Competing in an attention economy
Leagues and clubs aren’t just competing with other content producers in the sports industry. They are in a constant battle with other forms of entertainment, jostling for that increasingly valuable commodity – a fan or consumer’s attention.
A fan’s attention can be spent on anything from reading a game summary to watching highlights or purchasing tickets for upcoming games. The last 18 months of empty stadiums have stretched the notion that ‘sport is nothing without the fans’ to near breaking point. But the sentiment still holds because whether in-person, digitally or through broadcast, fans and their attention are the vital ingredients that make sports relevant and financially stable.
Leagues and clubs are in an enviable position compared to content producers in other industries. Sport is one of the very few forms of entertainment that is still at its most engaging when consumed live, creating a natural content cycle before, during and after game-days.
But some rights-holders have become too focused on game-day content, creating a vacuum where brands and publishers would hope to capture fans’ attention and dollars during other windows. Telling stories outside of the live game window is a central part of our new partnership.
Like many sports, through their data, video and reach, sport makers like the NFL have amazing assets at their disposal. These assets have to be put to work through adding to or supplementing what’s going to happen on a Sunday by telling those broader stories, keeping the momentum and interest in what’s going on between game days.
But for sports to stand out from other entertainment businesses, in and outside of game-days, they need to develop the right engagement strategy for the right fan.