They’ve found that fans are quite willing to create their own original content to partake in the action! Brands recognize that digital advances such as Web 3.0, NFT collectibles, and the Metaverse and immersive experiences will become the next level of attraction, as the opportunity to deepen fan interaction grows every day. And they don’t even need to produce all of this original content themselves. It benefits the athlete as the creator, their fans and the team or league.īecause of this, sports organizations realize that the digital media they shoot and share with athletes to engage fans is incredibly valuable to their broadcast and sponsor partners, too. The authentic digital media they share and create is gold to any sports brand. This is happening as they’re building their own lucrative personal brands in tandem. Their deep connections with their followers on social media drives engagement, revenue and overall value for their sports teams and leagues across business areas. Sports and digital media are perfect for each other in the eyes (and scrolling habits) of younger fans.Īt the same time, athletes around the globe are coming into their own as true marketing influencers with personal brands and jumping in to directly engage with fans.

For all of these digital-first followers, the trending demand for short-form videos and photos will be the future of sports: lighter, more mobile, but just as action-packed and exciting to them.

Right behind them are even younger fans who may never even live in households with a TV. Gen Z sports fans are making their voices and interests heard loud and clear on digital platforms. We predict that 2022 is the year we’ll see sports referred to more and more as ‘sportainment’. 2022 will be no exception to the accelerating social media trends we’re seeing in the industry of sport. In the last year, digital media and social media content have proven to be even more critical to the sports industry for fan engagement and content consumption than ever before.

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