The DataPOWA view on the most important talking points in the worlds of sport sponsorship, digital & AI.
2020: THE YEAR IN SPORTS WHERE EVERYBODY LOST
They may now be the saddest fireworks in all of sports, a kaleidoscope that bursts with each Green Bay Packers score and normally riles the cheesehead-wearing rowdies at Lambeau Field. Even better, since they boom seconds ahead of the delayed television broadcast, they normally signal to revelers in nearby bars and party houses that the action on their screens is going to end triumphantly. They don’t do that this year, not in the age of the coronavirus.
For more on this story, head to NewYorkTimes
THE MOST VALUABLE ESPORTS COMPANIES IN 2020
Video games might be all the rage during the pandemic, but pro video game teams are not. A year ago, esports companies—which play competitive versions of games like Fortnite and Call of Duty, sometimes in front of crowds of 40,000 or more—were gushing about war chests; oversubscribed funding rounds; celebrity investors like Drake, Stephen Curry and Jennifer Lopez; and a future that would see gaming teams eclipsing NFL teams in monetary value.
For more on this story, head to Forbes
BANNING BETTING WILL CREATE A HUGE VOID THAT MAY NEVER BE FILLED
A few months ago, football club Swansea City announced its university namesake as its new shirt sponsor and thereby broke ties with a betting company. They may be just the first of many football clubs to break away from gambling and, like Swansea City, they will take a financial hit from the switch.
For more on this story, head to CityAM
FANS BACK WITH GUSTO IN PREMIER LEAGUE GAMES
Fans of the professional football club in Liverpool, England – Liverpool F.C. – watched their side in pitch action for the first time as Premier League champions on December 6th. ‘The Reds’ clinched the crown for 2019-20 on June 24th this year.
For more on this story, head to Coliseum
GYMSHARK: AN INFLUENTIAL STORY
How A Former Pizza Hut Delivery Guy Used TikTok And Instagram To Build Gymshark Into A Billion-Dollar Sportswear Brand. Let Nike pay billions for superstars to rock the swoosh. Twenty-eight-year-old Ben Francis has become a near-billionaire by paying relative pennies to social media fitness fanatics to pump up his brand.
For more on this story, head to Forbes
GOOD SHOUT
CNBC: Women’s soccer set viewership records in 2020 — now it needs to keep them watching
ANDREESSEN HOROWITZ: Live, Social, and Shoppable: The Future of Video
MPORA: The Most Breathtaking Football Pitches In The World | From Bhutan To Greenland
REDDIT: Reddit’s 2020 Year In Review
MCLAREN: No Strings Attached with Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris