Fluid Fan Featured Four Newsletter
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From our Founder Angela Ruggiero
"Leagues need to be willing to make changes on the fly and come up with creative solutions that are still within health and safety guidelines."
The sports industry was comfortable collecting media rights fees and ad revenues as fans flocked to stadiums on a daily basis for far too long. In today’s climate, the key to navigating the industry is adaptability. The San Francisco 49ers are going to have to continue to adapt over the next three weeks of their NFL season while they search to find a new home. Santa Clara County officials put a ban on contact sports this week causing the closure of the California-based team facilities. Government mandates played a large role during the return to live sports, whether it be the opening and closing of borders, the number of people allowed to work inside a stadium, or the number of fans allowed to attend. This order will require cooperation and coordination across multiple teams and leagues. COVID continues to cause havoc in the sports industry. Properties around the globe need to be nimble and flexible. Leagues need to be willing to make changes on the fly and come up with creative solutions that are still within health and safety guidelines. Just like an elite athlete approaches a game day, properties need to adapt, pivot, and be nimble in their approach to success.
Weekly Brand Breakthrough
An unknown at the beginning of 2020, Monkey Knife Fight has made news this week as the fantasy sports gaming site that came in as the sixth most searched for brand in sports and entertainment, according to SponsorUnited’s Year in Review. The young company beat out sponsorship giants such as Peloton, Dunkin, Apple, and Nike. Even more importantly, the fantasy sports company finished above direct competitors DraftKings (13 places) and FanDuel (24 places). Monkey Knife Fight is the fastest growing gaming platform in North America and has gained such success through its unique, fun, and engaging style. This company is worth watching going into 2021.
Weekly Live Entertainment Breakthrough
As fans continue to remain at home, venues have gotten creative. This week, Madison Square Garden, in partnership with Louis Vuitton and the NBA, hosted a virtual selling experience to introduce the duo’s new men’s wear capsule. The exhibit included the Louis Vuitton emblem at center court, models in particular outfits positioned around the court, and the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy and case. All of this was made digital by the use of drone footage captured from the arena. The two cutting edge companies began their collaboration earlier this year, Louis Vuitton’s first partnership with a major North American sports league. Yet again, the limits brought on by the Pandemic have drawn even more creativity out of the live entertainment industry.
Weekly Media Breakthrough
Epic Games has expanded its existing partnership with the NFL, including Fortnite and Rocket League. In the coming month, they will add NFL integrations to both games. Fortnite will showcase new “Gridiron Gang Outfits” from all 32 teams. These “skins” can be purchased and customized by the user. Partnerships like this one provide a massive benefit to both parties, as the NFL reaches a new audience, and Fortnite captures the attention of life long football fans. The esports industry has taken off during the pandemic, and traditional sports leagues must recognize this and adjust their priorities accordingly.
Weekly Athlete Breakthrough
Overnight, Sarah Fuller became a household name. This past week, the senior goalkeeper for the Vanderbilt women’s soccer, became the first woman to play in a regular-season game in one of college football’s power five conferences. As the rest of her soccer team was returning home for Thanksgiving, Fuller received a call from her coach asking if she would stay and kick for the Football team since their entire kicking unit was in isolation due to possible COVID-19 exposure. She was at the practice within the hour. Missouri dominated the game, with a final score of 41-0, and Vanderbilt never got within field goal range. Sarah was able to contribute a driven kick to start the second half. When asked about their game next week against Georgia, the head coach said, “If she wants to kick, and she’s available, we’d love to have her.” We have not seen the last of Sarah Fuller. Although small compared to her SEC soccer championship this fall, this accomplishment has shown young girls across the country what it means to “play like a girl.”
For more information on the changing trends in sports and all of our latest research visit sportsilab.com
Sports Innovation Lab Events
DISSECTING THE MEDIA INDUSTRY WITH FORMER HULU CEO RANDY FREER
This week’s episode of the Fluid Fan Podcast features a high-level look at the changing trends in the media industry. Angela Ruggiero is joined by Randy Freer, CEO of the Freer Company, to discuss Randy’s thirty plus year career in the media industry, hear his take on leadership, and gain his insight into how the market has evolved over the years. Randy will talk about his past work as COO and President of Fox Networks Group and around Fluid Fandom during his time as CEO of Hulu. He’ll also touch on how the gaming and esports industry is really starting to change the way media properties look at fandom and user experience. Learn all about how Randy helped create the vast array of regional sports networks at Fox, navigate the cord-cutting audience, big bets that shaped the media industry, and much more!
INNOVATION & LEADERSHIP IN SPORTS WITH VAL ACKERMAN
The Sportico and Sports Innovation Lab Ask Me Anything Series will return Thursday, December 17th at 1 pm ET featuring an interview with Val Ackerman, Commissioner of the BIG EAST Conference. Val was named the fifth Commissioner of the BIG EAST Conference back in 2013. She spent eight years as an attorney and executive at the National Basketball Association, was the founding President of the Women’s National Basketball Association, and is a past President of USA Basketball, which oversees the U.S. men’s and women’s Olympic basketball program. Her expertise on the name, image, and likeness debate of college sports is unlike any other, and she is ready to share it and more throughout our conversation. You can view all of our previous AMAs on our website and our Youtube Channel.
DIVE INTO THE FLUID FAN WITH ONE OF OUR FOUNDERS
Fluid Fans are global fans, and now more than ever sports organizations are learning how to develop evolved fan experiences from those around the world. On Wednesday, December 2nd at 2PM ET Sports Innovation Lab's President Josh Walker will be presenting a deep dive into Fluid Fan's global behaviors as part of SportLab's Webinar Series. Join Sports Innovation Lab, as well as leaders from some of Brazil's most innovative sports-focused brands such as Brahma and Budweiser, for a look at the trends, technologies, and behaviors transforming the global sports fan ecosystem.