SPORTS MARKETING TRENDS

 

Formula 1 was an also-ran sport in the US until Netflix released its Drive to Survive docuseries in 2019. Nielsen Fan Insights found that 34% of viewers became a fan after watching, and 41% of viewers also tuned in to the first three weeks of the new F1 season in 2022. In fact, 12 of the 22 races ESPN aired last year set American viewership records.

 

The NFL hosted its first game in Germany in 2022, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers playing as the “home team” against the Seattle Seahawks. The game was the NFL’s most-watched international game ever, with 5.8 million viewers tuning in across cable and streaming platforms, breaking game-day merchandise sales records at the Allianz Arena. This success marks a potential sea change in the sports marketing industry, as 18 NFL teams now have plans to market their brand in 8 countries, with the goal of growing the league’s international fanbase by 50 million within the next few years.

Starting in 2023, Apple and Major League Soccer will begin a far-reaching 10-year pact to livestream more than 1,000 matches a year. In a historic first for sports, fans will be able to stream every single MLS match through the Apple TV app, without any local blackouts or restrictions.

 

Production studio TFG launched a mixed reality panther for the Carolina Panthers team in 2021. Fans watching at home were immersed in the experience of seeing a 50-foot panther leap around the stadium and destroy its rivals' flag, with attendees inside the stadium seeing it on the Jumbotron. The 2022 version of the panther has additional unique moments that can be created by the team and run during the game.

 

NBC Universal‘s Peacock streaming service will allow viewers to watch most major sports like NFL, Major League Baseball, Premier League soccer and more on the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro VR headsets. VR users will be able to expand their virtual screens to full theater sizes, as well as multitask by watching multiple screens at once.

 

T-Mobile kicked off its 2023 T-Mobile Accelerator program with a focus on amplifying tech initiatives that create immersive sports experiences. Of the selected nine, CUE Audio synchronizes in-venue speakers with fans' mobile devices to create and capture simultaneous selfies, choreograph spectacular cell phone light shows, and host multiplayer trivia games during the matches.

 

Nike debuted the AR Genesis Hoodie in collaboration with its recently acquired Web3 fashion and collectible studio, RTFKT Studios. Wearable for both digital avatars and real-life holders of the phygital sweatshirt, the hoodie was issued as a Non-Fungible Token (NFT). An NFC chip on the physical hoodie enables wireless communication between the hoodie and its corresponding NFT digital asset, with target markers and QR codes able to “trigger” customizable Augmented Reality effects and track the wearer’s 3D movements within the digital world.

 

Autograph, an NFT platform co-founded by quarterback Tom Brady, produces one-of-a-kind digital collections and experiences. Having raised $170 million in funding, the platform offers digitally signed NFT memorabilia from sports legends such as Tiger Woods, Naomi Osaka, Derek Jeter, Simone Biles, among many more.

 

NBA Top Shot is an NFT digital collectible platform that allows fans to collect, trade, and showcase officially licensed short video clips of NBA highlights known as “moments.” Each moment has a unique serial number and a limited supply. They also have different rarity levels: common, rare, and legendary, which contribute to their value.

 

SailGP, the international sailing competition recently launched the world's first decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) team, allowing fans to become stakeholders and influence the team's decisions through blockchain technology. Those decisions include everything from the team name, flag and boat livery, to selecting sponsors and athletes.

 

Zed Run is a digital horse racing platform that simulates real-world horse racing. By purchasing a digital horse, known as a ‘breathing NFT’, players can enter virtual races, breed their horses, and grow their stables to race or sell to other players. The digital racehorses, some selling for $125,000 or more, grow and evolve with each race. The more races a horse wins, the greater the value of its breeding ‘DNA’ and the value of its offspring.

