We Know
A new global study by Momentum Worldwide www.momentumww.com
/ INTRODUCTION
Fans are the soul of sport.
Without them, sports don’t exist.
That’s why it was such unsettling
news when we discovered that
global sports fans feel a growing
disconnect from professional sports.
The good news is that you don’t
need to feel unsettled – the insights
here provide you with the means
to create new connections and
opportunities for your brand
and fans.
There is no single clear path to
success. Despite the doors that
globalization and sponsorships
have opened, fans increasingly
feel ambivalence toward brands in
sports events. They demand value
and genuine social connection, and
they’ve set a very high bar – but with
innovative thinking and a competitive
spirit, the potential to exceed that
bar exists for brand managers who
are strategic, bold and informed.
In our Momentum Worldwide
quantitative and qualitative survey
from 2,000 sports fans in the US,
UK, Brazil, Spain, and Japan, over
a third said that sports are the most
important thing in their life. And
while roughly half of fans agree
that sponsors have sports’ best
interest at heart, 83% accepted the
statement: “Sponsors never consider
the fans.”
the costs of being a fan, and how fans
define themselves – and they will fully
realize the power of the live experience
and the changes burgeoning in the
souls of millennials. These are your
answers, here in our findings.
We know… Sports Fans.
So, there are new promises to be
fulfilled. 88% of fans believe that
sponsors can create new opportunities
for their favorite sports and teams.
86% would not object to seeing even
more sponsorship in sports. The
potential to engage those communities
is larger than ever before – as are the
risks of getting it wrong. The brands
that get it right will be those who seek
to understand the hearts and minds
of sports fans and then find ways
to create genuine value for them.
They’ll be the brands that understand
changing attitudes toward athletes,
02
ONE
/ WATCHING AND PLAYING: WHERE IT ALL BEGINS
Over a third of fans say that sports
are the most important thing in
their life.
How can that be? Where does that
kind of passion and commitment
come from?
Fans vividly recall the moment it
all began – the first time they were
taken to a game by their family,
the first time they saw a player up
close, the first time they felt the
energy of the crowd – moments
steeped in emotion that made them
fans for life.
This is also the moment that is
most likely to trigger the urge to
actively participate in sports – to
say “I want to do this,” “I would like
to play too,” or “let me have a go.”
“AS A FAN, YOU ARE
BORN INTO IT AND YOU
HAVE NO CHOICE.”
– BRAZILIAN SOCCER FAN
Half of all fans cite “family” as the
catalyst for first encountering their
favorite sport, and their relationship
with that sport, their favorite club,
and the players is often described
in the kind of language we use to
describe family ties – “it’s in my
blood,” “it’s who I am,” “I couldn’t
be anything else.”
The second biggest influence
on what and whom to support
comes from friends, and for our
16-25 year old fans this was the
most important influence – at this
impressionable age, aligning our
passions with our peers confirms
that we made the right choice; that
we belong in the group.
“It is in my blood, it was in my
parents’ blood and will be in my
children’s blood.”
UK rugby fan
Above all, fandom begins at home.
72% of fans say they are most
passionate about sports teams and
players from the country of their
birth, with more Brazilians
agreeing with this statement than
any other country.
72% of fans say they are most
passionate about sports teams
from the country of their birth
04
TWO
/ MIRACLES AND MAKE BELIEVE,
HAPPINESS AND HEARTACHE
Drama. Anticipation. Thrill.
Heartbreak. Euphoria. Despair. The
fine line between tears and triumph.
Why do we do this to ourselves?
Sports provide hope; a chance
to succeed, a chance to win,
the promise of sunny skies and
happy days. But the game doesn’t
always deliver. It is this predictable
unpredictability that keeps fans
hooked and wanting more, believing
that next time will be their time.
So much is invested in this hope
that many fans resort to forms of
superstition and ritual, magical
thinking, and the triumph of
expectation over experience.
Together, fans use their imagination
to wonder and dream, believing that
they can somehow influence the
outcome of the game.
“IT’S THE PREDICTABLE
UNPREDICTABILITY THAT
MAKES SPORT SO MAGICAL.”
– UK SOCCER FAN
These behaviors are often illogical and
spontaneous and are not something
fans feel they can rationalize or even
justify – it is simply that there is too
much at stake to behave otherwise.
