In our predictions of trends for the coming year and beyond, experience shows us how changeable an environment can be, where what seems to be the next big thing, suddenly a new technology or event appears, immediately overturning bets that were thought to be sure to be successful.
Who does not remember, for example, the spectacular future that was predicted for tools such as Vine or Periscope in the field of sporting events and today, however, both are condemned to oblivion.
In this sense, I do not believe that a radical change will occur, for example, with that next big thing The technology can certainly help, but if the content is weak, it is not going to be of much help to us. Technology can certainly help, but if the content is weak, it is not going to be of much help. The challenge lies more in making the competition formats attractive and, above all, more dynamic and flexible, so that they are able to attract new audiences and keep the traditional ones.
However changeable the environment may be, I believe that these will be the trends that most shape the immediate future in the world of sport.
Changing landscape of emission allowances
It is a fact that Amazon, Google or Facebook are going to get involved in the bidding for sports broadcasting rights, but it should be borne in mind that a few years after sports promoters have seen that the return on the sale of pay-per-view rights to various broadcasters has been far below expectations, there will be a temptation for many to develop their own OTT (Internet broadcasting platforms) and distribute the content as they wish without restriction. It is significant in this sense that ASO, the promoter of the Dakar Rally, has taken a very different approach to broadcasting from the norm. Rather than lucrative contracts, it has prioritised securing the longest and best possible hours of television broadcasting and, above all, providing attractive content for all its participants, who have acted as a gigantic network of channels, obtaining a multiplier effect for their broadcasting, with results that are proving to be spectacular.
Athletes as their own dissemination channel
Effects such as the one mentioned above give us a clue that the frying pan is now more in the hands of the leagues, federations and especially sportsmen and women than in those of the multimedia giants. We are going to see more and more often how the good work of those who take care of their communication channels and are able to offer content, where they want, when they want and at no cost or at a very affordable cost, is rewarded. The joint work of sportspeople and competition owners is essential, let's not forget that in the end people follow the heroes, those people or teams that inspire them and make them dream. Many lessons have been learned in recent years and this trend will only grow and consolidate.
The e-sports and virtual sports simulation
Both concepts will undoubtedly be a growing trend and although the two seem to be synonymous, I would like to make a distinction between them, even if this is a personal view of mine:
What is commonly known as e-sportsIn my point of view, there is nothing 'sports' about them. They are the videogames of a lifetime, taken to their maximum expression at a media and competitive level, a form of entertainment of spectacular success nowadays, which I respect very much, but for me games like the FortniteThe physical demands and lifestyle models required for real sport have nothing to do with the physical demands and lifestyle models required for real sport.
However, it seems to me that activities such as sim-racing, competitions with the technology inherited from the simulators of Formula 1 teams, deserve a different categorisation, which I consider a more appropriate variant to be called 'sporting', both in the sense of being a training system for professional drivers, and as a way for the younger public to become fans of the sport.
Multi-million dollar investments in simulation by the aviation and automotive industries are making this technology accessible and extremely useful to sportsmen and women in sports such as football, golf and skiing. We are also going to see how the technology of wearables and augmented reality allows for the combination of real and virtual competition in multiple formats, as well as an input in the form of data. All of this will result in greater efficiency in training and sports practice, as well as the enjoyment of the broadcast and new opportunities for sponsorship activation.
The different approach to sports sponsorship
All of the above, with these recent far-reaching changes, leads us to the inevitable conclusion that measuring the return on investment of sponsorship has become an enormously complex task and it is necessary to 'work harder' now, as mere visibility is no longer the main value. The disastrous TV audience results in most of the major sporting competitions in recent years will force a change in both the narrative and the way sponsorship is activated.
From the outset, we are going to see how sponsorships are becoming more and more generalised, with solidarity, inclusive or ecological content. The involvement of companies in sport must now be understood as something that goes beyond creating brand recognition and affinity and is now perceived as an element that leaves a positive legacy in society.
Likewise, we are going to see an equally important effort on the side of the promoters, in the sense that their competitions, their stadiums, their events or their logistics are going to take sustainability and a certain social content very much into account. Otherwise, companies will find it much more difficult to justify their investments, as well as to achieve that longed-for holy grail called the engagement (apologies to the RAE but I still can't find an appropriate translation).
In this new environment, communication is going to play a fundamental role, as we have been able to see these days, for example, how a competition loaded with positive elements such as the Saudi Arabian Football Super Cup (internationalisation, media impact of a competition that was quite unnoticed, attracting resources for grassroots football, etc.) has been buried by the controversy generated by its most controversial elements, such as those derived from the association with the Saudi regime, its development far from its natural territory, its four-team competition, etc.
The narrative must be worked on with great care and anticipation, as it has been proven that even the most noble causes are often viewed with suspicion by part of the population, as a consequence of political polarisation and the amplifying effect of social networks.
Difficulties in obtaining sponsorships
Investment in sports sponsorship by large-scale companies does not look particularly good, as in the environment described above, there are sectors with a strong track record in sports sponsorship that may be constrained in their investments as they are under the scrutiny of regulators.
There is some concern about measures that may be taken with regard to alcoholic beverages (mainly beers), but also with regard to beverages or foods that are not considered healthy. However, should any measures affect these sectors it will not, in my opinion, be immediate, as I believe it will be with the ban on betting shop advertising.
The problem with this measure is that it will also take away sponsorships such as those of state lotteries and betting, which are a key support for many sports federations and elite athletes in niche sports. It is logical that this should be the case, as the line is very blurred as to what produces gambling addiction through advertising and what does not, but as I said, it will generate a problem that is not easy to solve for an important sector of our sport, as in addition to this, public institutions are also finding it increasingly difficult to allocate public resources to sports sponsorship.
Therefore, there is a lot of imagination and work to be done in the sector, because although there are difficulties, there are also many new opportunities. It is well known that in sport, the one who starts out with a winning mentality from the beginning is the one who has the chance to succeed.
Pablo de Villota
Director of Sports & Entertainment at Proa Comunicación