冠状病毒和体育运动：对球迷和赞助的影 响.docx

ContentsIntroduction1 Using Digital Channels to Engage Fans6The Evolving Sponsorship Landscape9Adjusting Live EventStrategy12Economic Impact onFans15 Key TakeawaysHow Can Euromonitor International Help?Adjusting Live Event StrategySuccessful sponsorship strategies rely on strong fan and brand alliances, but it is important to remember not all sports fans are homogenous. Another critical factor to consider is the impact of live events and how fan behaviour can vary. Across professional sports, notable changes are being implemented to ensure fans will feel comfortable upon their return to see live sports.The venue, be it a stadium, arena, golf course or racetrack has always been a platform for consumption. This level of consumption is linked to the quality of entertainment on offer and the choice of venue itself. To ensure maximum fan engagement, technology has been playing an increasingly important role, yet COVID-19 has shifted the goalposts. For now, fans will be less satisfied with innovations like augmented reality and enhanced game statistics and will react better to pragmatic safety protocols put in place for in-person games.As a result, tech partners are more actively working with sports properties on: Facial biometric scanning and thermal temperature checks upon entry Food and drink deliveries for all stationary fansIn-venue navigation solutions to help intelligently guide fans throughout the venue and minimising riskTeam sports are in a position to adapt quickly. The well-structured football leagues in Europe and the major leagues of North America are well linked to an identity such as permanent home venues, set fixture lists and loyal fans to sustain ticket sales. While these leagues will have to cope with large volumes of fans, the controlled nature of the stadiums and arenas will make the restoration of fan confidence possible.10 aDjUsting live event strategyTop Eight Leagues in North America vs Western Europe Ticket Spend / Number of Games 2018 /19 and 2019 SeasonsTotal Ticket Spend (latest complete season, USD billions) < Number of MatchessolplelAI jo qEnNSource: Euromonitor InternationalOutside the realm of team sports, many one-off or infrequent events offer similar live entertainment experiences. These events, however, do not secure quantifiable loyalty that is seen in team sports, making it more difficult to predict if and how fans will return.The UFC, for instance, is unmatched in mixed martial arts but lacks the structure and consistency of a league. Despite many flagship fights being held in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the organisation is nomadic, with a strong footprint in Latin America and Europe. Deciding whether to regularly move to new venues to host fights will depend on the organisation's confidence in logistics, venues and the fan's confidence in the UFC as an organisation, since fans purchase tickets based on the live experience rather than in support of one particular fighter.In most cases, the average ticket price to attend a UFC event exceeds a ticket to the NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB. The lack of regular schedules and varying levels of loyalty will cause a shift in how events are promoted and sold to fans. Not all MMA and boxing events will boast a super fight as the main event on the fight card and therefore events will be more prone to fluctuation than regular leagues. Hosting more fights in the home of combat sports, Las Vegas, will offer much-needed structure and consistency from the short to mid-term, where fights generally attract higher ticket revenues than the Vegas Golden Knights NHL team.aDjUsting live event strategy 11T-Mobile Arena: Average Ticket Price 2018T-Mobile Arena: Average Ticket Price 2018Source: Euromonitor InternationalOther nomadic sports competitions, such as the PGA, LPGA and the European Tour in golf have a portfolio of tournaments across the globe where fan attraction to the event and the sport exist, in some cases more than to a specific athlete. Managing operations at flagship events such as the Waste Management Phoenix Open, which attracts more than 700,000 fans to the tournament, will be key to ensuring the popularity of these sports. How to do this safely will be the challenge.Waste Management Open Versus PGA Tour Average 2019800,0006T0Z guepu _SO16T0Z guepu _SO1700,000600,000500,000400,000300,000200,000100,0000Waste Management Phoenix OpenPGA Tour event averageSource: Euromonitor InternationalChoosing the right venues, partners and deploying tech solutions will be key to addressing the challenges following the disruption of CO VID-19 and rebuilding confidence with fans.Economic Impact on FansThe appetite for sports throughout the disruption appears to be sustaining as fans adjust to watching their favourite teams play in empty stadiums. All these initial signs are positive, yet it is important to consider fans within the broader economic