The Future of Sports: Sam Arnald On The New Emerging Technologies That Are Disrupting The World Of Sports

Don’t forget why you’re here: it’s important to remind yourself why you do what you do, and to not lose sight of that goal. It’s easy to get caught up in running a business, but it’s important to stay grounded and ensure that you are constantly working towards the initial goal.

New technologies have changed the way we engage in and watch sports. Sensors, Wearable Tech, Video Assistant Referees (VAR), and Instant Replay, are examples of new technologies that have changed the way we play and watch sports. In this interview series called, “The Future of Sports; New Emerging Technologies That Are Disrupting The World Of Sports,” we are talking to sports leaders, athletes, sports tech experts, and sports equipment companies who can talk about the new technologies that are reshaping the sports world. As a part of this interview, we had the pleasure of interviewing Sam Arnald.

Sam is the Founder and CEO of Fanzeal, a groundbreaking sports fan engagement platform overhauling how teams, individuals, and sponsors interact with and understand fans. Fanzeal’s white-label platform transforms how clubs and sponsors connect with and understand fans. The two-way interaction model creates a wealth of touchpoints for fans between matchdays, including buying digital and physical assets, gamified user journeys, experience prize draws, and community challenges. Fanzeal’s web-based scalable and modular platform is designed to be customized for clubs’ specific fan cultures and needs. Blockchain tech ensures ownership and trading of digital assets in a fair marketplace, alongside total traceability of charitable donations via the platform.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?

I have been a passionate sportsman all my life, and played football to a semi-professional level throughout my youth. However, I was realistic about my chances of making it so pivoted and decided to pursue a career in business.

After various business management roles throughout my early twenties, I joined blockchain pioneer ChromaWay in 2022, working on strategic projects. I’ve always wanted to combine my love for sports with my business interests, and knew that nascent blockchain technology could offer really exciting opportunities within the world of sport. With this in mind, I started Fanzeal — a groundbreaking sports fan engagement platform overhauling how teams, individuals, and sponsors interact with and understand fans.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

In the very early days before Fanzeal was founded, I only had a “blank paper” and an idea. Then, I had a meeting with the board of a big European football club. Some time after the meeting I heard that, without my “in” with the club, I would have been thrown out of the meeting after 10 minutes because I couldn’t bring anything to the table!

However, with hard work and dedication I managed to build Fanzeal, and since that meeting we have now signed with multiple clubs, federations, and individuals across three continents.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

For me, “seeing is believing” is important. Thousands of times in my career, people have promised things such as on-time delivery, clients promising to sign a contract, or investors assuring they will put in money. It is easy to trust charisma, but I have learned the hard way that only concrete results count for people — including myself.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

There are many people who have believed in me and helped along the way. However, two individuals stand out. The first one is Henrik Hjelte, CEO & Co-Founder of ChromaWay who gave me the mandate from the start to run the Fanzeal business. He is visionary, stubborn, and thinks very differently from most other business leaders I have met. But he is not afraid to take risks on projects as he did with my vision for Fanzeal.

The other is Magnus Bjellefors who has been my closest advisor since day one. The 360-degree aspect of running a business from corporate structure, to operational issues, to managing people and making decisions can be quite draining. Throughout all of this, I have been able to discuss everything with Magnus on a daily basis. Usually, we call each other three times a day.

Is there a particular book, film, or podcast that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

I watch a lot of films, listen to podcasts, and read books — but usually this is a way to recover and widen my perspectives beyond the day-to-day issues that are otherwise at hand.

Watching ‘Green Street Hooligans’ as a teenager sparked my interest in community building and fan culture, even though I do not agree with all aspects of the movie. However, the portrayal of grit, passion, and dedication is inspirational, and I channel that resilience during tough days in the office!

