't want your event to be overly commercial, it still should be a goal to provide the best experience possible. It starts with understanding your fans: why do they come, what do they expect, what is their consumption profile, etc. This will allow you to build something they want.

For brands, it really allows to think in many different directions as it is clear that fans want 'more'. This is a great opportunity to build unique experiences (or customer engagement touch points). This will enhance their experience and they will engage with your brand at a deeper level.

We all benefit from the fusion of sports & entertainment. I refer to it as a quadruple win: for fans, the rights holder, the brand, the participant.

As always, feel free to comment and start a conversation... Happy reading!

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