In this run up to the Super Bowl, there has been a lot of media discussion about the influence of female fans on the success of sporting events, in general. In a recent MediaLife article, Heidi Dawley, mentions a study by Initiative Sports Futures that finds that more and more women are watching the world’s top sporting events….
The article quotes Kevin Alavy, head of anayltics for Initiative Sports:
“Rather than just being about the pure competitive elements of it, the personalities off the field are becoming as important as the technical skills on the field.”
He goes on to say that the increasing salaries for these professional athletes usually lead to more aspirational lifestyles, which then make people interested in them as celebrities, in addition to or beyond their sports status. If that were solely the case, celebrity fades and the fan might not stick around season after season.
Instead, it might be that by the time the “glitz” wears off, the sports fan has sunk his or her teeth into the game, built some community with like-minded others, and is planning to stick around for a while. What draws your fans to the sport, or customers to your brand, at first, may be one thing (lifestyle, celebrity…), but what keeps them watching/buying is the connection they have then built with those who share that interest.
David Beckham’s recent arrival in Los Angeles and outrageous salary will be old news soon enough, but by then a whole new group of female fans who had initially been attracted by his looks/lifestyle (yawn) may well have discovered they like the game of soccer. I’m betting on that.
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andrea, i suggest that women are generally to smart to get involved with professional sports just for the sake of it. while we boring men watch female tennis match with maria sharapova claiming that we have always loved the game since martina navratilova time, you do not hide watching soccer for david beckham. yeah, maybe you can get interested in watching some more matches but when he retire, female audience may drop dramatically.
Did you see “Fever Pitch” with Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon? I thought they portrayed the spirit of what being a fan is and how if you let yourself you can get caught up in the excitement of the game. There are a lot of women that are attracted to sports through their mate’s obsession. If she is at all inclined, it makes for a fun relationship when both partners are invested in a team.
People don’t get that women don’t just watch for the chick angles…
http://femalesportsfans.blogspot.com/