© Pexels

The Quest for a New Generation of Sports Fans and Their Dollars

In today's rapidly evolving entertainment landscape, the race to capture the attention of the youngest generation of sports fans and their disposable income is in full swing. From the acquisition of amateur soccer club Hasselt by podcaster Sam Kerkhofs, to the YouTube cycling team "Tour de Tietema," and even a documentary series featuring Average Rob and Remco Evenepoel, these endeavors are all aimed at the eyes of the emerging generation of fans who are increasingly turning away from live sports. These fans are seeking more than just the game; they crave 24-hour soap operas that delve into the lives of their favorite athletes.

At the forefront of this movement is Bas Tietema, a 28-year-old Dutchman who has been providing remarkable offbeat entertainment in the world of cycling. He attracts hundreds of thousands of online viewers with guerrilla-style clips from within the peloton. From the commercial success of his YouTube channel, Tour de Tietema, the TDT-Unibet Cycling Team was born, set to advance to the ProContinental level next year, just below the pinnacle of professional cycling.

However, Tietema emphasizes that at its core, his venture remains a media company. A significant portion of his team's workforce—ten out of forty employees—consists of camera crews, social media editors, marketers, video translators, and webshop professionals. This sets them apart from most traditional sports teams, where social media often takes a secondary role.

Online, you can find an array of video content created by influencers and content creators, a term that encompasses individuals like Tietema who see opportunities in what Professor Lieven De Marez calls "our life in a parallel world." This online world has blurred the line between the physical and digital, as friendships on Snapchat, dinner photos shared in WhatsApp groups, and tracked bike rides on Strava become integral parts of our lives.

What we consume is shifting from traditional brands and media to individuals—ranging from Hollywood stars and athletes to podcasters who resonate with people for various reasons. This marks a new reality in entertainment, where classic forms of entertainment coexist with the new digital landscape, leading to a fusion of content delivery mechanisms.

In the sports world, ambitious entrepreneurs are making their mark, with Hollywood A-list actor Ryan Reynolds and his partner, the lesser-known actor Rob McElhenney, taking over the English fifth-tier football club, Wrexham. Their journey was documented in the docuseries "Welcome to Wrexham," attracting millions of viewers on Disney+ and social media platforms, and even drawing thousands of fans to the stadium. As a result, multinational companies like HP and United Airlines have become the main sponsors of a Welsh amateur club, demonstrating the transformative power of such initiatives.

Reynolds and McElhenney, originally from traditional entertainment backgrounds, found inspiration in the Netflix series "Sunderland 'Til I Die," a documentary about a struggling English professional soccer club. Their ability to connect authentically with the audience, showcasing themselves as regular individuals striving for success, has been a key factor in their success.

This phenomenon explains the appeal of Bas Tietema's content, even though he lacks the backing of America's entertainment industry giants. His focus remains on telling stories that engage sports fans in general rather than catering exclusively to niche cycling enthusiasts.

"Welcome to Wrexham" has inspired similar initiatives in Belgium. Popular podcaster Sam Kerkhofs and actor Rik Verheye recently acquired Sporting Hasselt, a fourth-division soccer club. Their challenge is to grow the club sustainably without substantial external capital injections. Amateur clubs don't have access to broadcast rights revenues, so they rely on increasing sponsorships by creating a buzz through various forms of content.

Kerkhofs, known for his community-building skills, is particularly popular among younger consumers, giving him an advantage with sponsors aiming to reach millennials and Generation Z.

In this age of constantly evolving entertainment, where the line between live and digital content blurs, the challenge is to maintain the core product's appeal while adapting to changing preferences. Younger generations are consuming sports in shorter, more diverse formats, favoring clips on social media or interactive gaming experiences. While this shift is challenging for cable companies and streaming services, live sports still hold immense value, and experimentation is thriving in lower-tier leagues like Wrexham, Sporting Hasselt, and Tour de Tietema.

In conclusion, today's entertainment landscape is witnessing a convergence of traditional and digital media, and the key to success lies in creating engaging content that resonates with the evolving tastes of the younger generation. Bas Tietema's journey, the takeover of Sporting Hasselt, and the rise of influencers and content creators mark a paradigm shift in how we experience and consume sports and entertainment. It's an "always on" world, and the challenge is to capture and maintain the attention of a generation that can easily switch to the next enticing offering.