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"Sportainment" Research Publication
18/5/01



Sportainment, the new field of merged sports and entertainment, is creating new opportunities for researchers and marketers alike. These changes have prompted Harris Interactive to launch a new research publication called SportTainment News.

The bi-weekly subscription online publication focuses on the new opportunities and risks in the sector and hopes to deliver up-to-the-minute analyses of sportainment trends, critical insights on the industry, and help to both executives and marketers.

A brief skim through the area’s history reveals that sports first entered the mass media in the Sixties. It then exploded in the following decades as major sports figures became celebrities, and as more TV channels covered more sports. Sports today in the US and the UK has become one of the staples of television viewing, fully integrated into traditional entertainment.

The first issue of the News details how approximately a third of all sporting event attendees are not even avid sports fans. The "not avid" fans are active and like to go out to experience sportainment, yet they need more than just the on-field, -court, or -ice competition to retain their interest. Venues and teams that provide a fun, social experience with a variety of entertainment opportunities for the family are most effectively capitalising on this changing landscape.

New research contained in the title reveals the nature of the sportainment landscape, ie:

  • Sponsorship is integrated into an overall marketing strategy.
  • It is evaluated on the incremental revenue raised.
  • Fans are following sports via the Internet, highlight shows, analysis shows, fantasy leagues, by athlete and more.
  • Athletes are buying sporting goods for performance and fashion.
  • People with active lifestyles are also attend sporting events for fun and entertainment.
  • In some cases, sports and entertainment have now become indistinguishable.
For more information visit the www.harrisinteractive.com website.