When we first sat down to discuss the trends affecting the sports business in 2018, it was clear that the most significant of these had been with us for some years. And yet, the pace of change feels faster than ever, and the scale of change greater than ever.
To identify this year’s trends, we interviewed industry executives from brands, media and rights holders around the world, and crossreferenced this with input from our own experts. What we found is that the big, tectonic movements – such as the rise of digital media, esports and diversity issues – are setting off many smaller ripples of activity – such as the rise of short-form video, content-led esports sponsorship and new women’s sports formats. That feeling of rapid, great change is very real.
What does this mean for sports? First, we believe, it means opportunity. Barriers to entry have never been lower. More markets around the world than ever before are receptive to the power of sports. It’s never been easier to reach millions, even billions, of fans.
This vast opening up of opportunity brings an increase in competition: for sponsors, for media revenue, for fan attention. Sports must work harder than ever to obtain, retain and grow their fan bases and revenue streams.
That work starts with understanding what is happening in the industry and figuring out what it means for your organization. And that’s where this white paper comes in. This is a first step towards that understanding – an outline of the most important broad trends shaping the sports business landscape in 2018. We hope it helps guide your path through the year ahead.