 

DraftKings, the sports betting behemoth, is launching a streaming service to add to its explosive platform growth and to keep fans within its ecosystem. The company’s earnings have seen an 80% increase YoY, with annual earnings for 2023 projected to hit $3 billion. With the new DraftKings Network set to air streaming sports content and podcasts, DraftKings is looking to compete with its biggest rival FanDuel and its cable television network FanDuel TV and streaming service FanDuel+.

 

Betting platform Caesar’s Sportsbook and Snipp Interactive's Gambit Rewards division teamed up to drive engagement and user sign-ups leading up to the 2022 Super Bowl. Through a digital promotion, qualified users in the NY area could get a free token on the Gambit platform with $1000 worth of Free plays during the Super Bowl. The offer was also open to other sporting events, like the Olympics, that took place in the month of February.

 

The Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle is the first sports arena in the world to gain a net zero carbon certification by International Living Future Institute. The arena, powered by renewable energy, was built to align with The Climate Pledge that commits the world’s top companies to attain net zero carbon by 2040. All internal systems run on electric, and the stadium even makes ice for games with rainwater sourced from its roof. But that’s not all -- 75% of food ingredients are sourced within a 300-mile radius of Seattle, with efforts to recycle and remove single-use plastics by 2024. The organization also plans to fully offset emissions that can’t yet be eliminated by purchasing carbon credits.

 

Michelob Ultra signed on as the first major sponsor of the Women’s Sports Network, building upon its efforts to support women’s sports. In 2021, the AB InBev brand had announced a five-year pledge that would see it commit $100 million to increase the visibility of women’s sports via sponsorship and ad deals.

 

Pickleball has seen a rapid uptick in popularity (faster than any other sport in the US). With a growing list of corporate sponsors and celebrity players (including Tom Brady and Leonardo DiCaprio), along with the potential of a pro Pickleball tour.

 

Cornhole is another fringe sport on the rise. A favored activity at tailgates, barbecues and on college campuses, cornhole has been played in its modern form since the 1970s. The sport is a regular presence during Ocho Day — ESPN’s annual celebration of niche and novelty sports.

 

eSports as an industry has risen rapidly over the past few years, as competitive video games continue to work their way into pop culture, prompting the formation of eSports teams and tournaments. Although the esports industry hasn’t reached its initial market expectations in North America, US viewers watched an estimated 217 million hours of eSports content in 2022 -- up from 147 million in 2018 -- and Insider Intelligence estimates that eSports viewers in the US will eventually climb to 34.8 million in 2026.

Illustrating the importance of this sports marketing trend, eSports giant FaZe Clan announced a multi-year partnership with luxury brand Porsche AG, with plans for original content, esports initiatives, consumer products and digital goods in the Web3 space. Themed around making dreams into reality, the tie-up reflects the increased importance of younger consumers to luxury brands and their growth.

 

Major League Soccer (MLS) is tying up with TikTok via a multi-year partnership covering 29 clubs across the U.S. and Canada, with plans for in-app programming, exclusive content, and in-stadium activations. TikTok will introduce a Club Creator Network to pair content creators with various teams to generate content during the regular and off seasons, including behind-the-scenes access with MLS athletes.

 

Tito’s wanted to stay top of mind with golfers throughout the year, not just during golf championships. Building on their “Tito’s Tasters” program, Snipp built a turnkey sweepstakes microsite where consumers could watch a pre-roll video and register to win one of thousands of Tito’s branded, golf related prizes. Consumers could also earn extra sweepstakes entries by voting for their favorite Tito’s cocktail. To keep fans consistently engaged, Snipp displayed an updated interactive map showing each state’s favorite cocktail choice.

 

The NBA launched a new membership service in 2022, with the goal of delivering tailored and unique content to fans based on their individual interests. NBA ID links an individual fan’s experience across all NBA products – including its app, NBA League Pass – to serve personalized features, including behind the scenes footage of their favorite teams and players, as well as access to new mini-series.

 

Danone was looking to develop an exciting promotion in partnership with the NHL to drive sales and promote their partnership. By adding a fresh take to their annual "Snack to Win" campaign, Danone developed a purchase-based sweepstakes where consumers who purchased any qualifying Danone Oikos yogurt product could enter for a chance to win $25,000 in total prizes, including a trip for two to the Stanley Cup finals in 2023. For additional incentive, Snipp added an instant-win component where consumers could instantly win prizes including NHL Shop Gift Cards, Pre-Paid Visas, and Danone Coupons.

 

NASCAR’s free Fan Rewards takes an innovative approach to loyalty within its program. Since most NASCAR fans never attend races, attendance or money spent couldn’t be the foundations of an engaging program, so the sports organization identified other ways that fans could earn points. These include watching races from home, attending NASCAR races, playing NASCAR Fantasy Live, participating in weekly trivia contests, or visiting the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte. Points can be redeemed for race tickets, VIP experiences, autographed merchandise, and gift cards.

 

Brooklyn Nets season ticket holders can take part in a new fan loyalty program with gamified rewards. Season ticket holders can register as ‘Next Level Members’ to compete in real-time trivia and prediction contests hosted on the Nets’ app and website during stoppages of play, earning points that can be redeemed for merchandise, game tickets, Barclay Center shows, and autographed memorabilia. Other points-earning activities include attending games, reading web articles, and watching highlight videos.

 

Mercedes-Benz opted to tie-up with Amazon’s “Thursday Night Football” programming for its electric car advertising push. Amazon’s stream proved highly popular with people between the ages of 18 and 45, accounting for 24% of the audience, compared to just 14% of the NFL’s TV audience. The young audience is what drew Mercedes-Benz to Amazon, encouraging the brand to sponsor the first half-time show.

 

Gatorade’s Fuel Tomorrow campaign is partnering with national youth groups to develop activities that promote equity in sports by using their grassroots networks and expertise. The multi-year effort comprises a $10 million initial investment in these groups, as well as additional funding to help them advance their missions. The platform will also provide access to sports facilities, equipment, and transportation, while also training coaches on how to be champions of equity and inclusion.

 

Buick is running a 2023 campaign to promote women’s basketball with their #SeeHerGreatness campaign across all streaming options. Gender inequality is a hot topic in the basketball world, and as the automotive brand with the highest percentage of female buyers, Buick hoped to raise the profile of the WNBA and elevate the conversation around this matter. This kind of cause marketing worked in its favor - In 2022, Buick ran the same campaign during March Madness and saw its viewership skyrocket from 1,500 views on TikTok in February to over 20 million views in March!

 

The NBA prioritized the relaunch of its flagship app in 2022 to mimic the functionality of Gen Z’s favorite social apps, with the use of vertical video and an individualized “For You” feed that will show highlights and live feeds from NBA games. With other fan-favorite content like behind-the-scenes access to players and teams, NBA-related shows and influencer tie-ups, the new app has seen a 200% increase in engagement compared with 2021.

 

Nissan’s “Road 2 The Final Four” campaign is the first major brand to use TikTok’s new Now feature, encouraging fans to post live videos during the college basketball tournament. Like the more recent BeReal app, TikTok Now prompts users to post their current environment or activity at a random time each day. During March Madness, TikTok Now will align its daily posting prompts with the “key moments” of March Madness to amplify authentic college basketball content on the platform. Fans who then upload those photos or short videos to Instagram will be entered for a chance to win tickets to the Final Four of next year’s tournament.

 

ESPN announced its first Creator Network in 2022, billed as a four-month program to provide 10 emerging creators across Instagram and TikTok with access to ESPN’s properties to create content and build awareness for the network.

 

Adidas is creating a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) network that is open to more than 50,000 student athletes, essentially making them paid affiliate brand ambassadors. Adidas is rolling out the program by starting with its partners at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, with the goal of enhancing inclusivity, equality, and entrepreneurialism in the athletics space, regardless of race or gender.