Two trends we should be watching that may impact our little world of sports fan, attention domination:
First, the rise of video games and virtual worlds.
Video Games have become the biggest pastime of adults, not children. According to the Entertainment Software Assoc., gamers under 18 actually make up fewer than 1/3 of all players, and people over 50 make up 25 percent. Nearly 1 in 5 adults play Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs). Second life has over 5 million registrants. Video games sales in the US are bigger than movie sales worldwide. (Microtrends)
There are real people spending real time and real money on video games, both online and off, and many of these games relate to sports…just not the sports we’re used to playing (and selling).ValleyWag doesn’t necessarily like it
Next, the “nichification” of sports.
In the past 25 years, except for football, interest in the Big Four sports has been plummeting. Baseball is actually the favorite sport of only 11 percent of the US - having not technically been America’s passtime since the 70s. Basketball had its lowest TV ratings ever in the 2005-06 season. Hockey viewership is so miserable thta, in 2005, ESPN stopped airing it altogether…Teen NFL viewers under 18 now hold 10 percent of the market, down from 13 percent in the 90s, and the number of teens who play football, basketball, baseball and ice hockey has fallen off as much as 23 percent over this time.
But here’s what they are doing. Since the mid-1990s the number of varsity sports
…(yet) sports in America are far from declining. They’re just shifting from a communal rite to a personal one…now, sports helps us retreat - often alone - and often to the mountains or the woods or the water. (Microtrends).
What’s your opinion? Where is this heading? Will fans leave the stadiums and turn off their TVs to play paintball online with their virtual friends?
I think sports will continue to be a group activity. There’s nothing else that people get as excited and passionate about. Even with niche sports we’re seeing communities develop. For example there are more action sports social networks than networks for the mainstream american sports (I think).
In case anyone is interested, I posted about IEG’s guide to sponsorship in virtual worlds awhile back, and gave an example of what the NBA is doing. http://www.jasonfpeck.com/2007/06/13/sponsorship-opportunities-in-virtual-worlds/
Pat,
Interesting post. There is no question that video game usage has become mainstream. One has to look no further than ESPN striking a deal with MLG to provide exclusive competitive video gaming coverage to the ESPN lineup. How many would have guessed in the early 80s that Nintendo’s original Baseball game would eventually lead to baseball video game coverage on ESPN?
To answer your Q - I dont think fans will ever completely abandon watching sports. Fans love their teams and their favorite players. But, the internet has totally changed the way fans can consume information. Videos, articles, blogs are all on demand. You dont have to wait for the 11pm sportscenter to get your sports news. The challenge to teams now is figuring out how to use the web to keep the fan engaged in the life of their teams. The web is incredibly more interactive than TV could ever be, so there is a real opportunity to use team webpages as a forum for open communication between players/teams and fans.
The key really is open communication. I am a new yorker and huge knicks fan. It pains me to see the knicks become the most embarrassing franchise in all of sports. I think Knicks fans would be more patient if ownership/management used the web to have open conversation about the direction of the team. Keeping fans in the dark only leads to frustration, especially in bad times. Imagine how more loyal/rabid fans would be if they felt like they had a real line of communication with ownership/management
Jeremy
We have found a way to play sports without burning any significant calories. What a joke.
Somehow, to some, video games are more interesting than the live games. It’s incredible to note that in recent time, adults are actively involved in video gaming. In the past it used to be kids’ stuff but that perception is gone now.