The Briefing #091

03 Oct 2019 Posted by: Stephen O'Malley

The DataPOWA view on the most important talking points in the worlds of sport sponsorship and digital.

 

FANS WIELD POWER IN MODERN SPORTS

Modern sports fans are both creators and consumers of the sporting scene thanks to the rise of social media, COPA 90’s James Kirkham argues.

Fan-produced YouTube channels and Twitter feeds now hold as much sway as traditional broadcasters, and have helped make superstars of their creators. This has led to a major sporting events that revolve around social influencers, with KSI and Logan Paul set for a second showdown in the boxing ring on November 9th.

The fight will be held at the Staples Centre in LA and DAZN will broadcast it to what’s expected to be a huge audience. It’s a remarkable feat for a bout between two amateurs, but Kirkham sees it as the way of the future.

“No longer myopic and one-dimensional, sports fans are worldly wise, culturally curious and ethnically diverse,” he writes.

“They operate in a universe where fashion and music mix easily with sport; they know exactly what they want to see, and sports impresarios and broadcasters are bending over backwards to give it to them.

“In this new chapter of sport, modern sports fans are both the author and the reader. They’ve driven this from the start, facilitated it through their very specific fandom and engagement, born from a world that fuses gaming, social, sports, and the ebb and flow of social conversation too.”

For more on this story, please visit Broadcast Now

 

VENN SET TO LAUNCH AS MTV FOR GAMERS

The Video Game Entertainment & News Network (VENN) is aiming to build the MTV of gaming as part of a hugely ambitious new venture.

Founded by Ben Kusin and Ariel Horn, VENN will launch in New York and Los Angeles in 2020 and will broadcast more than 55 hours of original gaming content 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Horn and Kusin see it as a way to occupy a space in gaming and esports that’s currently not being maximised.

“Gaming is pretty fragmented,” Kusin explains. “Twitch is thousands of streamers every day doing their thing without an enormous amount of discovery. We’re looking to fundamentally go in there and curate that content…for core gamers and for casuals.”

“There’s a huge chasm between Twitch and YouTube and ABC, ESPN, Turner and those kinds of networks,” Kusin tells Forbes. “And we want to fill that space.”

For more on this story, please visit Forbes

 

REPORT EXPLORES DAMAGING IMPACT OF GAMBLING SPONSORSHIP

Gambling sponsorship in sport should be regulated like tobacco sponsorship is, according to a report in The Conversation

Cigarette sponsorship used to be rife in sports like snooker and Formula 1, but over the last couple of decades it’s been removed.

Now, Professors Gareth Roderique-Davies and Bev John – both of the University of South Wales – argue that gambling partnerships can be just as detrimental.

“Concerns about the exposure of young people to gambling adverts have already led to voluntary industry commitments, such as the new “whistle-to-whistle” ban on gambling advertising during televised sports (except horse racing) before 9pm.

“But embedded promotions, such as stadium sponsorship, league sponsorship, promotional logos on team uniforms and pitch signage, are not covered by this measure and so remain visible to viewers.

“Critics of embedded promotion are most concerned with its subtle and deceptive assimilation into live screen time. From this perspective, the promotional intent is concealed, as the gambling-endorsing advertisements are carefully integrated into the spectator’s emotional experience.

“This was perhaps no more aptly demonstrated than by high-profile former England captain Wayne Rooney signing for Derby County – an English second-tier club sponsored by the betting brand “32Red” – and being assigned the number 32 shirt. A move the sports minister, Nigel Adams, called “very crafty”.”

For more on this story, please visit The Conversation

 

SIX TIPS FOR UNDERSTANDING SPORT SPONSORSHIP

Seven League’s Jon Ford looks at how sponsors should approach sports digital partnership.

Ford notes that digital side of sponsorship is difficult to get right, arguing that “while digital is now an expected component of a sponsorship agreement, too often inventory is mis-valued, poorly defined or not as sophisticated as in the wider digital market.”

So how can this be solved? Ford argues that there are six key questions that sponsors should ask themselves before launching into a partnership, Ford says these are:

1. “Does this sponsorship help us hit our objectives?”
2. “What assets are we being sold?”
3. “How much is this worth to us? Are we getting a good ROI?”
4. “How do we work together?”
5. “Can we make this more effective?”
6. “Could we combine our sponsorship assets more effectively?”

The post goes into much more detail on each point, and you can read it in full at the link below.

For more on this story, please visit Seven League

 

GOOD SHOUT

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