In sports, fan engagement is a broad term for any activity or strategy that creates or maintains a connection between a team, league, or brand, and their fans or audience. The engagement may come in many forms and depend on factors such as the brand, type of sport, and targeted audience. Typically, sports leagues measure fan engagement based on the several channels available for fans to show their support. These may include ticket sales, demand for merchandise, and TV viewership. However, digital technology has expanded fan engagement, especially with the infusion of blockchain technology.
According to international governing body for football, FIFA, there are five billion football fans in the world. FIFA also notes that these fans are likely to support their local club, "world" club, or national team, and may even channel their support to a particular player. While several stats rank the world's most common sports differently, they all name football as the world's most popular. This means the numbers are already there, with most fans willing to spend money to engage.
Blockchain technology has made fan engagement more attractive. Firstly, fans who engage with sports brands or buy merchandise via blockchain transactions are assured of transparency and security throughout the process. This assurance makes fans likely to spend more, especially if the purchase is seamless. In addition, fans are likely to build trust in the brand and are willing to submit data needed for marketing and advertising purposes if they trust that their details are safe.
Blockchain technology also adds to the thrill of fan engagement via sports betting. Although there are online fiat sportsbooks that allow interested fans to place wagers on their favourite teams, crypto betting sites improve this process by supporting bets placed in cryptocurrencies. The best Bitcoin betting sites, like those on Techopedia, allow fans to bet on their favourite football teams and players with seamless, cost-effective, and transparent deposits and withdrawals. Crypto payments are also incredibly secure thanks to the underlying blockchain technology, making them an increasingly popular choice for sports fans.
Another benefit blockchain technology brings to fan engagement is a sense of ownership. For instance, fan tokens can grant holders voting rights such that they are allowed to contribute to the team's decision-making processes. Sometimes, fans are allowed to decide on merchandise design, ticketing matters, and even match locations. This creates a sense of community and also supports fan interactions. Several major football clubs, including FC Barcelona, Manchester City, and Paris Saint-Germain, have launched fan tokens for increased engagement. However, fans may not be able to make major decisions, such as voting on new contracts or player transfers.
Sports teams can also take fan engagement to new levels via the metaverse. In these digital worlds, creators can design replicas of an entire stadium or other physical sites and allow interested fans to view league tables, take tours or attend games virtually. Tiered access may be granted via cryptocurrencies or non-fungible tokens (NFTs) purchased by members of the football club's community.
Using the metaverse solves a common issue recently noted at the World Football Summit in the Spanish city of Seville. Football clubs have realised that despite a presence in many countries across the globe, most fans will probably never watch a live game at the club's stadium.
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