Comment: It’s time to bring more influencers into sport broadcasting

Sports used to be all about the action on the field, but today, it’s the battle for viewer attention happening off-field that’s the real competition. With younger generations more likely to follow a highlight reel than a full game, leagues and broadcasters are scrambling to redefine what it means to be a fan.

How do you balance catering to lifelong fans while reeling in younger audiences, who crave fast-paced, on-demand content? The influencer is emerging as the MVP for any broadcaster seeking to bridge this gap.

With the news that Gary Lineker will step down from Match Of The Day at the end of this season, the BBC might consider the power of influencers to inject new life into its flagship football programme. There are a few reasons why moving the goalposts could be a stroke of genius.

The human stories behind the score line

Next-gen audiences crave the human stories of the players and athletes behind the scorelines. From F1 and rugby to the NFL and the NBA, more sports are embracing opportunities to highlight the personalities of their stars.

Series like Drive To Survive have capitalised on this, with the Netflix show drawing in new fans to Formula One. The Miami Grand Prix welcomed 360,000 new viewers, though this impressive number pales next to the series itself, which accumulated 28.1 million hours watch time in the launch weekend of the 4th season alone.

Influencers provide an invaluable bridge between the stars on-screen — explored in programmes such as Drive To Survive — and the viewers at home. The reality is that F1’s leading drivers, on their $13 million yearly salaries, are hardly relatable as standalone figures to those sitting at home. So whilst indulging in their luxurious lives on a glorified reality TV show appeals to some, the connection doesn’t always translate to hours-long races.

This is where micro-influencers, with sub-10,000 followers, can create really intuitive bridges of engagement with fans, translating the magic of shows such as Drive To Survive to the bones of the sport itself. Fostering close-knit communities of fans through micro-influencers drives conversation within an intimately connected group that is eager to tune in to moments of the race.

The codebreakers

Influencers are also key to demystifying sports, smashing through any lingering ‘old boys’ club’ feel.

All the tricky rules and jargon of any particular sport make it seem like only the hardcore fans really get it and belong. Newbies often feel lost or out of place, like they’re missing the playbook everyone else has memorised. This sense of exclusivity turns what should be fun and exciting into something intimidating and unwelcoming, keeping many potential fans on the sidelines. Many traditional formats of broadcasting only serve to reinforce this feeling; Match Of The Day, we’re looking at you.

NFL’s expansion into the UK market has created an impressive influencer strategy to decode the sport for new audiences. US sports (with their numerous ad breaks and stop-start viewing experiences) often fail to gain traction amongst UK viewers. However, the NFL has leaned heavily on local influencers to unlock the magic of its sport to new audiences on this side of the Atlantic.

Elz the Witch is a key component in the NFL’s UK expansion plans. Her unique combination of in-depth game knowledge and a finger on the country’s lifestyle and fashion pulse provides new fans with the necessary tools to follow the game, and a gateway into the fandom that doesn’t solely rely on action on the field.

The NFL’s own Instagram account is a credit to the effort the brand is taking to engage and relate to UK fans. NFLUK features iconic stars of the sport itself, alongside international figures from other sports sharing in the love of the game. This reflects the NFL’s understanding of the importance of receiving endorsements from established stars. The likes of Harry Kane, Louis Rees-Zammit, and even Prince William offering their seal of approval to the sport creates a sense of fandom that UK audiences can relate to and engage with, which opens up the door to the wider NFL community.

The NFL is even incorporating influencer-coded content into traditional TV broadcasts. RedZone, a hugely successful, high-intensity, multi-screen production that covers every touchdown across Sunday’s games has been made available in the UK.

RedZone’s appeal comes from the fast-paced, high-octane, snackable content (the highlight being the ‘octobox’, showing eight matches simultaneously). This meets the next generation exactly where they are, lending itself to gamification, whether through fantasy sports apps or through the constant stream of updates, behind-the-scenes interviews, and highlights posted to social moments after they happen on screen.

Closer to home, rugby is embracing an influencer-first strategy to combat declining viewership. ITV has placed its flagship rugby highlights show in the hands of three influencers: Ruckstar Lizzie, Squidge and Rugby Nause. This move acknowledges that a highlights programme must now serve the interests of next-generation audiences.

Whilst Match Of The Day continues to amass the largest audiences of any sports highlights programme in the country, the BBC can’t ignore the writing on the wall. Viewership is declining. Gary Lineker’s departure alone indicates a change in the way people are consuming sport — he’ll likely invest all his resources into his own growing publishing powerhouse Goalhanger. As for Match Of The Day, incorporating influencers into its outputs could be the supersub that keeps the programme thriving.

Alma Fabiani is head of content at Screenshot Media