Technology is being used to not only push the limits of fan engagement but also to redefine how fans interact with their favourite sports, leagues, teams and players. And nowhere is this more apparent than in the gambling industry which has taken to technological innovation like a duck to water as it drives the industry forward all while vying to grow its base of players and bettors.
Tapping into innovative technology has allowed the gambling industry to move to the forefront of sports, if not change the face of the game entirely. It has shifted the landscape of sports media: the way sports are covered and broadcast. It has raised the stakes for industry leaders and their relationship with consumers. And it’s steadily forcing the legalisation of sports betting across the country following the repeal of PAPSA in 2018 which lifted the federal ban on sports betting.
Sports fans are experiencing the games they love in ever-increasing new ways. Thanks to the advent of innovative technology such as smartphones and mobile devices helping facilitate the exponential rise of online gambling websites, as well as social media and interactive content platforms – all of which together pushed the boundaries of sports fan engagement to previously unimaginable heights – sports fandom is a whole new ballgame.
Before the advent of smart technology and online platforms, following a sport used to be a relatively passive experience. It was relegated to catching games on television or going to a game to see it unfold live, experiencing every single excruciating, nerve-wracking second until the game’s conclusion. On occasion it might have included a trip down to the local bookmaker’s shop or any other legal brick-and-mortar establishment to place a wager. While periphery activities such as watching sports news on TV or reading the sports page in newspapers, and buying merchandise offered the only alternative avenues to fans looking to enhance their involvement beyond the actual sport/game experience.
How sports fans consume sports is primarily different due to the rise of sports betting. The days of sitting on a couch and consuming an entire game are on the decline as evinced by falling TV ratings. The debate regarding falling ratings is still an ongoing one, but arguably sports betting has played a major factor in the decline of conventional sports viewing.
This has happened in several ways with the gambling industry focused on enhancing the fan experience. Primarily, online sportsbooks going mobile was the first major step towards exacting irreversible change in fan behaviour. Almost 4 billion people around the world own a smartphone, a massive global market that online sportsbooks were keen to tap into and the most trusted and secure online sportsbooks today will provide a comprehensive mobile betting experience. Other gambling industry insiders and partners have also gone mobile alongside online sportsbooks, offering betting tips, expert handicapping analysis, insight into up-to-date odds such as NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and ncaaf odds by SBR, bespoke virtual contests, and much, much more.
Going mobile has allowed fans to bet on the go, underscoring the way sports is being consumed further. Nowadays, many online sportsbooks will also offer live online streaming of sports game, thereby allowing fans to watch a game alongside other interactive activities on their websites, including live-betting and other gamification offers that add to a fans ultimate viewing and betting thrills.
Fans that bet on sports regularly will rather turn to highlights or a segment of a game to get the information required to place bets. These work just as well to determine if bets were winning ones rather than watching a game in its entirety. That’s what sports bettors are most interested in after all. Whether they were right about which team would win or cover the point spread and total. As well, they’re interested in very specific things such as how many touchdowns did Patrick Mahomes throw, how many yards did Tyreek Hill gobble up, or how many points by both teams combined were scored in the NCAAF National Championship game.
To be successful in sports betting, research and doing your due diligence is key. Thus, game stats, betting trends, recaps are just some of the wide assortments of tools readily accessible online and via the gambling industry. This kind of funnelled down information at one’s fingertips is unquantifiable, especially when looking to bet on more than one game at a time. Who has the time to watch an entire weekend of NFL or NCAAF games with a jampacked schedule on Saturday and Sunday in order to figure out where the best bets are to be had? What if a sports fan follows more than one sport….eeek. It’s impossible to dedicate unlimited hours to watching sports, no matter how much of a super fan one is.
The landscape of sports is changing and with it so too is the sports fan, all thanks in large part to the marriage between technology and the gambling industry. While the above article highlights some of the changes, there are many others that have contributed to the shifting landscape. And. importantly, this trend is only going to continue, pushing the limits of innovation and imagination, ushering in more change. Simply put, the old ways are lost and there’s no going back.