Review by Ryan Dixon in SRM 435 (section 1)
“Competing with the couch”, as this article talks mostly about connecting with the fans through social media and ways to get fans attention while at the game there are still some people out there that would rather enjoy watching a game “on the couch.” Stadiums and ballparks are thinking of more creative ways to get the fans engaged not just into the game but into what’s going on around the game. Places like the seats, at the concession lines, or even on the big screen scoreboard. While some stadiums are more technologically advanced than others, they are still trying to rebuild and revamp to get the game day experience more live and exciting.
The way this article ties into this course is that without all the new technology that is being added to the stadiums people wont want to come and watch games in person anymore. They will rather sit at home and be able to get the same experience that they would at the games. That’s why companies are coming together and thinking of ways to get fans to come to the games. With adding new technology to stadiums fans will see that and know they are getting a better experience than they would on their couch. Without fans coming to view the games in person you wont have sales and marketing promotions for other companies and even for your stadium itself. Fans want that wired environment; have free WiFi so their videos or pictures upload quicker onto their social medias. During games you have trivia presented by a certain company that does promotions for the team. While a game is on time out you may have a chance to get and upgrade seat exchange by answering the trivia question right. Its things like this that make fan want to come to the games in person. I feel bad for someone who has never been to an actual stadium to watch a game in person. I know many people say they would rather watch games on a HD TV but I don’t know what is more HD than our own eyes and experiencing everything first hand.
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Review by Cody Fazenbaker in SRM 435 (section 1)
With the emergence of advanced technology, the viewing experience of sporting events is changing drastically. Ten years ago, the action of the game was what drove fans to come watch. Now, with the creation of smartphones and Wi-Fi, it is all about the fan experience. Fans are not as motivated to attend sporting events live as they were years ago because of the convenience of watching multiple games from several angles from the comfort of their own home. Sports organizations are “competing with the couch” and fighting to give fans an irreplaceable fan experience in order to keep fans coming back.
Studies have shown that more than half of sports fans would rather watch a game from their own home than attend the game live. The Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets, is one example of a venue that is providing that at-home experience. The addition of Wi-Fi, 4G LTE coverage, and the ability to order food from your own seats are just some of the many amenities that give fans a high-tech experience. Because the value of being at the game does not mean as much as it did years ago, sports organizations and marketers must find ways to appeal to our digital generation. Dallas Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, installed an HD center-hung scoreboard that measures 72 feet by 160 feet. The Miami Marlins encourage fans to tweet difference team references before and during the game in order to get their tweets up on the scoreboard. Kansas City’s MLS soccer team asks fans to participate in games on their smartphones with incentives being things such as seat upgrades. The ultimate goal of these organizations now is to have fans arrive to the game earlier, stay longer, and spend more. Knowing what your fans want is more important than ever.
This article is relevant to our marketing and advertising class because those two things are more important than ever in the sports business world. In order to keep fans coming back to attend games live rather than have them watch from home, sport marketers and advertisers must be more creative than ever. It is all about connecting with the fan and personalizing their experience.
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