Fluid Fan Featured Four Newsletter
Sign up below to stay up to date on the sports stories changing our industry
From our Founder Angela Ruggiero
“Simply put, data helps companies make better decisions and allows fans to have deeper engagement.”
The sports industry has been challenged throughout this pandemic, but we have an opportunity to lean in to technology and data. In order to provide Fluid Fans with the most memorable sports experiences, rights holders and properties need to incorporate technology and use data to help educate fans. Athletes can use data to learn more about their performance, training, and recovery. Broadcasts can partner with data collection and player tracking companies to create overlays and inform the fan of next-gen stats. Leagues, teams, and scouts across sports are going to have to rely more on data with travel restrictions and limited games to study athletes. Simply put, data helps companies make better decisions and allows fans to have deeper engagement. The stories below demonstrate how leaders in the market are making bold decisions to continue innovating and delivering memorable experiences to Fluid Fans.
Weekly Brand Breakthrough
This week golf giant Callaway has acquired Topgolf, a gamified driving range experience, valued at 2 billion dollars. The acquisition makes total sense for Callaway since they now have access to Topgolf’s 71 locations, their estimated 1.1 billion annual revenue, and most importantly their clientele. As Jeff Tracy writes for Axios, “Topgolf transforms the traditional driving range with a gamified experience, where players earn points by hitting targets. Most aren't coming to work on their game; they're coming to eat, drink, and hang out with friends.” Topgolf will bring Callaway the young, casual golfers they would never have been able to access focusing on traditional golf courses and driving range. It is partnerships like these that signal where the future of sports is headed, to more accessible, interactive, and social places.
Weekly Live Entertainment Breakthrough
In recent days the Bundesliga has made its way back behind closed doors, due to the rising rates of COVID-19 in the country. After being the first major league to resume play amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, and an early player in bringing small groups of people back into stadiums, their decision to revert back to fanless games sends a strong signal to other leagues that we are not out of the woods yet. Their cautious attitude, although disappointing for fans at the moment, bodes well for the longevity of the season and the leagues’ prospects of reaching a championship. The pandemic continues to require the sports industry to adapt, morph, and change quickly: Bundesliga has proven this nimbleness time and time again.
Weekly Media Breakthrough
When the pandemic paused sports and forced us all into our homes in mid-March, NASCAR met their fans where they were. They took advantage of their iRacing video game and hosted a sim-series, featuring real drivers. The digital sports series took off for the inaugural race, garnering the highest TV ratings of any esports event. Now looking back, NASCAR can’t ignore their own esports potential. Many professional drivers rely on sim-racing to train from home and to visit courses they haven't seen yet. Video games make this “same” experience accessible to all from the comfort of their homes. Esports has enormous potential and we look forward to seeing where they take NASCAR.
Weekly Athlete Breakthrough
WHOOP made waves this week, as the Boston, Massachusetts based fitness wearable company, closed a $100 million Series E funding round. The fitness tracker and personalized coaching subscription app company received funding from numerous venture capital firms as well as, Kevin Durant, Larry Fitzgerald, Patrick Mahomes, Eli Manning, Rory McIlroy, and Justin Thomas. WHOOP hopes to use this new funding to further product and software development, global expansion, and membership services. As we have seen, athlete-driven data is the future and WHOOP has proven itself as a key player.
For more information on the changing trends in sports and all of our latest research visit sportsilab.com
Sports Innovation Lab Events
TECHNOLOGY AND ANALYTICS IN HOCKEY WITH STATHLETES
This week’s episode of the Fluid Fan Podcast Angela Ruggiero is joined by the Co-Founder of Stathletes, Meghan Chayka, for a conversation around the use of AI, machine learning, and analytics in hockey. Stathletes is a sports analytics and data company focused on hockey that helps teams, executives, and athletes make better player personnel decisions. The sports industry has seen the “Moneyball” strategy cause waves in the baseball world, and now a similar strategy is making a push in hockey. Meghan will talk about building Stathletes from the ground up, the technology the company utilizes, women’s leadership in sports, and the opportunities to educate the fan through data. Listen now
UNDERSTANDING THE TACTICAL ATHLETE WITH BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON
Join us for an Ask Me Anything session on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 3pm ET with Michael Baum, the Branch Chief for the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Aviation and Missile Center and Munjeet Singh, Senior Vice President for Booz Allen Hamilton. We’ll discuss the latest advanced technologies and best practices across human performance to support future elite warfighters. Michael and Munjeet are ready to answer all your questions about athlete performance, wearable technology, and training to become the best possible tactical athlete. You can view all of our previous AMAs on our website and our Youtube Channel.