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

1. Being passionate about what you do is a must. It’s a cliché, but doing what I love means that all of the long hours, all of the time traveling and spent in hotels, is completely worth it as I know I am building something that is changing the world.
2. Patience is also key. As a founder, you want everything to happen instantaneously, but in reality this can never happen. You have to trust your long-term vision and count the small wins as you build something great.
3. Listen and trust those around you. There is no way that I would be where I am today without the advice of my mentors and colleagues. Even when you think you know best, it’s important to listen and engage with those around you and not be blinded by your own desires.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

Fanzeal is letting fans engage with their favorite sports teams and individuals in new dimensions. The power of sport is unbelievable in terms of the hope, happiness, and sense of community that it brings to people all over the world — and Fanzeal is building on this. As Fanzeal grows, we want to give back to the fan communities even more, whether this be with charitable partnerships or fan competitions.

Ok wonderful. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. Can you tell us about the sports technologies that most excite you at the moment? Can you explain why you are passionate about it?

There are incredible advancements being made with blockchain technology, ones that will revolutionize sports. Essentially, blockchain tech ensures ownership and trading of digital assets in a fair marketplace, providing fans with unique opportunities to engage with their favorite teams and players while maintaining transparency and security.

This allows fans to engage with their favorite teams and clubs in new dimensions that wouldn’t have been available without the technology, helping to build an engaged community that feels more connected to their idols. For example, just 1% of Manchester City’s fans are based in the UK, meaning the only way for their international fans to interact with the club is by following social media news and analysis. Fanzeal changes that, and opens numerous avenues for clubs to connect, interact, and engage with fans.

How do you think this might change the world of sports?

We are increasingly seeing a digitisation across all aspects of sports, from how matches are played, analyzed, and performed. What Fanzeal is offering is a new way for clubs and individuals to connect with their fanbases, which in itself opens up a whole range of revenue streams.

We envision a future when sports teams and stars are holistically and constantly connected to their fanbases, reacting in real-time to breaking news and trends.

Can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

There are no drawbacks that we’ve encountered at this moment in time. As this technology is new, it can feel unfamiliar, which is something that we’ve occasionally encountered with a few organizations. However, as it becomes more entrenched in sport, it’ll become more familiar and I have no doubt that we will look back at this time and think, ‘Why weren’t we doing this before?’

What are the 3 things that concern you about the sports industry today? Can you explain? What can be done to address or correct those concerns?

I don’t know if I can think of three! What is clear, though, is the need to democratize access to technology. At the moment, bigger teams can afford to implement the latest tech, while smaller clubs cannot. By making technology accessible and available to all we can level the playing field and cut unfair advantages.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?

1. The power of networking: Building relationships and networking is crucial for success in any field. I wish someone had emphasized the importance of networking early on and encouraged me to connect with others, seek mentors, and learn from their experiences.
2. Don’t be afraid to pivot: For most of my life I thought I was going to be a soccer player — and I was pretty disappointed when that didn’t turn out. But, just a few years later I managed to bring new skills to the table and re-engage my love for the sport with my business.
3. The need for self-care: Taking care of oneself is essential for long-term success and well-being. I wish someone had reminded me to prioritize self-care, manage stress, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
4. The importance of adaptability: The ability to adapt to change is essential in today’s fast-paced world. I wish someone had told me to be flexible, open-minded, and willing to adapt my plans and strategies as needed in response to changing circumstances.
5. Don’t forget why you’re here: it’s important to remind yourself why you do what you do, and to not lose sight of that goal. It’s easy to get caught up in running a business, but it’s important to stay grounded and ensure that you are constantly working towards the initial goal.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

“Start with yourself”. People tend to judge themselves by the success of others, either being jealous of what they have accomplished, or being tough on yourself because you haven’t matched their success. In the end, you are yourself responsible for both who you are as a person, and how you want to live your life.

We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why?

Serena Williams. She is a fantastic sports woman, and comes from a very different background than me. She will have a completely different viewpoint to me, so I imagine that I would have a lot to learn from her. Also, she is a fantastic businesswoman. I think we would have a very inspiring discussion about what sports can really do for people of all ages around the globe.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

You can stay up-to-date with the latest news via our Twitter, LinkedIn, and website.

Thank you so much for these excellent stories and insights. We wish you continued success on your great work!