Fan engagement: a must
for the future of
every sports organization

The term “fan engagement” encompasses two dimensions: the engaged fan and engaging the fans. The first refers to a status quo – which you at least want to maintain – and the second element refers to an active process of involving existing and new fans more closely in the ins and outs of the club. Fan engagement includes all activities, both online and offline, that fans undertake to support the team and other fans, directly or indirectly. This implies a positive emotional connection with the team.

Professional sports are meaningless without fans. While it was obvious for the 60-plus generation to be a fan of their local club and attend all the matches, today clubs must constantly compete for the attention of fans, with other clubs, sports, and media. Here are a few trends:

The battle for the attention of the young Generation Z fan is in danger of being lost. Young people are increasingly choosing digital alternatives to live sports: esports and gaming.

• Fans are increasingly choosing to watch a match at home via OTT streaming. This way, you can follow the match live on your tablet or mobile phone, even while doing other things.
• Stadiums are not always user-friendly: violence, fireworks, long queues, difficult access for the elderly and disabled, expensive seats, unfriendly to women, etc.
• Fans are moving outside their own city or even abroad more often. As a club, you don’t want to lose them.

The fan wants a voice. For certain club/team decisions, people want to be involved in the thinking and decision-making process, and not just be a passive spectator.

Due to the increasing media offerings, people are becoming fans of different clubs more often. It is also the case that young people, whether or not inspired by games like FIFA 22, are often fans of a player rather than a club. When the player transfers to another team, the fans follow him or her.

This is rapidly gaining ground. This will also have specific consequences for the fragmentation of fan target groups and the media.

• Fans want interaction with their idols; the player is not only an athlete but also a brand, role model, and sometimes even an influencer.
• The young fan, who determines the future of live sports, wants a “richer” viewing experience with more entertainment and interaction (their own image in the stadium, fantasy sports, and betting opportunities).
• Sponsors want to reach that young generation of fans, so they expect clubs and teams to adapt. Sponsorship opportunities must go beyond visibility within the stadium. They want to reach the individual and virtual fan with tailored messages.

If your club wants to keep up with these trends, you will need to transform into the digital age. “Old school” management attracts the older fans. You will need to evolve and invest in the right people and skills to engage the new generation of fans. Football has become a business both “on” and “off” the pitch.

At the beginning of this century, something changed. Professional sports organizations started investing in their relationship with fans to win back their loyalty. Especially thanks to social media, fans now have the opportunity to communicate with their teams 24/7.

On and off the pitch, fans also want interaction with their club, with other fans; they want to feel connected to the community. Fan engagement is mainly about creating two-way communication and improving the team-fan relationship.

Sport tech(nology) has influenced the growth of fan engagement. New technology enables fans to stay in touch with their team 24 hours a day. It gives clubs the opportunity to monetize these services through subscriptions and commissions. While our portfolio company Circl enriches the fan’s viewing experience with a game you play alongside the match with friends, our latest portfolio company Horizm enables clubs and sponsors to approach (groups/segments of) fans with a personalized message. Fan engagement is an important pillar at DSTF; we are looking for gems in the market that respond to these developments.

For those who want more inspiration and ideas on how to boost fan engagement in your own sports organization, we refer to two useful articles:

10 ideas for boosting sports fan engagement during the pandemic (objectstyle.com)
30 ways bring live game experience home (greenfly.com)