Bayern Munich will continue to conduct its official team presentation in an interactive global format, despite negative feedback from club supporters and media outlets in Germany following this year's initial streaming event, according to information obtained by SBD Global. Bayern Munich this year for the first time turned its official team presentation into an almost two-hour
Facebook Live stream. The format, which was intended to reach the club’s large number of int'l fans, featured interviews in a late night talk show setting along with several interactive segments. However, many German supporters were less than impressed by the event, which was streamed exclusively in English, calling it “embarrassing” on social media. The club is expected to review the format and tweak it here and there for next season based on the feedback of users and local fans. The reason for the club’s decision to change the format in the first place, away from the traditional team introduction, followed by a public practice and autograph session at Munich’s Allianz Arena, was simple. Bayern Munich has more than 38 million Facebook fans, and 35 million of those are not from Germany. The overall viewership numbers of the Facebook Live stream proved Bayern’s decision right. An accumulated audience of 500,000 users tuned in to watch #FCBDay1, the show’s official name. That is more than the 300,000 users that were online to watch the club’s title celebrations. The stream also engaged users from more than 100 countries.
NO RETURN: Bayern declined to comment on its future plans, but it is understood the club knows that in order to push its internationalization strategy forward it has to make the team more accessible to global audiences. Bayern execs have to find the right balance between reaching more int'l fans while not alienating their domestic fan base. A combination of a practice session at the arena for local fans along with interactive elements is one of many possibilities for '17. Insurance company Allianz and Bayern will review this year's event and make the necessary changes for next year. Allianz, a global partner of the club and its stadium naming-rights partner, was also the one that came up with the idea for the new format. Following the conclusion of the streaming event, Bayern’s players took the field for a public practice and signed plenty of autographs. This extension of an olive branch, however, was not enough to keep local supporters from voicing their distaste of the event. Bayern did not disclose the production cost of the event, which is understood to be in the high six figures. The club’s pursuit of global expansion is in full swing. The team is coming off a U.S. preseason tour, with a trip to China earmarked for ’17. Bayern Munich will also open its second int'l office in Shanghai next month.
