How Live-Steaming Has Changed Sports Marketing
Live sporting events have always served as a great way to connect passionate fans through a shared experience. I can still remember watching Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish dominate the competition in a smoke-filled Boston Garden with my dad. Twenty thousand screaming fans all with one focus and one desire — for the Celtics to bring home a victory.
However, two essential things to note: 1. you had to time your food runs so as not to miss one second of action as that moment would most likely never be seen again and 2. the ‘jumbotron’ was fairly accurate, but most likely blurring and blocked by smoke or someone sitting in front of you.
But times have changed. Fans are less worried about the jumbotron and more engaged with their phones when they are attending a game. Smartphones have become the ultimate device to document the game you are at or monitor other games around the league. You see, fans crave more from their favorite teams and players. They do not just want to watch a game; they want to be a part of it — through social media, mixed reality experiences, and the list goes on.
So here’s where live-streaming comes into play…sports leagues and teams do not want to be left behind and are making sure to capitalize on new trends in technology. An example would be NFL franchises like the San Francisco Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles have begun to display Instagram Stories live for fans in the stadium.
Live platforms such as Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have become intertwined into the live in-game experience. The result has led to an increase in social conversational volume during games. The crowd will interact with each other on the big screen in real time as opposed to checking their phones for updates.
Professional teams using similar live-displays in the arena have seen fan engagement increase by over 20% an hour.
“Our content team puts a lot of resources into providing fans with unique experience on game day through live social content,” said Long. “Showcasing that work to more than 65k people in the stadium is a great opportunity to continue to grow our audience and provide value.”
As live social engagement is increasing, so are new and exciting sports sponsorship opportunities for brands.
Miller Lite began to sponsor all live social content for both the Carolina Panthers and the Minnesota Vikings during games. Live social sports content is booming, and the stats prove it…98% of sports marketers are choosing social media as a prominent channel to leverage sponsorships.
The Future of Streaming Sponsors
Fans can instantly and continuously connect with the teams, the athletes and the brands they love through social media and streaming platforms (sometimes they are one-in-the-same). Live content will bring fans even closer to all aspects of the game while also creating new and exciting partnerships along the way.
With just the press of a button, players and teams can go live from the locker room, gym, and even from home. Giving fans an even greater connection to their lives both on and off the field. And brands can capitalize on this 24/7 content feed.
Sports fans still want live action, but they have more options to choose from. While standard live-TV is down 30%, sports viewing is only down less than 7%.
Simply stated, a shift has happened through the use of live-streaming to allow the viewing of almost all sporting events in real time.
What should brands do to keep up? The user-journey is critical. Sponsorships will be tailored around the what platform the user be viewing their content and the level of interaction the viewer is expecting.
Your mobile app needs to be powerful on a small screen, like that of a large screen HD TV. But it cannot be diluted with ticker lines and advertisments every five seconds.
Joe Weston states in an article on We Are Social:
“They want the highs, the lows, the remix replays, seeking a connection beyond the game and looking to share the experience with like-minded fans in the moment, in a way which works for them.”
Individuals are drawn to certain teams and players for a reason, and brands need to understand that connection to capitalize on it. For example, research has revealed that passionate fans of cricket also love cooking and grilling as well as health and music. This knowledge allows brands to reach and connect with fans on a more personal level — a level that is more relevant to their lifestyle.
“Unsurprisingly, we are seeing more adspend directed towards digital formats” stated Nielsen SA Watch (Media) MD Terry Murphy. “For some companies, this is as high as 30% of their ad budget. As marketers incorporate real-time metrics, they will be able to capitalize on reaching the right audiences, providing more focused, personalized content and becoming more interactive and responsive to their consumers.”
This new type of brand sports marketing is about capturing a moment in history, a culture, and turn it into a way for the most brand loyal and devoted consumers on the planet to engage.
If you are interested in Instant Sponsor’s platform then you should check out the Instant Sponsor website and join the Official Telegram Community to receive news and updates about the company and sports sponsorship industry.
