Tag Archives: deloitte

Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on the Sports Industry

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Earlier this year, Deloitte published a white paper focused on “Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on the Sports Industry”

They state:

“The effects of COVID-19 continue to flow through the world’s health, educational, financial, and commercial institutions, and the sports ecosystem is no different. Matches and competitions are being cancelled or postponed, disrupting governing bodies, organisers, teams and athletes — as well as the non-stop live sports content we have come to expect. Owners, broadcasters, and sponsors are trying to navigate the impacts and implications of event cancellations and modifications.”

This, of course, leads to lots of questions:

“How do you simultaneously manage fan expectations, minimise operational disruption, and plan for a future that, in both the short and long term, may not look anything like the past? Can new technologies and channels help engage fans during suspended or modified league operations? With the pandemic looking likely to be with us for some time, the entire sports ecosystem will need new ways to deal with threats to financial and business continuity arising from disrupted cash flows, legal and insurance challenges, and possible impacts on longer-term attendances and engagement.”

Follr answers many of these questions. For the full report, click here.

A Whole New Ball Game: How To Get Your Sports Fix During The Pandemic

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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.”

As reported by Variety:

“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.