Losing and the accompanying
sense of heartache were cited as the
second worst thing about being a
sports fan (the financial cost of being
a fan came first).
Fans cited “losing and failure” as the
biggest factor that would discourage
them from continuing to support
their chosen team, highlighting the
complicated relationship between
fans and their sport (because not
every team can be successful, and
yet the fans remain).
“In no other aspect of life do you
get as high but also as low, and
yes I am including my marriage
in this.”
UK soccer fan
How many fans agree that
their team’s performance has a
strong impact on how they feel?
The plight of the sports fan infiltrates
all areas of their life – over half of all
fans of all ages say that their team’s
performance has a strong impact
on how they are feeling. This is
particularly strong in the UK (62%)
and Japan (64%).
1
55% - ALL FANS
2
58% - BRAZIL
3
64% - JAPAN
4
31% - SPAIN
5
62% - UK
6
60% - US
06
THREE
/ GOSSIP AND SPECULATION,
BANTER AND RIVALRY
Fans not only love to talk, they
need to talk. It’s both a way to get
information, and to demonstrate
that they have the information – that
they are in-the-know and up to
date with what’s happening in their
sport. 58% of fans believe the ability
to share information enhances the
fan experience, and 53% say that
information (or content) created by
other fans also enhances
their experience.
Having knowledge and reliable
information were cited as the most
critical factors in being able to credibly
self-identify as a fan, show passion,
and demonstrate support – but it has
to be the right kind of information...
“I WOULD RATHER LISTEN TO WHAT
OTHER FANS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE
GAME THAN SO-CALLED EXPERTS;
IT’S MORE REAL AND MORE IN TOUCH
WITH THE GAME AND ITS VALUES.”
– US NFL FAN
When it comes to receiving
information from friends, the
information has to be reliable. Fans
love to gossip and speculate, but
to do so on the basis of erroneous
information can damage their status
as being genuinely in-the-know.
Timeliness is also an important factor,
with 50% of fans saying up-todate information is most important
to demonstrate their support and
passion to their team or player.
Rivalry, banter, insults and fan-baiting
are a big part of sports, and contrary
to what many may expect, this is far
less about genuine aggression and
hatred than it is about simply joking
and ruffling a few feathers. Fans
take rivalries seriously; just generally
not deadly serious. When asked to
describe their feelings about their main
sporting rivals, it was “amusement”
that came out on top. While there will
always be a hard-core fans whose
passion overspills into aggression,
the majority come to mock, not to
bury. Why? Because when we asked
them what sport is actually for – what
its purpose is – they overwhelmingly
replied “entertainment.”
50% of fans say up-to-date
information is most important to
demonstrate their support and
passion to their team or player.
08
FOUR
/ WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A FAN?
The global and increasingly distant
nature of sports and sporting events
means that few fans rank actually
being there as a necessary aspect of
being a fan. Of primary importance is
the basic act of watching sports on
TV, with being current with information
and actually knowing what you’re
talking about coming second;
physical attendance at a live event
comes a distant third. “Owning Team
Merchandise” ranked lowest in the list
of requirements for true fandom.
“TO BE A TRUE FAN YOU NEED TO KNOW
YOUR SPORT, THE TEAM, THE HISTORY;
YOU NEED TO ALIGN YOURSELF WITH
WHAT IT ALL STANDS FOR.”
– JAPANESE SOCCER FAN
The act of watching (whether on TV
or at the event), and of being able
to talk knowingly about their chosen
sport, gives fans access to what
they tell us is the best thing about
being a fan – sharing moments
with others (30% ranked this as
“most important” whereas only 2%
said “personal glory”). Watching on
TV is not a barrier to these shared
moments, in fact in many instances
it accentuates those moments: fans
told us that they could only ever
conceive of watching the larger global
sporting events (the Olympics, F1,
tennis grand slams, etc.) on the main
official TV broadcasts – being there
live would be prohibitively expensive,
and to watch the action via unofficial
or second-party channels would be
to miss the galvanizing and authentic
nature of the moment.
Physically being present at the event
is still considered the best way of
enjoying the sport, however, with
73% of respondents telling us that it
is the shared experience of being with
a crowd of equally passionate fans
that most enhances their enjoyment.
This connection with others creates a
special energy and is seen as being a
crucial element of being a fan (63% of
fans cited “rituals with other fans” as
another key enhancement of their
live experience).
