We have been seeing trends in sports marketing for a few years, but, without a doubt, the arrival of the pandemic accelerated that process considerably.
We already know it and it is something that has been reported in different media: the pandemic caused by Covid-19 is responsible for the fact that, at present, we live under new habits of all kinds, mainly, of consumption.
Going further back, with the emergence of streaming platforms such as Netflix or even with sites such as YouTube and more recently Twitch, it was clear that these would open a new landscape in terms of how to present products such as television series, movies, space events, live events, etc.
What’s more, in that sense, social networks are already beginning to enter through that door opened by both YouTube and Netflix, broadcasting some events in order to reach that large number of users who every day join the trends generated by applications like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, among others.
Last year, given the sharp closure of industries, some of them turned to streaming to survive; music, for example, which was one of the hardest hit, I present several concerts in that format.
Likewise, some films were inclined towards streaming platforms for their premiere, this due to the fact that movie theaters were also severely depleted.
As for sports, a different phenomenon is occurring, especially in the matter of transmission rights, because now, streaming services such as HBO Max and Star Plus, have won over subscribers thanks to the fact that, among their content, They added tournaments of great importance such as the UEFA Champions League and other leagues, such as Ligue 1 in France, Serie A in Italy, among others.
This, without a doubt, reopens a new space for sports and that growing trend of streaming that continues to gain more and more users around the world.
Looking ahead to 2022, here are some of the main trends in sports marketing that will mark both the following year and those to come.
01. From sport to sportainment:
Sport has become an entertainment space in recent years and has done so with the purpose of competing with other types of content, such as television series, movies, and so on. That is why the focus will be on the concept of “sportainment” (sports entertainment), which allows it to reach both the most staunch fans -the most knowledgeable- as well as the most casual or who come to it for “fashion.” .
02. From engagement to monetization:
Data from SPSG Consulting reveal that almost 80 percent of the world’s population is fond of sports in any of its disciplines. So the challenge is to monetize that fan engagement, either through offering better experiences in stadiums or even for those who already consume sports from the comfort of their home.
03. Access to sports content:
As we already mentioned, the way of presenting content is changing enormously thanks to the arrival of different digital and streaming platforms. We already saw it with HBO Max and Star Plus, which already have some of the most important soccer leagues in the world in their catalogs.
But, in addition, sites like Twitch have set an important guideline when it broadcast the debut of Lionel Messi as a new PSG player in France and the recent Copa América, a fact that earned him millions of users watching the broadcast.
05. Real-time marketing:
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