context.Euromonitor expects COVID-19 to have a short-to-medium term effect on consumer choices, preferences and willingness to spend on non-essentials. As a result, sports will be affected not just by restrictions imposed within the industry (cancellations, postponements, social distancing within venues etc.), but by external factors such as wider changes in consumer spending habits.To better understand where sports properties might be more sensitive to reductions in spending, average ticket prices for both team and non-team sports events in key sports markets need to be considered. The following chart shows how costly attending sports is, relative to monthly disposable income. The larger proportion of income the ticket price comprises, the more willing individuals might be to reconsider their decision to attend a sports event.Affordability of Attending Team Sports Events (Ticket Cost as % of Monthly Disposable Income Per Capita) Relative ticket cost for average fan (all team sports) Relative ticket cost for average fan (most followed league)Source: Euromonitor InternationaleConomiC impact on Fans 13Competitions and clubs based in countries with low ticket costs and disposable income ratio (Germany, South Korea, Australia) will be least affected, as it would require more than a slight change in income or consumption habit to stop attending sports. On the other hand, sports properties based in countries with lower disposable income, or where tickets for events are more expensive in comparison to the average income should consider taking steps to revaluate their pricing strategies and encourage consistent demand.India has the most expensive top team sports competitions relative to earnings in the country. In addition to this, an average ticket for the most followed competition domestically, the Indian Premier League (IPL), which normally attracts around 26,500 attendees per game on average in 2019, is even more costly, accounting for nearly 20% of an average local person's income. 2020 IPL season has been indefinitely suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.On the other hand, attending top sports events is not particularly taxing for locals in Australia and South Korea. The Australian Football League (AFL), attracting 35,100 spectators per game on average, sits 11th across all leagues globally in the latest Euromonitor's League Index, which ranks team sports competitions by their commercial attractiveness. Despite this, an average ticket for an AFL game was priced at a relatively moderate US$31 in 2019. Tickets to the highest tier football (K League 1) and baseball (KBO League) games in South Korea can be acquired for even lower, US$9 and US$10 respectively.Non-team sports (tennis, golf, motorsport, combat sports) events are the least affordable for locals in major Latin American countries and Indonesia due to lower income in these regions, and top sports events often being more costly to attend than elsewhere. For example, Mexican Fl Grand Prix is the most expensive Formula 1 event, with an average ticket sold at US$580 in 2019 (Fl average US$279). Despite the multitude of high-profile sports events in North America, Western Europe and Australia, these are relatively affordable for locals compared to other regions.14 eConomiC impact on FansAffordability of Attending Non-team Sports Events (Ticket Cost as % of Monthly Disposable Income Per Capita) Relative ticket cost for ave rage fan (non-team sports events)Source: Euromonitor InternationalFrom the sports properties' perspective, the ability to adapt their pricing strategies is likely to be affected by the comparative share of their revenue. Large US competitions like the National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) are less likely to be troubled by a temporary decline in attendance, as these organisations receive most of their revenue from broadcasting deals and advertising. But Major League Baseball (MLB), Major League Soccer (MLS) and NASCAR are significantly more reliant on gate revenue, therefore these properties are more likely to react and cater their offers to be more affordable post-pandemic. With more fans captured by increasingly innovative broadcasting and streaming technologies, venue attendance in the USA has been declining even before the pandemic struck. The average attendance of MLB has been decreasing by 1.8% annually (CAGR) since 2015 and NFL has declined by 0.6% annually over the same period.Sports properties will likely employ fan friendly pricing strategies going forward to encourage the return of live attendance. Another approach will be to further increase the value for money for ticket buyers, providing a premium experience for a general admission cost, something that sports properties are already trying to achieve. The key to success will be competitive pricing that doesn't marginalise loyal fans.Key TakeawaysThe sports industry is in a process of understanding the full impact of the