63% of fans cited “rituals with
other fans” as another key
enhancer of their live experience.
10
FIVE
/ THE BIG DAY
The live event is the focal point of
everything – where action, emotion,
drama, and debate all collide in a
sensory and information overload.
It’s the thrilling epicenter of the fan’s
sporting life.
Nothing comes close to being there.
Twice as many fans rank being at
the event as first for atmosphere and
quality of experience over merely
watching on TV, with 82% saying that
being close to the action at a live event
most enhances their love of the sport.
“AS SOON AS I WALKED THROUGH
THOSE GATES, SEEING ALL THE
PEOPLE, HEARING THE CHANTING,
SMELLING THE FOOD, I WAS HOOKED.”
– US BASEBALL FAN
The live event is made even more
fulfilling when additional content and
entertainment is provided, and it seems
that there’s no such thing as “too
much” – 69% of fans say entertainment
throughout the event (before, during
and after the action) enhances
the overall experience, with music
continually cited as the best and most
appropriate form of entertainment to
enhance their experience.
The content that fans most value
during and after a live event is photos,
yet few sports have found a way to
push such content out. Photos are
also the kind of content that fans most
want to share with each other pre-,
during, and post-event.
Fans of all sports reported a growing
sense of frustration with the rules and
regulations that govern how they may
experience a live event (no standing, no
alcohol, no umbrellas, no rival-sponsor
logos, etc). Fans believe these rules to
be prevalent and proliferating, and they
feel this prevents them from being a real
fan enjoying sports in their own way.
69% of fans say entertainment
throughout the event (before, during
and after the action) enhances the
overall experience.
12
SIX
/ A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR…
“YOU CAN’T PURCHASE MY CLUB’S
SPONSOR’S PRODUCTS IN THE UK,
SO WHAT IS THE POINT? JUST TO
SELL STUFF TO A TARGET AUDIENCE
SOMEWHERE ELSE? WHAT ABOUT
THE FANS HERE?”
– UK SOCCER FAN
Fans acknowledge that money,
corporate sponsorship and
globalization are all part of the game
and here to stay, and the vast majority
feel OK about that – 88% of fans
accept that sponsors can create
new opportunities for their favorite
sports and teams, and 86% would
not object to seeing even more
sponsorship in sports. 67% of fans
are aware of the key sponsors of their
favorite team, sport or player, and
55% say that they would consider
trying a particular brand or product
as a result of that sponsorship.
83% accepted the statement
“sponsors never consider the fans.”
Fans know that the money and global,
corporate nature of sports is here to
stay. In fact, many fans attribute the
money from brands and sponsors to
what is great about sports; from the
creation of new opportunities, to better
players, higher standards and making
sports more accessible (such as
through TV broadcasts).
Many of the fans we spoke to told
us that brands and sponsors have
the reach, resources and ability to
make things happen to drive the
positives that sports can bring.
After entertainment, fans believe the
purpose of sports is to stay fit and
active and to bring people together,
and this is want they want to see
more of from brands and sponsors.
However, and crucially, while 55%
of fans agree that sponsors have
sports’ best interest at heart,
Fans told us that they feel they are
an afterthought when sponsorship
deals are struck. They complain
that event timings get rearranged
to suit audiences in other parts of
the world, that rare tickets end up
in the wrong hands, that “sacred”
naming rights get sold to the highest
bidder, and the sponsor ends up
calling too many of the shots at the
fans’ expense. When these things
happen, fans feel marginalized.
“I believe sponsorship has
made sports what it is today,
providing me and my family with
the opportunities to play and
watch the game in ways I never
thought possible.”
UK tennis fan
1
2
3
4
1
88% of fans accept that sponsors
can create opportunities for their
sports and teams
2
86% would not object to seeing even
more sponsorship in sports
3
67% of fans are aware of the key
sponsors of their favorite team, sport
or player
4
55% say that they would consider
trying a particular brand or product as
a result of that sponsorship
14
SEVEN
/ MYTHS, MEMORIES, AND DAYS TO REMEMBER
Miraculous comebacks, impossible
displays of skill, outrageous
refereeing decisions, even a chance
encounter with an adored player –
the ability to say “I was there, I saw
it happen” gives fans a moment to
cherish and a story to tell.
The moment is fleeting, but the
story goes on and on. The facts
blur and the details get forgotten as
emotion and imagination take over.
