A critical concern for sports franchises and marketers is the effective transformation of casual spectators into loyal fans. The advent of COVID-19 significantly escalated this shift towards technology for fan engagement as sports franchises grappled with how to reach fans who could no longer visit sports venues. This digital revolution now means fans anticipate round-the-clock access to their favourite players and clubs. In response, sponsors are strategically investing based on a franchise's digital engagement statistics.

So, how can a digital fan engagement platform help support and expand a fan base in this landscape?

It's crucial to understand that fan engagement represents one of the most potent and least intrusive methods to connect with sports consumers. It's an organic bridge between the fan and the brand, enhancing consumer loyalty and fostering a deeper sense of connection. By employing a dedicated fan engagement platform, sports franchises can offer unique, personalised experiences to their fans, promoting brand loyalty and encouraging a more significant consumer conversion. Successful fan engagement translates into a thriving fan base, and into a compelling proposition for sponsors.

The Traditional Model

The traditional sports commercialisation model places a heavy emphasis on a team's on-field success. With each win, the fan base expands as excitement and loyalty towards the team grow. This model's core is the thrilling spectacle of "Game Day", which pulls fans into the stadium for a shared live experience. This model's revenue streams hinge on enticing fans to invest in the team, not only emotionally but financially, through ticket purchases, memberships, and buying team merchandise.

Recognising the need for a more consistent and engaging interaction with fans, Sport franchises embraced social media platforms to introduce the sport to new potential fans, provide credible information, and interact with fans. While social media platforms are very good at reaching new populations for a sport, they come with some drawbacks:  

• Sport franchises don’t own their content or the platform.
• Branding is mostly dictated by the social media platform.
• Monetisation requires an excessively large follower base and paid advertising or “boosted posts”, resulting in additional expenses for the franchise.

The Digital Model

The digital paradigm is ushering in a new era of fan engagement for sports franchises, creating the opportunity for more intimate and engaging connections between teams and their audiences. Using platforms like Tiparra, a digital fan engagement platform, teams create customised fan experiences, giving access to real-time updates, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, and interactive features directly to consumers. The direct-to-consumer model enables sports franchises to control the platform, their narrative and to foster a closer bond with their fans. This digital model also allows the strategic use of fan data, which allows for the continuous refinement of engagement tactics to maintain fans' interest. This evolution not only intensifies fan loyalty but also uncovers fresh revenue opportunities, marking it as a significant milestone in today’s sports industry.

In a recent Capgemini Research Institute report that surveyed 12,000 sports fans across 11 countries, two important demographic groups surfaced as being transformative—GenZ and millennials. Both these groups prefer to watch sporting events at home.

77 percent of the Gen Z respondents, and 75% of millennials would prefer to watch sport at home in a technology-enhanced experience.

Among the 11 countries surveyed, Australia had the greatest drop in attendance at sporting events between 2019 and 2023.

53 percent of Australian respondents in 2019 reported regularly watching a sport at a venue; in 2023, that number had fallen to 26 percent.

For the Australian Gen Z respondents, only 17percent reported they regularly watch sports at a venue.

Another trend driving digital fan engagement is the adoption of a Second Screen Device (SSD), most often a smartphone. Sport fans look up game or player information while watching the game at home on another device or while attending live events. Of the survey respondents, 68 percent used an SSD.

Particularly for younger fans, attending a live game is only a small part of their fan experience. They want to use technology to access exclusive content, interact in an authentic way with their favourite players, and continue to engage during the off-season.

Digital Platforms

It is because of the trends we mentioned earlier that sport franchises stand to benefit immensely from a digital platform tailor-made to their brand identity and their fan engagement strategy. A smartphone app, customised with their branding (referred to as white labelling), serves as a dynamic hub of interaction and information for fans. It enhances connection with the franchise, the players, and the broader fan community while simultaneously acting as an outlet to promote and sell the team’s products.

Unlike traditional social media platforms, a white-labelled team app gives the sports franchise ownership of:

• it's content and the platform.
• branding and appearance.
• monetisation efforts.

This ownership is a game-changer - it not only ensures that a brand's voice remains uncompromised but also empowers them to access the full potential of their monetisation initiatives.

In each phase of the typical fan journey, a team’s white-labelled app on the Tiparra digital platform can enhance the fan experience.

Attend

• Facilitate easy ticket purchasing via the app.
• Enter the sports venue via the digital membership card or ticket on the team’s app.
• Give easy access to venue maps and information.
• Provide real-time updates about the event, including gates open, starting times or delays.
• Enable access to digital content tied to the live event, like behind-the-scenes footage.
• Offer information about venue facilities, like parking, restrooms, and concession stands.
• The app serves as an SSD to augment the viewing experience with regular updates, commentary, and player information.
• Watch the game at home by streaming through a link in the team’s app.

Engage

• Share exclusive content from players and team management, including interviews, training sessions, and personal stories.
• Host live chats and Q&A sessions with players or coaches.
• Use polls, quizzes, and games to keep fans engaged during breaks in play.
• Deliver real-time match stats and insights.
• Provide news, scores, and standings.

‍Participate

• Allow fans to participate in game-day activities, like voting for the player of the match.
• Organise virtual meet-and-greets with players or coaches.
• Offer opportunities for fans to contribute to charity events or community initiatives tied to the team.
• Run prediction contests for upcoming games.
• Give feedback within the app on the fan experience.
• Attend a player or fan community event: the team’s app shows upcoming events, as well as location-based discovery a fan can use to discover the team’s activities in their community.

‍Play

• Offer interactive games and quizzes that test fan knowledge and skills.
• Allow fans to participate in virtual training sessions.
• Promote physical activities or challenges related to the sport, with leader boards to encourage friendly competition.
• Provide access to digital collectibles or in-app rewards to increase gameplay.
• Play the team’s affiliated eSport or other games on the app.

‍Buy

• Purchase memberships, merchandise, and memorabilia directly from the app.
• Offer exclusive discounts or first access to new merchandise to app users.
• Use push notifications to inform fans of new merchandise or ticket availability.
• Provide detailed information and visuals of merchandise products.
• Run special promotions or flash sales tied to games or significant events.
• Purchase tickets.
• Order and pay for food from vendors at the sports venue.
• Interact with sponsors on the app, receiving special offers and discounts.

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Harnessing digital fan engagement is undeniably the pathway to the future. By partnering with a platform like Tiparra and launching a bespoke team app, sports franchises can effectively meet the demands of their younger audience, while simultaneously expanding their fan base. Moreover, the Tiparra digital platform provides sports franchises full control over content creation, branding strategies and revenue generation.