AW: How are you using fan data to reach casual fans?
CO: We have avid fans, casual fans, [and] people who may not be fans at all. We [also] have fans of specific demographics so trying to understand our demographic is one key thing, and I say this because our fans under 35 engage with us and consume our content very differently from fans who are over 35.
Our fandom drivers are changing too. Once upon a time, it used to be that someone became a fan of the game because their parents were fans of a particular team, or they lived in a town where that team played.
We’re seeing a shift in people under 35 where fandom drivers are not necessarily historical, [referrals] are coming from segments like gaming, fantasy [football], and all types of virtual play. Understanding how the market and the industry is changing, and how it impacts different demographics is important to us, and with that knowledge, we can then figure out a strategy to engage them.
Data plays a role because [it] lets us know who the casual fans are, who the average fans are, who are those who are likely to be engaged in this particular thing like fantasy, or what have you.
AW: Have you identified any blindspots in reaching consumers using data?
CO: I’m not sure I’ll call it a blindspot, but there are areas we’re under-serving. Even at the simplest form, a lot of our fans don’t even know where to tune in to watch their favorite game. Is it on ABC? Is it on CBS? Due to the types of media partnerships we have sometimes understanding where to tune in can be a challenge. One of the things we’re trying to do is drive frictionless experiences for our fans, and this is an area of fan friction where they want to watch a game, but they don’t know how to.
How are we solving for this? We have come up with different ways that we engage a fan and provide a platform for them to understand where their favorite games are being played, whether it’s in-market or out-of-market. We had a “Ways to Watch/Tune In” campaign that we used. The ultimate goal was to remove that friction.
