“What we can do through innovative ways of integrating content development, social handles, and opportunities for people to consume content on our platform is finding ways to bring people closer to the game and have them experience the real-life experience up close. That's true,” Hainault told Bloomberg's sports editor Vanessa Perdomo.
Nuria Tare, chief marketing and fan experience officer at City Football Group, added that only 5% of their followers travel to England to watch their flagship team Manchester City play. Instead, his 13 clubs have embraced gaming and esports, and fans in the US market can find their favorite club through City's partner EA Sports' EAFC His Games. It often happens. City's foray into games, fashion and new content was necessary to build a fan base, as US fans choose their teams at 16- to 20-year-olds rather than at 7- or 9-year-olds in the UK.
“Trying to reach new audiences and build fandom is a difficult task,” Tare said. “It's different than growing market share in other industries. Not only do you need to build an emotional connection, but you also need to be where your new fans are potentially.”
Tell the story behind the sport
How do you make the plight and sudden prosperity of a lowly but mighty Welsh soccer club interesting to U.S. viewers? Not the names Reynolds or McElhenny, but the ones behind Hulu's Welcome to Wrexham The people here have the answers.
“This is more than just telling a story about a sports club. It's about the community,” Christina Windham, Maximum Effort's director of business development, told ADWEEK Executive Chairman Rich Batista.
Mac Sovereign, chief content officer at Wave Sports and Entertainment, which runs Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce's New Heights Podcast, said the company's focus is not only on digital and social media, but also on in-person experiences with fans. He talked about the value of telling stories through people. Rebecca Gitlitz, director of the four-part Netflix documentary “Under Pressure: U.S. Women's World Cup Team,” noted that increased access to athletes amplifies the power of an already unpredictable event. .
