Sporting events and schedules bring many people together and provide escapism all whilst allowing both amateurs and professionals to showcase their talents, compete for glory and in many instances work as a team to pursue their objectives.
The impacts of the Coronavirus have halted nearly all of this across the globe and have put pressure on the revenues of many companies whilst also ceasing the pleasure that millions across the world benefit from.
So here are some ways in which the sporting industry may bounce back and some of the innovative ideas that are trying to fill the void;
1. Sporting Festivals
Once the pandemic has ceased, a huge opportunity exists to capture the magic lost over the past months and accelerate activity by re-imagining the events that have been postponed or cancelled. For example, looking at the ATP and WTA tennis schedules where numerous events in different countries have been lost; imagine a ‘festival’ of events in a relatively condensed time period that remediates the lost seasons whilst also creating something much ‘bigger’ and ‘better’ than before.
Not only will this help to make up the lost ground for the seasons themselves, but it also provides the opportunity to gain increased revenue through sponsorship, media and hosting opportunity.
Taking this a step further, the possibility exists to collaborate with other amateur and professional organisations which carry synergies in fan base, infrastructure and participation.
2. Social Media Events
Throughout the lockdown, the various social media platforms have been central in keeping the world connected and there has been an abundance of sporting professionals engaging with their fan base, fellow athletes and making use of their time by engaging regularly. Some have even been able to ‘compete’ in friendly online based competitions using e-sports or games to facilitate.
This period where social media has been the only outlet and chance for engagement shines the light on how the platforms can be exploited even further. Sporting organisations have the opportunity both now and in the future to innovate and organise more mainstream events using this platform and audience in conjunction/ addition to the regular schedules.
3. Widening the opportunity
Without the chance to watch sport for many, there will surely be a sharp increase in the active tv engagement which will provide the chance for the hosts to increase their capacity. For example, why not use this as an opportunity to widen the participants in the professional sports tournaments and leverage the likely interest that will exist in a few months time.
4. Travel
An already niche market in sports is the sporting travel industry which benefits from significant customers and income each year. We know that the Covid-19 pandemic has been monumentally disruptive to the travel industry in general and clearly altered the everyday life for people including those who frequently travel on holidays, for business or to second homes.
The sporting industry must capture and utilise the potentially significant demand that will exist to travel once the pandemic threat has vanquished. Whilst globally it is uncertain exactly what timescale this will likely involce, it’s possible that after a temporary low, the travel industry will be looking to bounce back.
Sporting events globally already gain significantly from event attendance, but now have the opportunity to look at innovative ways of increasing the association with travel and mutual benefit that can be gained economically.
5. ‘Thank you’
Across the world, the public pay tribute to the thousands of key workers who continue in their roles such as doctors, nurses, care workers, shop staff. Without these dedicated individuals, millions more could have been impacted which has seen generous donations by celebrities, companies and the general public during this difficult time.
It would be a fitting tribute once this pandemic is over and the sporting calendar is re-established to take this further and give thanks to all these people through the power of sport.
Whilst the world is still in an uncertain state and little is know on the recovery effort, sport can play a pivotal part in getting the socio-economic balance back, utilising the underlying constituents that make sport a powerful and ethical weapon for good.
We look forward to seeing how sport will evolve and fulfil this role.
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