New voices re-tell old stories. The
moment becomes myth, and the
myth replaces memory.
These stories, and the capacity for
these stories to become legends,
make up a huge part of what it
means to be a fan. Every day new
traditions are created that enrich
and deepen the fans’ connection
to the sport. In telling these stories,
fans are literally making history,
shaping the relationship that future
fans will have with their sport and
team, and keeping the dream alive
for the next generation.
“You had to be there. This was the
best day of my life.”
Japanese F1 fan
“We see the statues of the great
ones outside the stadium and we
remember when we were winners.”
US baseball fan
Creating and sharing these stories
puts fans where they want to be – at
the center of the action. Stories are
infused with the value, meaning and
connection fans seek.
“I SAW IT. I WAS THERE. EVERY EMOTION
I FELT THEN COMES BACK NOW: MY HAIR
PRICKS UP, I HAVE BUTTERFLIES IN MY
STOMACH, AND THERE ARE TEARS.”
– BRAZILIAN SOCCER FAN
16
EIGHT
/ HEROES OR VILLAINS?
Fans and their sports heroes share a
common goal – to be successful, to
achieve victory, to win. Increasingly,
that is all they have in common.
Fans told us that they can no longer
relate to players, their talents, their
lifestyles, or their behavior. Less than
half of all fans are excited by the
relationship between fans and players,
and they see this as an issue for the
future of sports.
“HE WASN’T THE BEST DRIVER I’VE EVER
SEEN, BUT HE REALLY CARED ABOUT
FANS LIKE ME. AND THAT’S WHY HE WAS
EVERYBODY’S FAVORITE.”
– US NASCAR FAN
Fans believe that too much emphasis
is placed on the individual player rather
than the team or sport, making the
individual appear loftier than the sport
they represent. Players seem further
away from the values and attributes
that fans really believe in: passion,
commitment, loyalty, and the love of
the game. This is what fans want to
see more of, and what they feel they
increasingly lack – not just from the
players, but also from the brands who
sponsor them. Many told us that such
players and sponsors merely take from
the sport, and add little of lasting value.
The sports players we spoke to believe
they do enough to interact with fans,
but this is not reciprocated by the
fans and only serves to highlight the
gap that exists between what fans
want and what they feel they get. In
particular, interaction in the form of live
updates via social media is increasingly
being seen as inauthentic, impersonal,
insincere, contrived, and unengaging.
“Michael Jordan used to play with
broken fingers. That’s before the
game was all about money.”
US basketball fan
Genuine sports heroes are created
when skill is matched with particular
values and behavior. Fans continue to
value these behaviors, and they relate
to the players who demonstrate that
they value them, too – this is when fan
and player alignment is most powerful.
Many players are missing the mark.
Many sponsors are, too.
18
NINE
/ THE FUTURE: DON’T FORGET THE FAN!
Sports are a global business.
Fans accept that, and the majority
embrace it. The benefits tend to
outweigh the drawbacks – fans can
now enjoy more and better sports, in
more ways, whenever and wherever
they want it.
“DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO STIMULATE
INTEREST IN A SPORT AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE
AND CHILDREN. EMPHASIZE ITS ADVANTAGES
FOR THEM. HELP THEM CHOOSE A HEALTHY
WAY OF LIFE FOR THEIR FUTURE.”
– SPANISH SOCCER FAN
However, many fans told us that they
worry about the growing implications
of some of the drawbacks – sports
that once seemed accessible and
aspirational now feel distant, led
chiefly by the financial pressures of
being a fan. Over a quarter of fans
told us that they are excited by the
money in sports; two-thirds told us
that it worries them. When asked to
rank the worst aspect of being a fan,
“cost” was the overwhelming first
choice across all age groups. And
only 23% of fans feel that things will
improve in future.
Fans want to be more involved in
the sports they love. They feel that
sports have the power to unite and
transform — to make the world a
better place — and that brands can
make a positive change through
sports. However, they do not always
believe that the people who run
and sponsor sports share those
aspirations. “Bad ethical decisions”
and “broken promises” both scored
highly as factors that fans find most
discouraging or disenchanting
about sports.
Fans also believe that sports can
make a positive impact on people’s
health and wellbeing. The Olympics,
soccer, and American Football are
seen as sports that can do the
most for people’s health (of all the
sports we discussed, motorsports
scored the lowest in this area), and
fans feel that it should be a role of
brands — to help promote these
beneficial effects, reach out into local
communities and break down the
financial barriers of bringing the next
generation of players into the sport.
