Study: Sports Fans Have Growing Interest in Digital Offers

Modern technologies and innovative applications are increasingly changing the fan experience in the stadium and at home. As the Capgemini Research Institute's study "Emerging Technology in Sports: Reimagining the Fan Experience" shows, the new digital services are well received by fans - and thus offer sports organisations new opportunities for customer retention.

According to the study, 69 percent of fans use digital technologies or apps to enrich the experience of watching a sporting event at the venue or at home. For example, 50 percent of those surveyed have already used smartphone apps in the stadium to call up live information about the game. 48 percent used fast Wifi or had the possibility to order food and drinks online and have them delivered to their seats. 43 percent of the fans used wearables as electronic tickets.

"Digitalization is increasingly influencing the customer experience of fans inside and outside the stadium," says Christian Schacht, Vice President Digital Customer Experience at Capgemini in Germany: "It also offers clubs and sports organisations the opportunity to involve not only visitors in the stadium but people all over the world in the sporting event and to turn them into fans through a positive experience.

Outside the stadium, innovative offers are also well received: 40 percent of the fans have already used VR glasses to experience the stadium atmosphere at home.

Modern technologies strengthen the loyalty of fans: 56 percent of those surveyed who had a positive experience thanks to digital technologies would like to see more of their team's matches live in the stadium. 60 percent would like to see more games online via live stream. 49 percent said that they had already spent more money on fan articles more often after such positive experiences.

"To achieve this, meaningful digital offerings must be developed, with real-time offerings being the key success factor. Associations have an advantage here, as they are virtually at the source. However, in order to achieve a competitive advantage, clubs should become more courageous in using digital technologies," said Schacht.

Fans in Asia are particularly open to new technologies. 88 percent of Indian respondents have already used apps, wearables or other technologies in the stadium. In the USA (56 percent) and Germany (50 percent) the shares are significantly lower. In France, Great Britain and Australia, the figures were each below 50 percent.

Positive technology experiences also encourage the willingness to pay: 71 percent of Asian fans are prepared to pay more if their stadium visit is enriched by digital offerings. In North America, 40 percent of the fans can imagine this, in Europe 34 percent and in Australia 33 percent.

The Capgemini Research Institute has selected a total of 10,363 sports fans for the study. from Germany, France, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, USA, India, Singapore and Hongkong on the influence of digital technologies on fans and the future of sport.