Sports bring together millions of people at one time. For marketers, sports is something which gives access to a large customer base at one time. With the advent of newer technology, sports has become a huge business today. Sports marketers are constantly adopting the ever-changing technology and coming out with innovative ways to tap into the diverse audience base to create compelling experiences for the fans.

Sports marketing: employing sports and the environments, fans, participants, and affinities they produce as a means of profiling and targeting consumers. The vast size and reach of the sports marketing arena shouldn’t surprise anyone. But as with every industry in today’s quickly changing technological landscape, sports marketing is experiencing foundational shifts in how it operates, the way it is structured, and the methods it employs to reach its target audiences. Here are the #5 trends in sports marketing that are catching up and will be beneficial for sports marketers:

Virtual Reality

Sport is one of the places to experiment with Virtual Reality and create one of a kind experience for fans right in their living rooms. International broadcasters and leagues have already tried and tested this technology. Many fans With the use of VR and AR, it allows sports marketing companies to think of original content that would appeal to their fans. With the use of data analytics, companies can put up AR advertisements which would only cater to their target audience, which will mean better response rate.

Merchandising

Merchandising is one of the best ways to make a fan feel connected to the team and gaining popularity. It helps in reaching out to the hardcore fans who are passionate about the game and franchise. Selling merchandise online and through sports outlets also helps in gaining brand visibility and persuades fans to buy the merchandise since it provides easy access to their favourite team’s merchandise. Launching exclusive co-branded collections enables fans to access the lifestyle/athleisure collection of the team. Enabling fans the access to customized jerseys with fan’s name and favourite number on the back is another way to develop a strong connection with fans through merchandise.

eSport is the future

Nowadays eSports is on the rise. The total revenue for eSports this year is $696 million, and it is estimated to reach the $1.5 billion mark by 2020. Through platforms such as YouTube and Twitch, many teenagers and young adults have become famous just by playing video games. This opens up an opportunity for companies to market their products and services through these professional eSports events, and clubs can also look into acquiring the assets of these eSports players to create digital content to market upcoming sports events or matches.

Targeting Female Audiences

The sport marketing world is only beginning to recognize the female sports fan as a viable, target-able demographic. Women are not only athletes themselves, but are sports buffs that cheer on favorite teams just as loudly as males. They also represent a growing consumer share and significant purchasing power. The sports world has begun to tune in and evidence of female-targeted campaigns is becoming easier to find. However, the field is still largely untapped and presents a huge opportunity for savvy sports marketers.

Sport Marketing on different platforms

Internet and digital platforms increase the visibility of the team. Sports franchise, brands & leagues can engage with fans via social media contests, posts, polls and lives. Marketers can use catchy hashtags to be on the trending list. Sports marketers are leveraging the power of their social media followings to give enhanced mileage to their sponsors which helps the sponsors to gain higher brand visibility. The total number of users on Twitter as of the second quarter in 2018 is 335 million and the average number of active users on YouTube is 1 billion (Source: Statista). People, especially millennials, are shifting their focus on mobile devices and social media applications instead of watching television. As the number of users on these social media application rise, companies are spending more on advertising on these platforms. Many sports clubs have also joined social media to engage with fans, provide live updates on games, and even market upcoming games or events.

Source:
https://redcardglobal.com/2018/03/20/top-4-trends-in-sports-marketing/
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/306597