Fan Engagement
Features
Third time’s a charm? | Fan Controlled Football looks to succeed where XFL and AAF failed
Fan Controlled Football, set to debut next month, will feature a unique style of play and a more conservative business model. US Editor Eric Fisher asks if it can succeed where the second edition of XFL and the Alliance of American Football failed.
NBA cancels Paris plans for 2021 but remains focused on European growth
George Aivazoglou, vice president, head of fan engagement and DTC for NBA Europe and Middle East, tells SportBusiness why the league created his role and how it has been affected by the pandemic.
All Blacks Experience puts fans in the shoes of their rugby heroes
SportBusiness takes a look at the All Blacks Experience, newly-opened facility in Auckland celebrating New Zealand rugby union's national teams the All Blacks and the Black Ferns.
Pandemic pushes sport to double down on data-driven business
SportBusiness speaks with Asia-Pacific industry insiders about the increased urgency of sport adopting data-driven business practices in the Covid and post-Covid worlds. Tom King reports.
Writing the new rules of sponsorship using technology & data webinar
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Two Circles, Global Head of Sponsorship & Events Standard Chartered Bank, SVP & MD Octagon, Chief Executive & Co-Founder Satisfi Labs
Fifa launches music initiative with Universal Music Group
Football’s world governing body has launched 'Fifa Sound', a fan engagement initiative combining music and football created in partnership with global music company Universal Music Group.
NBA, NHL unveil series of MLK Day activations
The National Basketball Association and National Hockey League have announced a series of league-wide efforts to honor the life and legacy of civil rights activist Dr.
NFL game on Nickelodeon proves to be substantial hit
Youth-oriented TV production likely to be soon replicated
IBF eyes digital innovation with Spark Compass tie-up
The International Bowling Federation, the recently rebranded global governing body for the sport of tenpin, ninepin and para bowling, has engaged US mobile communications platform Spark Compass to revamp…
Japan’s modernising domestic leagues brace for pandemic setback
The Covid-19 pandemic has stalled a modernisation of Japanese sport with a lot of domestic teams falling back on private backers and corporations to see them through the crisis. Kevin McCullagh and Tom King report.
St. Louis City appoints chief experience officer to differentiate itself in MLS
MLS expansion club hires league's first CXO to put a significant emphasis on the fan experience in the club's development and to differentiate itself in a competitive and expanding league. Bob Williams reports
Andy Dolich | The time is now for fan-controlled sport
Former NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL senior executive Andy Dolich discusses his involvement in the forthcoming debut of Fan Controlled Football
The business of Dutch football has fans to thank for its survival
Dutch clubs like SC Heerenveen have sold large numbers of season tickets prior to the 2020-21 Eredivisie season, despite there being no guarantees spectators will be allowed to attend matches. Callum McCarthy reports.
Monkey Knife Fight looks to advance status as industry disruptor
An upstart daily fantasy company with an unusual name and unconventional approach has quickly risen to prominence by challenging established market leaders DraftKings and FanDuel and striking a large series of team sponsorships.
Creating successful sponsorships in NBA, NHL, MLB and NFL webinar
Senior Property Manage of Global Sponsorship at SAP
NBA draws on Microsoft partnership to reshape virtual fan experience
The NBA has taken fan engagement in the wake of Covid-19 to a new level by allowing at-home viewers to be seen and heard by their favorite players in Orlando. Bob Williams reports
Borussia Dortmund woos Chinese fans with virtual summer tour
SportBusiness speaks to Benjamin Wahl, head of China at Borussia Dortmund, about the BVB Virtual Asia Tour, which emerged out of the ashes of disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
WWE retools in-venue presentation with its ThunderDome
Faced with the extended absence of live in-person audiences critical to its events, World Wrestling Entertainment turns to technology to create a spectacle
The Big Debate | Will younger Asians be as engaged with sport as their elders?
Sport in Asia has been growing in popularity in recent decades, spurred by growth in interest in overseas leagues, encouragement from governments and the hosting of major events. But with media habits and cultural tastes changing, will today’s teenagers be as enamoured as the generations that went before them?
SoFi Stadium looks to break new ground with massive videoboard
With its both unprecedented size and unique design, the videoboard at the forthcoming SoFi Stadium in Southern California seeks to break new ground in the industry technologically and redefine fan engagement
James Thompson | How can brands activate with no rugby fans in the stands?
James Thompson, senior account manager at Cake, looks at creative ways rugby union's sponsors can activate and leverage their partnerships as the sport prepares to return behind closed doors.
“Digital has become the free-to-air platform” | F1’s Frank Arthofer
Liberty Media’s major investment into Formula 1's digital media operations has demonstrated its value during sport’s global lockdown, believes Frank Arthofer, the series’ global head of digital media and licensing.
MLB clubs look to reinvent fan experience in empty ballparks
With no attending fans for the upcoming start of the 2020 MLB season, many clubs are employing new tools to retain fan engagement and in-ballpark energy
Closed-door sport gives fresh impetus to innovations in virtual hospitality
Closed-door sport is forcing innovation and fresh thinking about virtual hospitality. But can it ever hope to replace the real behind-the-ropes experience? Ben Cronin reports.
US ticket resale market eyes broad redefinition amid Covid-19
Sports are beginning to make their comeback from Covid-19, but generally with empty stadiums or with highly limited attendance, accelerating historic shifts for an already-battered ticket resale industry. US Editor Eric Fisher reports.
MLB looks for audience lift in reformatted Draft
The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic helped lead to a dramatic reduction in the number of rounds for the MLB Draft. But the league and its media partners are still hoping for lift among a competition-starved fan base
Asian football fan clubs cry out for live digital experiences during shutdown
SportBusiness speaks to Asian fan clubs of European football teams to see what they made of their favourite teams' efforts to keep them engaged during the pandemic.
Charles Schwab ready to seize its moment in spotlight as PGA Tour makes return
Multi-national financial services company will gain huge reach as the title sponsor of the first event back on the PGA Tour in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, writes Bob Williams