How Covid-19 modified the way forward for sport
When physical sport was hit by the pandemic around the world, the sport continued to flourish and caught the eye of traditional sports fans along the way. This offers brands unique opportunities to get involved, says Rebecca Benson of Landor
Corona virus has given us a new way of thinking about sports. As the coronavirus pandemic continued to disrupt our lives, traditional sport had to quickly adapt its models to keep players and fans busy. The result is a blurring between the worlds of traditional sports and sports – with traditional sports players and professional players competing against each other for the first time.
Not The Aus GP – a virtual version of the Australian Grand Prix – has stimulated the virtual transformation of traditional sport. In March, the day the F1 season was due to begin, professional F1 drivers took part in professional races that were broadcast live on YouTube and Twitch, which led to a large audience.
An explosion of other sporting events followed – from tennis to cycling. The associations quickly learned that by paying attention to virtual alternatives, they were able to take advantage of the unique opportunity offered by the ban, and disadvantaged fans were most needed at a time when this was the case.
There is no doubt that sport has a moment, but when traditional sport is put back into operation, where is this new audience? Brands will play an extremely important role here – to strengthen the world of sport. When brands are successful, there are huge commercial opportunities, but they have to be willing to follow the rules.