Lessons to be taken from the Bundesliga’s return include maximizing digital sponsorship activityGETTY IMAGES
Germany's Bundesliga reboot has offered the "first glimpse as to how clubs, leagues, sponsors and broadcasters will need to quickly adapt to a new normal once other elite sports begin to return around the world," according to Lara O'Reilly of DIGIDAY. Sports marketing agency Two Circles co-Founder Matt Rogan noted that among the Bundesliga's innovations are new "flexibility over broadcast deals and new interactive options, such as live stats and Sky Deutschland and FS1 viewers being given the choice to add artificial crowd noise." In a climate where global sponsorship rights fees are projected to fall 37% to $28.9B in '20, O'Reilly writes the "lessons to be taken" from the Bundesliga’s return include "maximizing digital sponsorship activity in lieu of corporate hospitality." Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen has worked with sponsors to "create content for its social and digital channels as it looks to compensate for the lack of a full stadium experience." German Football League Head of Digital Innovations Moritz Muecke said that he would "advise against clubs introducing e-ticketing or virtual VIP experiences to monetize existing fans in lieu of ticket sales," though some clubs "facing financial insolvency may see no other option." Muecke: "A lot of fans at the moment are already giving back to their clubs by maybe not canceling the season ticket they already have" (DIGIDAY.com, 5/29).
FEEL THE NOISE: ESPN’s Taylor Twellman said of piping in crowd noise during soccer games, “If you’re going to play vuvuzelas, then I’d rather go play in oncoming traffic. But if your audio engineer is on point, I think it adds to the viewing experience. It’s going to be interesting to see how the NFL and the NBA look at this because both leagues are watching intently” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 5/29).
