GroupM’s ESP Properties launches a playbook to help sporting ecosystem sustain in today’s uneven environment

• While there are many speculations around Sports to be conducted for TV audiences only with no fans or limited fans in the stadium, anything is a possibility at this point in time. But from an audience appetite standpoint, fans are hungry and waiting for live sports.
• The report says that ‘innovative content formats need to be thought of between the talent and broadcasters cohesively.'
• Capitalizing on fan’s need for new sporting action and wanting to know more about the talent, interviews from-home and match reruns with athletes from the game commentating on it are some of the concepts to be toyed with.

With most sports tournaments either cancelled or indefinitely postponed, YOY growth or estimation for year 2020 pre COVID-19 will not hold true. To help continue the growth of the sporting sector, India needs to focus on its athletes and sports performance for a vivid comeback post the pandemic.

GroupM’s ESP Properties has, therefore, launched a playbook guide for the sporting ecosystem and its stakeholders like talent, broadcasters, right holders, fans, sponsors and the government. It insists them to do their bit to keep the industry running.

Here is what the Playbook recommends:
I. The post COVID-19 time is expected to define “new normalcy” which in turn will have a telling effect on all aspects of business including sports.
II. Keeping the fans engaged is an important KPI for a rightsholder & broadcaster. The lockdown times could be a perfect opportunity for both to make heroes off their fans.
III. Broadcasters should toy around with various non-live sport-ainment formats as the fan acceptability quotient is high right now. Innovative content formats need to be thought of between the talent and broadcaster to make the most out of a fan’s interest in some sporting action.
IV. Government partnerships in sports realm is the need of the hour. Government & sponsors have worked together beautifully as Public-Private-Partnerships. Post COVID-19 time will call for many such initiatives.
V. Talent needs to make full use of the lockdown to enhance relationships with fans via social media. Live talent interaction on social media has caught the eyes of a large fanbase since the fans need to see some action happening between the talent instead of no-action. Gaming & virtual sports should definitely be in the consideration set for active fan engagement during current times taking a cue from how cricket world cup winner Ben Stokes engaged with his fans through F1 esports Vietnam Grand Prix.