pandemic and re-thinking existing business models to adjust to the changes. From renowned athletes to high earning industry executives, pay cuts and wage deferrals are now common. Sports broadcasters are faced with an unwanted abundance of empty airtime and as a result, greatly diminished advertising revenues. No single solution will spark a return to pre-pandemic commercial revenue levels within sports. However, as sports properties continue to devise a strategic roadmap to navigate through uncertainty, there are common lessons being learned.The most commercially successful sports teams globally all boast a strong online following and this is what makes them appealing to sponsoring companies. COVID-19 has led to an even greater shift to engage and activate this fanbase and continue to generate growth despite the lack of live sports. Sponsorship investments and marketing budgets will continue to shrink as a result of cross industry performance and reduced brand exposure from sports and re-gaining the confidence of partners despite the disruption will be necessary to maintain partnerships. This will depend on sports properties' ability to demonstrate they can connect with fans across a range of digital platforms in unique and novel ways.When it comes to the return of live events globally there are two major questions to be addressed: Are fans confident enough to return, and if so, how much will they be willing to spend on tickets? How will technology aid the creation of comprehensive safety protocols across the entirety of the fan journey for a successful return to live sports?Many in the industry believe the return of sports might surpass pre-pandemic engagement levels. Yet across the industry there is an understanding that sports won't simply zpick up where it left off'. The relationship between fans, sports properties, sponsors and broadcasters will change and live matchday experiences will evolve. However, there is space for optimism amidst the crisis so far the unique ability of sports to bring together and connect large groups of people globally exhibits characteristics of immunity and resilience to CO VID-19.IntroductionThe Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has brought widespread disruption to the sports industry, creating an unprecedented series of challenges for stakeholders globally. Sports properties (i.e. athletes, teams, events and competitions) consist of three core revenue streams; live events or /matchday, sponsorships and broadcasting. These industry foundations have all been greatly impacted, with postponed and cancelled events coupled with reduced marketing budgets for brands ultimately leaving sports in a state of flux.This paper assesses the key short to mid-term challenges the industry is facing and provides potential solutions for the following areas;The digital shift: The cancellation of live events has shifted engagement through social media from a znice to have' to a necessity, making a comprehensive digital strategy essential. Building and leveraging online fanbases will deliver value for sponsors who are focused on maximising brand exposure and for fans eager to connect with their favourite athletes and teams. The sponsorship landscape: Every aspect of sponsorship has been disrupted, including the ability to leverage rights, getting the expected ROI and activating partnerships in a way that is sensitive to the world beyond sports. Brands need to be certain that sports properties will remain the powerful vehicles for driving engagement that they were prior to the crisis. The future of live attendance: Delivering a seamless experience for fans attending live events has been a common strategic goal across sports. Since COVID49, this emphasis has shifted to focusing on how fans can be brought back safely and regularly. This analysis also looks at whether the quest for 'seamless' and 'safe' strategies can work together rather than in conflict, and what role technology partners will play when tackling this challenge. Economic impact on fans: It is important to examine sports fans within the current economic landscape. Many fans have been hit financially and top tier leagues are still commanding premium ticket prices. Increased unemployment and global economic uncertainty have cast doubt on whether the demand for sports will return to previous heights, or whether it will be undermined by fractured confidence and high-ticket prices.Resilience and flexibility will be crucial in navigating the new world of live sports events and reaching a financially viable z/new normal”.Using Digital Channels to Engage FansThe COVID-19 crisis has forced the world's biggest sports leagues to postpone or cancel seasons and, in some cases, play games behind closed doors without fans in attendance. This has brought increased pressure on sports properties to retain their connection with loyal fans and ensure they continue delivering value for sponsors. As a result, the indust