T30 Blog: Article by Sport Industry Group: 'Short Format Sport. The Future of Sports Sponsorship'
Updated: May 30, 2019
An article ‘Short Format Sport. The Future of Sports Sponsorship’ was recently (Feb. 2019) published on the Sport Industry Group website.
The following are extracts from the article:
From 100-ball cricket, to 3X3 basketball to Tie Break Tens (tennis), new short forms of sport are attracting plenty of media attention alongside their growing armies of fans.
But what does the proliferation of short-format sports mean for brands?
An early adopter of the short form set-up, tennis has been forthright with ideas to increase its popularity.
New formats and competitions designed to capture the attention of the elite players and fans alike, such as the newly conceived Laver Cup (backed by Roger Federer) and the modified Davis Cup format, both pitch the best players against each other in a knockout style format to reach faster concluding victories.
These efforts are alongside steps already undertaken to create more exciting individual player tournaments, such as the winner-takes-all Majesty Cup and short-format Tie Break Tens, where players battle to reach 10 points under tie-break rules to win the pot.
Sport Is Facing Up To A Crisis
Amongst fans, sport consumption habits are changing.
Given the influence technology has had when it comes to how we watch and engage with games, it’s not surprising that it’s one of the biggest challenges facing the industry today.
While short-form has been on the rise, traditional sports formats have been struggling to attract new audiences and participants.
According to McKinsey, fans of all ages—not just millennials—are watching fewer games, and also quitting them faster.
With multiple viewing and interaction options available via streaming, and social media sites, fans are no longer locked into slow moving play.
Add to this, declining numbers at live games, and it’s no wonder that brands are worried.
How can they sell when no-one is watching?
The introduction of short-form formats provides the perfect antidote to the modern fan’s appetite: action served up fast, live, and without extended breaks.
What Does This Mean for Brands?
In an industry where fan engagement and interaction are high on the priority list, short-form sports allow brands to hold a more captive audience through a combination of easy to digest rules and unique entertainment offering.
Facing Up To The Future
As it grows in popularity, short-form sports will continue to provide unique opportunities for brands through both digital interaction and live event engagement.
These short, dynamic, revitalised formats of traditional sports provide a plethora of opportunity.
The fan first focus, continuous adaptation to consumption habits, and the ability to provide a gateway for geographical expansion, makes them both exciting and enticing to brands.
And it’s only just getting started.
Brands need to start paying attention – short form is here for the long term.
The whole article can be read here.
Thirty30 Comment
Thirty30 tennis is the alternative short format to FAST4 (NextGen) and Tie Break Tens – Have You Tried It Yet?
