Sports organizations are pulling out all the stops to get customers off their couches and into venues on game days
Many would argue there’s nothing quite like the energy and excitement of being in a throng of fans in an arena cheering on a winning team. But in reality, almost half of Canadians say watching a game at home is a better experience, according to The Modern Sports Fan 2022 report from Mintel.
Five years ago, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment started a quest to leverage digital innovation across its teams and business operations to drive new, enhanced fan experiences and those efforts are coming into play now, says Humza Teherany, chief technology and digital officer at MLSE. “Tickets are now 100 per cent digitized and everything happens through our mobile apps,” he says, noting the Leafs and Raptors apps are among the top in the NHL and NBA in terms of fan downloads.
It has taken some education, but he says people now understand if they’re coming to one of the venues and have the app, it will be easier to manoeuvre the space and participate in contests they wouldn’t have access to otherwise. “If you don’t have it, you’re still going to have a good time, but [the app] acts as a bit of a controller for the arena,” says Magsisi.
There’s no question digital innovation creates new excitement around watching sports, but Mintel’s Stewart says organizations must find the delicate balance between using technology to enhance a fan experience and making it preferable to watch the action via screen alone. “If you push [the technology] too far … it becomes harder to differentiate from being at home and you might as well stay on your couch,” he says. “You still want the live sport to be the clear draw.
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