Did you know that only 4% of women’s football is covered by the media? Historically, women’s football had limited exposure on linear TV, which was the main commercial engine for football. Now, digital has offered new opportunities, and this has shifted the conversation on how women’s football can gain more exposure and visibility.
As our Director of Women’s Football, Arianna Criscione, always highlights, ¨the product of women’s football is distinctive from the men’s version. It resonates with brands, fans & audiences who seek authenticity, values-based initiatives and closer connections with the main actors of the game: the players.¨ In contrast to the men’s game, women’s football is digital native, growing up starved of linear TV coverage, and thriving across social media platforms such as Instagram, Youtube, TikTok, Snapchat, Twitch and Twitter.
At the recently hosted World Football Summit Europe, our Director of Women’s Football, Arianna Criscione, took the stage to shed some light on this topic. She joined Giuliano Giorgetti, Head of Digital Content at FIFA, Nora Henriksson, Head of Sports at MediaMonks, and Amanda Vandervort in a panel titled “The Race of the Decade: Digital Media in Women’s Football Takes New Heights”.
ENGAGING DIGITAL AUDIENCES IN A MORE INNOVATIVE WAY
As we highlighted above, the authenticity and values of women’s football allows right holders and brands to explore new and innovative ways to engage audiences. Female football players understand their role on and off the pitch, they know the importance of engaging with the audience and they know how to do it, they know they are part of the story and how they can impact their fans. If we take a closer look at recent partnerships such as Adidas, DAZN, Youtube, and UEFA, and even Football Manager adding a women’s section, there is a change happening. It is no longer about logo exposure on the jersey alone. It is about co-creating experiences for the fans, aligning values, committing to causes together and feeling immersed and engaged in the sport. ¨In the near future we will see more companies, especially tech companies, come into the conversation as they see the value and the ROI of investing in women’s football,¨ commented Nora Henriksson, Head of Sports at MediaMonks. ¨For them it is an innovative way to create new experiences and new digital activations that are aligned with the brand’s values.¨
FIFA, with a dedicated digital team for women’s football, partnered with Media.Monks to create the State of Passion, a film celebrating the women in football and the girls they inspire. The content was produced with an omnichannel thought process from the start, and so it was customized for each platform’s formats and audiences. It drove a lot of engagement, shares and reactions on social media.
HOW CAN YOU GROW YOUR DIGITAL AUDIENCE?
At N3XT Sports, we advise clients on short and long term strategies that depend on the right organizational structure, the right human resources, and the right technological stack. This was echoed by Amanda Vandervort, who explained that ¨there are three things that a sport organization needs to focus on in order to grow their digital audience – staffing, what your audience needs and wants, and data and analytics.¨
Understanding who your audience is is critical to knowing what to deliver to them. Data on their behaviors, their actions, their preferences, can all be collected through digital breadcrumbs that help sports organizations craft innovative & personalized content and experiences. Does your audience follow you because of the values of your organization? Is it because of the social impact you have on your community? Or maybe because of the stadium experience? Understand who they are, what they like and highlight that in your content strategy. With precise data and analytics, your team can better understand the composition of your audience. This team will be empowered to work closely with the content team in order to plan how much content the organization needs to post, what type of content works best, and what is the need that is being addressed through the content. These activities drive audience growth.
During the panel, we heard from Giuliano Giorgetti, Head of Digital Content at FIFA, how they have a dedicated digital team for women’s football. FIFA is investing time, people, and money to create a dedicated workflow just for women’s football. The reason behind this shift is to create a new product, aligned with the strategic shift of the organization to elevate the women’s game.
¨For women’s football we are trying to increase the audience by being more creative and innovative.¨ – Giuliano Giorgetti, Head of Digital Content at FIFA.
At N3XT Sports, thanks to our team of experts, we can help you propel forward by engaging digital audiences in a more innovative way and to grow your digital audience. This can be done by setting up a digital strategy that aligns with the overall business strategy.
Fill out this form to have a direct conversation with Arianna Criscione, our Women’s Football Director, on how we can help you.