If You Build It ft. Frozen Fenway
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Innovation in Action
If You Build It 👷
Is on-field action the only place fans can expect a "wow" sports moment or can the format of snackable highlights promote engagement as well? Last week, the Green Bay Packers tested that theory again by releasing a unique promotional video: a full highlight video using LEGO pieces from their Week 17 win over the Minnesota Vikings. This isn’t the first time Green Bay has used these tiny building bricks to highlight top-tier game moments. This collaboration goes as far back as Super Bowl XLV when they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Sports and LEGO share a common theme: nostalgia. We’ve seen video games like Fortnite and Roblox offer similar crossover partnerships bringing together fandom and play. If the LEGO highlight reels are a success for the Packers, which other sports should consider leaning into this kind of activation? We looked at the data to see which other sports communities spend on the toy brand as a leading indicator of where this kind of collaboration could flourish.
*Our data comes from a random panel of 10 million credit & debit card holders in the United States. Transactions portrayed here are from 1/1/2020 through 1/10/2022.
While LEGO is growing in popularity among active sports fans, our data suggests LEGO has a noticeable crossover with soccer and hockey fans. Last year, LEGO confirmed a partnership with 2K to create several sports-themed games. Soccer and racing games were reported in December as next in line of releases for the toy company.
In any given month, the data shows that approximately 1 in 100 sports fans are spending on both LEGO and their favorite sport. While this may not seem like a large segment, LEGO is just one brand that is leveraging sports to expand their audience reach through innovative content partnerships. Others may follow suit, and drive this percentage up. For sports properties looking to diversify their revenue, understanding which brands their fan communities spend with can provide inroads for new partnership conversations and activations.
Hockey Continues At Fenway Park
Frozen Fenway Recap
CLICK THE PHOTO ABOVE OR THIS LINK TO CHECK OUT AN AWESOME GOAL FROM THIS PAST WEEKEND’S FROZEN FENWAY EVENT!
Following the record-breaking 2023 Winter Classic, Fenway Park continued its hockey tour with Frozen Fenway - which featured some of the top teams in men's and women’s college hockey - last Friday and Saturday. Friday was the women’s doubleheader: Harvard vs. Quinnipiac and Boston University vs. Holy Cross. On Saturday, the men's games - Northeastern vs. UConn and UMass vs. Boston College - took place. Frozen Fenway also featured high school boys' and girls' hockey games prior to the event and other follow-up festivities will continue throughout this week.
The scores from this weekend are as follows:
Quinnipiac 3, Harvard 1
Holy Cross 3, Boston University 2
Northeastern 4, UConn 1
Boston College 4, UMass 2
Sports Innovation Lab at CES
Last week, SIL took over the 2023 CES Conference in Las Vegas. CES is one of the biggest tech conferences in the world. There were over 3,200 exhibitors, 174 countries represented, and 323 global Fortune 500 companies. We hosted three panels at the event: “Technology and the Fluid Fan: The Sports Industry’s Path to Growth," “From the Couch to the Field: The Immersive Future of Sports Media," and ”Great Minds: Unlocking the Potential of Women in Sports." It was a great way to share our mission and gather insights from various industries. Hope to catch you there next year!
If you're ready to create breakthrough fan experiences and connect with the Fluid Fan through technology, visit our website sportsilab.com or email info@sportsilab.com! Sign up for our Most Innovative Membership by emailing membersonly@sportsilab.com or visiting mostinnovative.com!