Fluid Fan Featured Four Newsletter
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From our Founder Angela Ruggiero
“Within sponsorship, traditional models of counting eyeballs and viewers are no longer telling an accurate story of the fans consuming sports.”
The sports industry has an opportunity to rethink many of the traditional models that worked pre-COVID. Turning to technology and innovation will create a better industry in the long-term. Within sponsorship, traditional models of counting eyeballs and viewers are no longer telling an accurate story of the fans consuming sports. Our research has shown that the sponsorship industry will benefit from becoming more data-driven: The more you know about your Fluid Fans, the better. We advocate for new data-driven partnerships between brands and tech companies, allowing these sponsorships to have the best understanding of their target audience. In turn, this new approach will create a more targeted campaign, and ultimately deliver a breakthrough fan experience.
Weekly Brand Breakthrough
Short-form video platform and global sensation TikTok has sponsored FIFA esports team Tundra, becoming the principal partner of the organization. Tundra’s announcement comes as the focal point of a rebranding campaign focused around the connection of social media and esports. Given the digital nature of the sport and the younger audience, the partnership is strategic and should deliver great value for both parties. This is TikTok’s first major sponsorship of an esports organization, and given the sport’s popularity on the platform, it could be the start of a bigger push into the market.
To learn more about the shifting trends in sponsorship and the brands entering new markets, read our latest report: Data-Driven Sponsorship.
Weekly Live Entertainment Breakthrough
Verizon Business and Cisco announced they're bringing 5G enabled, MEC (mobile edge computing) solutions to sports and entertainment venues to create a more connected and safer venue for Fluid Fans. The deal addresses venues' challenges and provides new capabilities for in-person events, including leveraging analytics for wait-lines, contactless payments and identifying crowd density. Cisco’s technology is already in over 135 venues across the globe and now this partnership with Verizon will continue the innovative work and technologies changing the sports industry.
Connectivity before, during, and after an event is critical to ensuring a safe and memorable Fluid Fan experience. Stay up to date with the companies leading the way in connectivity.
Weekly Media Breakthrough
US e-commerce giant Amazon has added new interactive features and content to Prime Video ahead of the streaming service’s first National Football League (NFL) broadcast of its renewed streaming deal. Prime is introducing a new feature to its X-Ray tool allowing users to select and watch their own replays during games for the first time. Along with the X-Ray tool, Amazon offers multiple audio options including an all-female broadcast, a new “Scout’s Feed,” and is allowing popular Twitch streamers like NickMercs to host the game and commentate the game with his viewers.
Fluid Fans want their sports viewing experience to be as immersive as possible, and the more opportunities they have to interact with their content and the other fans watching the games, the more likely they are to tune in. To learn more about the changes in sports media read here.
Weekly Athlete Breakthrough
The NHL Alumni Association has partnered with cannabis giant, Canopy Growth to conduct studies and publish their findings around medical cannabis and the potential aid to injuries and concussions. Glenn Healy, former NHL goaltender and current executive director of the NHL Alumni Association has been one of the driving forces behind the exploration of medical cannabis and believes this is a major step for research and athletes across sports. As more data and information becomes available on athletes’ health and wellness, the industry needs to continue to find innovative solutions.
To learn more about the leagues, teams, and properties fostering innovative solutions for athletes contact us here.
Sports Innovation Lab Events
INNOVATION INSIDE THE WORLD OF RACING WITH NASCAR
Our AMA Series continues Thursday October 15th at 1pm ET with Tim Clark the Senior Vice President & Chief Digital Officer of NASCAR. Learn about the innovative iRacing Series NASCAR implemented at the start of the pandemic, the return to live racing, the digital solutions creating new experiences for fans, and the cultural shift surrounding the sport. Tim is a member of our Fluid Fan Leadership Board and is ready to answer all your questions around innovation and NASCAR. Join the conversation by registering here! You can view all of our previous AMAs on our website and our Youtube Channel.
DATA-DRIVEN SPONSORSHIP IS HERE: A LIVE EVENT FEATURING COCA-COLA, GOOGLE, AND NEXT GENERATION SPONSORSHIP LEADERS
Earlier this month Sports Innovation Lab published a report on the future of sports sponsorship, and on Wednesday, October 21st at 9am ET we’ll bring the core principles of that report to life with a live discussion featuring those industry leaders paving the way. Executives from Google and Coca-Cola will sit down with Sports Innovation Lab President Josh Walker to discuss the best practices in next-gen sponsorship and the real-life applications of our research. Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn from industry leaders and sign up today!