Fluid Fan Featured Four Newsletter
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From our Founder Angela Ruggiero
"The best rights holders are going to be the ones that are able to go to where the fans are."
At Sports Innovation Lab we often say that sports properties are media companies. The best rights holders are going to be the ones that are able to go to where the fans are. Italian football club AC Milan took an innovative approach to their content by creating a dedicated channel on the very popular content platform, Twitch. The Serie A club’s Twitch channel will feature content from their men's and women's first teams, youth sector, legends, and archive, all specifically adapted for the platform. This is an innovative play for AC Milan because not only are they delivering content from across the entire organization, but they are providing it on a platform that Fluid Fans interact with frequently. The social aspect of Twitch is a major driver of engagement for Fluid Fans...and one capability typically only used well in esports communities. The ability to chat with others while co-watching content together is extremely immersive and allows AC Milan to better service their Fluid Fans. Teams that are able to distribute content in innovative and immersive ways will continue to widen their reach and grow their fandom globally.
Weekly Brand Breakthrough
This week in brand news, Bud Light has partnered with FanDuel and the Denver Broncos to sponsor a bet during their December 19th game against the Buffalo Bills. This partnership will be the first-ever sponsored bet made on a US Sports Book. The activation promises fans who bet more than $25 will get $3 for every extra point or field goal scored by the Broncos. The mile-high team made the most sense for this exhibition, as Bud Light and FanDuel were already partners, and Colorado is one of only eight states in the US where mobile sports betting is legal. As we have seen week after week, sports betting is a rapidly growing US industry, with immense sponsorship potential and fan engagement.
Weekly Live Entertainment Breakthrough
The Premier League and the English Football League have agreed to a rescue package amounting to 250 million pounds. The top tier EPL will contribute 15 million pounds to aid the EFL’s efforts in ensuring that all clubs survive the financial hardship brought on by the pandemic. A renewed sense of urgency for a rescue package came in November when the leagues learned that ten EFL teams were struggling to pay wages. The EPL recognizes the importance of a deep multi-tiered football structure. Not only are these teams employers and businesses, but local soccer clubs that sit at the heart of everyday English life, and it is everyone’s best interest to do all we can to preserve them.
Weekly Media Breakthrough
Amazon has scored the exclusive rights to stream the December 26th matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals. They will also be simulcasting the Fox “Christmas Special '' Game between the New Orleans Saints and the Minnesota Vikings, the first time Prime Video will have live NFL action on back to back days. Partnerships with Amazon Video and Twitch make the NFL available to 150 million paid Prime members in 240 countries, many of whom may not have had access to the games before. Amazon's growing role in the live sports arena represents a shift away from the traditional broadcast model towards a more flexible and interactive consumer-centered model.
Weekly Athlete Breakthrough
On the first of this month, Under Armour launched Curry Brand, a mix of footwear, apparel, and accessories inspired and in partnership with the popular Golden-State shooting guard. To Curry, the brand “is all about doing good in everything we do,” therefore they will reinvest a percentage of all profits into underserved communities to create safe places for everyone to play. In the last decade, athletes themselves have proven their value to retail and sponsorship partners. Stephen Curry brings to the table his almost 32 million Instagram followers, his name recognition, and his basketball prowess. For Curry, Under Armour provides him with a new opportunity to further his brand and strengthen youth sports in America.
For more information on the changing trends in sports and all of our latest research visit sportsilab.com
Sports Innovation Lab Events
JOIN US FOR A GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON THE BOOMING ESPORTS INDUSTRY
Organized by the Global Esports Federation and powered by Sports Innovation Lab, GEFcon_20 is the only global thought-leadership event focused on values and connections within esports. Join us virtually December 16 & 17 to hear from innovative leaders across esports, sports, and technology while listening in on the essential conversations surrounding what it will take to build a stronger and healthier community within esports. Registration includes access to a one-on-one conversation between NBA Champion and Olympic Medalist Pau Gasol and our CEO and Co-Founder Angela Ruggiero, as well as over 10 hours of video-on-demand sessions featuring leaders from across the world of esports.
CONNECTING FANS AND COMMERCE WITH A SUPER BOWL CHAMPION
This week Angela Ruggiero is joined by someone who is not only a fellow tech entrepreneur creating new experiences for Fluid Fans, but also a Super Bowl Champion! Najee Goode, the Co-Founder and Chief of Fan Experience & Engagement at VEEPIO came on the show to talk about his playing career in the NFL, and the interactive content tool VEEPIO he has created. Najee and his team at VEEPIO are creating a content platform that allows fans to purchase merchandise and donate to causes that are important to the athletes and teams they follow. VEEPIO is an innovative platform that is making waves in the athlete-driven media market and is offering fans a truly immersive way to connect with the sports they love. Hear from a Super Bowl Champion about what it takes to be a premier athlete and an innovative executive changing the world of sports.
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.