1
2
3
1
28% of fans are excited by the
money in sport
2
39% of fans are worried by the
money in sport
3
Cost is ranked as the worst aspect
of being a fan. Only 23% of fans
feel this will improve in the future
20
/ CONNECT WITH SPORTS FANS…
ONE
Create, instigate, and reignite
foundational moments in sports. Be the
inspiration that gets people started, find
ways to link watching with participating,
trigger the memorable occasions that
will forever bind your brand to positive
emotions and constructive behaviors.
TWO
Be the brand that dreams the dream,
that appreciates the rituals and the
romance inherent in being a fan. Be
there at moments of upheaval and
emotion, anticipation and anxiety –
provide ideas, tools, and strategies that
help fans celebrate or that allow them
to cope with the terrible suffering that
we know they secretly enjoy…
THREE
Find ways to spark conversation and
sharing, then put your brand at the
heart of that sharing. Create the hook
or the new angle that gets fans talking
and speculating. Provide new platforms
and forums for content creation and
finding common ground between fans.
Connect them.
FOUR
Provide fans with the tools to be a
more complete fan – insights rather
than information, platforms and forums
for sharing their opinions, ways to get
closer to the event either in the form of
better coverage or physical access.
FIVE
The live event is about action, emotion,
and drama. Find ways to enhance it.
Get fans closer to the action. Give them
live insight and interpretation. Provide
photo content for pooling and sharing.
Use creative technology to get fans
inside the sport, closer than they ever
thought they could get.
SIX
Sponsors need to do more to
demonstrate that they genuinely have
the fans’ interests at heart. Far too
many fans told us that sponsors are
merely exploiting the name of the
property and not improving the fan
experience, encouraging health and
wellbeing associated with the sport, or
building links into their communities.
SEVEN
Give fans the tools to be at the heart
of their own stories and facilitate the
sharing, reliving and continual re-telling
of these stories. Let them be both the
history and the historian. Find ways to
associate with a memorable, unique or
unusual incident and be the first to tell
this story.
EIGHT
A gap exists between fans and their
heroes, and it is growing. Sometimes
that’s a natural part of stardom,
sometimes it’s dangerously off-putting.
What can brands do to help fans
genuinely relate to their heroes and feel
a personal connection again without
destroying the all-important aura of fame?
NINE
Brands that can make sports more
accessible and aspirational, that can
enhance the fan experience, that can
use sports to make a positive impact
on people’s health and wellbeing,
that can exploit the galvanizing social
effects of sport for the greater good
of individuals and communities, and
that can bring more young people into
sports — these are the brands that
will be giving fans what they want,
and these are the brands that will earn
those fans’ attention.
22
WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ABOUT THE
ROLE OF FANS IN SPORTS?
SVP, Momentum North America Director of Sports & Entertainment
Mike Sundet: “In today’s connected, fast-moving world, fans are rightfully accustomed to being in control of the
relationships they have with brands. However, this is not coming to life in sports, with fans too often feeling marginalized.”
Ex-Professional Rugby Player
Peter Winterbottom: “With the fans, sport can achieve anything.”
Professional Footballer
Danny Fox: “There would be no sport without the fans.”
Leader of Fan-Led Group
Carl Huddart: “Sports give fans something they can own, something that is tangible, something they can look after.”
Sports Journalist
Simon Smedley: “You cannot have sports without the fans. It just would not exist.”
School Sports Teacher:
Craig Robinson: “It is fans that ignite the passion and give sports something to fight for.”
Former Sports Club Employee
Helen Fitton: “Fans come together to give sport its soul and provide people with a reason to believe.”
Passionate Fan
Symon Burgess: “Without fans there would be no talking. There would be no conversation to keep the sport alive.”
Casual Fan
Nadir Kahtib: “If there were no fans, there would be no point in sports teams competing.”
Lapsed Fan
Mike Birthwick: “Sports will follow where the most money is.”
24
The world of sports is one of the
most important parts of many
people’s lives.
It is filled with opportunities for
brands to play a role: to connect,
to create value, and to become
associated with the intense
passions that fans feel for their
teams and players.
Momentum knows that world.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
PLEASE CONTACT:
[email protected]
26
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