HOW CAN CLUBS USE DATA TO CHANGE THE FAN EXPERIENCE FOR THE BETTER?

The expectations of football fans are beginning to change; younger generations have a greater need for interaction, soaking up any content they can like a ball-shaped novelty sponge. For clubs though, driving Fan Engagement is a delicate balancing act; pushing too far towards the Digital spectrum has the potential to sour the traditional atmosphere of a game or, in the extreme, alienate long-standing supporters, more attuned to the culture of a Saturday afternoon on the terraces.

Clubs should be looking at ways of enriching, not disrupting, the experience when developing their digital offering by:

a. bringing exclusive must-see and relevant content
b. extending the experience beyond match day
c. giving a viewpoint to fans that brings them closer to the action.

There is one property, readily available to clubs that can be used to deliver engaging content spanning all of these concepts – data.

AN UNTAPPED RESOURCE: USING THE LANGUAGE OF DATA

The English Premier League is arguably the most highly regarded league in world football, and home to many of the most valuable clubs and brands. This international appeal means clubs within the league must look for ways to connect with fans across numerous time zones and continents.

Most digital fan content is simply implemented, yet still very welcome – exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, live updates, interactive match-day programmes, post-match activity, highlights, etc. However, the inherent problem with the majority of this content is a language one.

For teams with a global fan base, the real catalyst for Driving Fan Engagement in our digital present may be found in ways of providing additional insight – data could be key to enhancing the match-day experience and beyond – its language is practically universal.

The popularity of PC and console titles such as Championship Manager, Football Manager and even the FIFA and PES series, highlights the real desire for the consumption of, and interaction with, statistics and analysis. These technologies are already in place and being used to track the performance of players by the clubs themselves – so can clubs look to open this data using fan-friendly presentations as part of a real-time, digital fan experience package?

intechnologyWiFi provides an unrivalled digital content solution for football clubs and stadium owners, as part of its end-to-end, free WiFi solution, with the power to generate bold and exciting new revenue streams around fan engagement.