Is Sport Sustainable Without Fans?

If you take a look at sport almost anywhere in the world, we are currently watching the action from home with either no fans in attendance or very few there.

The Covid-19 pandemic has prevented mixing of any kind and one of the most common places to mix is at a sporting event. The current IPL season is taking place at the moment and not only have we seen no fans allowed to enter, but the games have had to be moved away from India and into the UAE for safety and security reasons.

Elsewhere, big football leagues like the English Premier League continue to play without fans, while the NFL in America has some teams able to offer limited attendances, but not all, and no one is anywhere near full capacity.

But what does this mean for the future? Is sport sustainable without fans?

Is There Enough Money in Sport to Survive Without Paying Customers?

Unfortunately, one of the things we have found out during this pandemic is that many sports would be able to survive without fans paying each week. Smaller sports and those that play in lower leagues with smaller TV deals would not, but the big leagues certainly would.

A look at the money spent by teams in the IPL this season, or transfer budgets at big football clubs shows that they have not been worried about spending, even during a time of uncertainty.

Those at the top of many sports would certainly be able to find a way to survive without fans, even if it meant their product was of a slightly lower quality.

The Fan Experience at Home

With more people sitting at home to watch than ever before, it makes sense that the fan experience at home needs to be strong, and that has improved. From those cheering on their local team to those wagering a bet on the game, either their own selections or free sports betting tips at betfromindia.com, people are getting a better experience and enjoying things.

We are also seeing more sport at home, and this is all thanks to the different deals that are in place, and the different types of technology being used. Gone are the days of watching local sport from your own country on your TV, this is now a worldwide market.

With streaming services taking over, many sporting leagues have moved to sign up with these companies, offering their games and events via a live stream, rather than on traditional TV channels.

This is on top of the sports that do have connections with TV channels and deals to show games on them. It all adds up to even more sport than ever before being shown to fans who are sitting at home. Leagues can provide streams to people around the world with just one cost, and everyone can sign up on the same site.

Moves like this are likely to be even more forthcoming in the future, and they will only push sport further into a position where it can survive and be sustainable without fans.