Social media has become so pervasive, you likely already understand its workings and its significance to our lives. You likely also realize it’s altering everything we do – including how businesses conduct themselves.
Social media has transformed the sports industry and how fans engage with teams and their content.
Social Media is Changing the Way Fans Engage with Sports Content
After months of the pandemic robbing sports teams of their players and teams, fans are eagerly awaiting a return to normal in terms of sports events and betting lines. Fans want more than simply watching them from afar; they want a direct experience that they can read about in newspapers the day afterward.
These social media-first fans want real-time content and conversations about games as they happen; therefore, sports leagues, teams and athletes need to create content that will satiate this craving in real time.
Social data and AI provide the means for creating an exceptional fan experience, from surveys like Heineken’s for the UEFA Champions League soccer tournament that saw increased completion rates and brand association by 2x to creating engaging content throughout a season like TikToks or Reels from our NBA and NFL clients that keep fans engaged throughout.
Social Media is Changing the Way Fans Watch Sports
Fans now access all the action via social media rather than just waiting for sports broadcasts or newspapers to report it, often being able to interact real-time with fellow fans while watching game highlights from multiple angles.
Recent survey results by YPulse indicate that nearly 80% of 13-to-37 age group residents engage in dual screening – watching live TV while also using phones or tablets to search player stats, visualize them, track score updates, engage socially with friends during game plays, view video reactions from fans etc.
Sports organizations and athletes often take this as an opportunity to increase fan engagement and make them feel part of the team and sport. This could involve sharing behind-the-scenes photos from games, encouraging comments on game highlights or asking fans to produce original content to promote the team.
Social Media is Changing the Way Fans Communicate With Their Teams
Social media has allowed fans to get closer to their favorite athletes than ever before. From tweets and live video streaming, to Instagram photos that feature athletes interacting directly with followers and promoting sponsors – athletes are now able to directly communicate with their followers while simultaneously building up or distancing themselves from potential criticism by posting something that doesn’t adhere to their role model image.
With more people watching games at home than ever, sports teams need to find new ways to promote fan engagement. By tapping into data-driven insights, teams can provide personalized content and experiences that keep fans involved with their team – helping to drive brand loyalty, ticket sales and revenue streams. If you’re interested in exploring data-driven technology as a means of increasing fan engagement for your own business, get in touch with Endava today – we use next-gen technologies combined with domain expertise to develop innovative digital experiences tailored specifically for each business.
Social Media is Changing the Way Fans Interact With Themselves
Fans use social media as their main source for news and insider information on their favorite teams and players, leading to greater fan engagement and commitment.
Social media provides athletes a direct way to interact with their followers, creating a stronger sense of connection that may attract new audiences. When LeBron James was involved in an issue, he used social media as a means of reaching out and communicating directly with his fans on how best to address it.
As social media continues to advance, sports fans will experience more innovative and interactive experiences on social media. This will become even more apparent as teams leverage data analytics to better understand their high-value customers and deliver hyper-personalized content. There’s already been growing interest in using blockchain technology as a way for fans to track ownership of sports memorabilia such as jerseys or merchandise digitally – potentially helping eliminate ticket scalpers or any fraudulent activities on game days.
