Rights holders are having trouble keeping up with changing media habits, according to a top exec at Nissan. Nissan GM, Global Brand Strategy Gerhard Fourie said, "Everything is changing and it's changing very quickly. I think to the point where rights holders sometimes have an issue keeping up with how fans are changing the way they consume [sport]." Fourie was speaking on a panel with Coke VP, Global Assets & Partnerships Ricardo Fort and Carlsberg Global Senior Marketing Manager Richard Whitty on Wednesday at the London Telegraph Business of Sport 2017 conference.
TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN: The panel agreed technology, particularly the rise of social media, had turned sport sponsorship on its head from what it was five years ago, when activation was primarily around broadcast and perimeter boards. Whitty said that now "being a fan was pretty much a full-time job," because there is so much more exposure of sporting stars to fans. The panel also discussed whether broadcasters held too much sway over rights holders and whether rights holders were overly concerned about upsetting broadcasters. Fourie said, "The broadcasters are very important in those contracts and hold a lot of sway." He said that rights holders could be too cautious when it comes to embracing new technology. The panel members also discussed new technology and said that they were optimistic about the potential of VR, AR and wearable technologies.
John Reynolds is a writer in London.
