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From our Founder Angela Ruggiero
"Esports and other digital-first sports offer Fluid Fans a high level of interactivity and immersive experiences, which the traditional sports industry can learn from."
Last week, OverActive Media announced plans for a $500 million 7,000 seat esports arena in downtown Toronto. The venue will be home to the exports team Toronto Defiant and will be located on the Exhibition Place grounds right next to BMO Field, home of the MLS team Toronto FC. At Sports Innovation Lab, we talk about the importance of mixed-use districts and keeping fans engaged before, during, and after the game, 365 days of the year. Once OverActive Media and Populus are done with construction, downtown Toronto will have a state-of-the-art district that will feature multiple sports and entertainment event options. Not only is this a big step to innovate around multi-use districts, but it also shows a serious investment into non-traditional sport. Esports and other digital-first sports offer Fluid Fans a high level of interactivity and immersive experiences, which the traditional sports industry can learn from. It is going to be important to monitor the ROI and innovation happening in the esports area in order to see what fan engagement “behaviors” resonate with fans to better determine what traditional sports may adopt.
Weekly Brand Breakthrough
This past week leaked documents revealed a potential partnership between Real Madrid and Saudi Arabian state-owned entertainment company Qiddiya. The deal worth a reported 150 million euros and lasting at least ten years would have Qiddiya become the lead sponsor of Real Madrid’s women’s side. In return for this sponsorship, the La Liga powerhouse would provide “ambassadors and a minimum of four players from the men’s team to endorse Qiddiya [and] promote Qiddiya on its webpage and social media channels.” The deal will also see Real Madrid’s female athletes traveling to Saudi Arabia to visit and encourage young female soccer players to participate in sports. This deal represents a new effort by Saudi Arabia to promote women in sports, and women as athletes, a concept that until recently would not have been allowed.
Weekly Live Entertainment Breakthrough
Almost a year after the entire world ground to a halt, fans have finally returned to sports venues in New York City. Fans have slowly returned in smaller numbers to live sporting events worldwide, from Munich to Tampa to Manchester, but never in New York. The city, hit so hard by the virus in the first few weeks, has yet to recover completely, but the safe reopening of large venues to small numbers of fans seems like the beginning of the end of this dark period in American sports. Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center both welcomed 2,000 fans to games last week, just ten percent of their total capacity. These fans had to display a negative PCR test from the previous 72 hours, complete a health screening before coming, and a temperature check at the door. This may be the future of live sports for a while, but these games bring with them so much hope for the future.
Weekly Media Breakthrough
The media landscape is shifting and becoming much more nimble than it ever was before. In partnership with the NBA, Budwiser has recently announced that they will sponsor a weekly live stream of NBA content in Brazil. The stream will include a live NBA game as well as original Portuguese-language content on multiple various platforms. They will also bring on famous Brazilian personalities for guest appearances and have shows on fashion and gaming. This partnership will help grow the NBA’s already global fan base, and the new and unique characteristics of the broadcast will engage a diverse audience. As Arnon de Mello, the NBA’s Vice President and Managing Director for Latin America, said, “The idea is to go where our fans are, and not have them come to us.” The NBA continues to innovate, engage its fanbase creatively and grow its network; it is no wonder the league has seen such success.
Weekly Athlete Breakthrough
The human performance company WHOOP has recently announced a partnership with the LPGA as the official Fitness Wearable of the LPGA Tour. They will provide all players, caddies, and staff with a WHOOP Strap 3.0. The smart bracelet offers unique insights into sleep, recovery, and performance. The collaboration began in July of 2020 to aid in the LPGA’s bubble efforts during the pandemic by 24/7 biometric monitoring and optimized wellness and personal safety protocols. Like many other wearable technologies, WHOOP proved its value during the height of the pandemic as teams, leagues, and companies struggled to keep the virus at bay. The insights gained from such equipment can transform the way sports are played and how athletes train, play, and recover.
For more information on the changing trends in sports and all of our latest research visit sportsilab.com
Sports Innovation Lab Events
Ask Lawrence Epstein Anything
This Thursday 3/4 at 1pm ET you can ask the Senior Executive Vice President & COO of the UFC anything when the Sports Innovation Lab and Sportico Ask Me Anything Series continues with special guest Lawrence Epstein. As a partner of The Fan Project, Lawrence and the UFC know that there is a pent-up demand for women’s sports. With his guidance, UFC has become the fastest growing sports brand in the world, producing approximately 42 live events annually, while broadcasting to nearly one billion TV households in 40 languages across more than 170 countries and territories. Lawrence knows the power of athlete-driven media and has worked to ensure that both male and female fighters have the same investment and business opportunities. Register for the event now! You can view all of our previous AMAs on our website and our YouTube Channel.