Sports and marketing have always been linked together. Marketing is a huge part of sports and the sports industry. It is used to promote and sell products, teams, and players. Here are a few ways how marketing has impacted the sports industry…
In sports, the general tactic of marketing has…
Increased Popularity and Accessibility
The sports industry has been impacted by marketing in many ways. For one, marketing has made sports more popular and accessible to people all over the world. It has also made sports more commercialized, which has led to higher salaries for athletes and more revenue for sports leagues.
Drove Competition
Marketing has also played a role in making sports more competitive. By promoting rivalries between teams and players, marketing has helped create a more intense level of competition among athletes. This, in turn, has made sports more entertaining for fans and more profitable for the sports industry.
Encouraged Participation
Finally, marketing has helped to increase participation in sports. By making sports more visible and accessible, marketing has encouraged more people to get involved in playing and watching sports. This increased participation has benefits for both athletes and the sports industry as a whole.
Real examples of marketing in sports…
Social media
Who’s the most followed person on Instagram? Not a movie star, singer, or world leader… but an athlete. Cristiano Ronaldo, a professional soccer player for the Portugal National Football Team, has a staggering 238 million followers, which makes him the most popular person on Instagram. And he’s not alone — other top athletes like LeBron James, Lionel Messi, and Neymar all have over 100 million followers each. This massive social media following doesn’t just happen by accident — it’s the result of clever marketing by both the athletes and their teams. By harnessing the power of social media, athletes and sports teams have been able to appeal to a bigger audience and pique interest in their sport.
Product placement
Have you ever noticed how many times you see a certain sports drink or pair of sneakers in a professional sports game? That’s because product placement is a very common marketing tactic in sports. Companies will pay top athletes and sports teams to prominently display their products during games in order to generate more interest and sales. Just think about how often you see Gatorade being consumed by NFL players on the sidelines or Nike sneakers being worn by NBA players on the court.
Sponsorship
It sure seems like Kansas City’s all-star quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, is in every other commercial nowadays. That’s because he signed sponsorship deals with Adidas, Oakley’s, Bose, State Farm, Head & Shoulders, and even local companies like Hy-Vee (plus lots more!). Deals like these are just a few examples of how marketing has changed the sports landscape by making athletes into walking (and talking) billboards for brands.
Podcasts
Podcasts have become the next big thing and it’s changed every industry. In sports, podcasts have become a popular way for athletes and sports personalities to connect with fans. By providing insights and stories from behind the scenes, podcasts give sports fans a unique perspective that they can’t get anywhere else. And, because they are so easy and inexpensive to produce, podcasts have become an attractive marketing tool for sports teams and leagues as well. The next time you’re feeling a podcast check out The Bill Simmons Podcast or Pardon My Take.
Merchandise
Everyone wants to rep their favorite team, which has led to a major spike in merchandise sales. Companies like Fanatics and Nike sell a wide variety of sports-related products, which has helped to increase the revenue of sports teams and leagues. By promoting the brands of teams and athletes, marketing has made it easier for fans to find and purchase sports-related products.
Television
Two words. Super. Bowl. The annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL) is the most-watched television event in the United States. In 2019, Super Bowl LIII had an audience of 103.4 million viewers, which was a 5% increase from the previous year. The high viewership of the Super Bowl and other sports events has made television a valuable marketing tool for sports teams and leagues. By partnering with television networks, sports teams and leagues have been able to reach a wider audience and generate more interest in their sport.
Closing thoughts
Marketing has had a profound impact on the sports industry. By making sports more popular and accessible, driving competition, and encouraging participation, marketing has helped to shape the sports world as we know it today. Thanks to marketing, the sports industry is bigger and more profitable than ever before. And that’s something we can all cheers to!
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