All over the world, sports events have been canceled and stadiums shuttered. The sports industry is, like many industries, experiencing a generational challenge and they seem ill-equipped to address it.
With leading athletes like Ronaldo taking a pay cut and Premier League champions-elect Liverpool putting non-paying staff on furlough, it is clear that even a sport that brags the top three highest-paid athletes, isn’t impervious when live games stop for just a couple of months. Even the mighty Barcelona, who generated record revenue of almost a billion dollars in 2019, implemented pay cuts of 70%.
In a 2018 whitepaper, “A Whole New Ball Game: Navigating Digital Transformation in the Sports Industry”, Deloitte foresaw the need for change in an industry struggling to adapt to the pace of technical change:
“Sports organizations need to strategically leverage digital media to build direct connections with fans. “Doing digital” is not enough: they will have to embed digital in every aspect of the business, transforming people, processes, and technology.”
They added: “Sports organizations need to strategically leverage digital media to build direct connections with fans.”
“The shutdown leaves inevitable gaps in programming — and sports fans looking to scratch that competitive itch has lost their favorite pastimes as they spend weeks self-isolating.”
Follr provides some relief. With content from almost a hundred online properties, fans have access to hours of varied and current video and podcasts, from leading sports sources and popular fan-based channels. There is also some great content on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.
To download the entire Deloitte report, click here. And make sure to also log into follr.com, find your official supporter club and get comfortable. There’s lots to see.
