THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
Sports has a reputation of being a "universal language" due to the entertainment value that goes along with it beyond country borders. While this idea is nice in theory, it isn't exactly true. Yes, it's something that everyone has in common which brings all kinds of people together, but different populations react differently to different sports. The truth is the popularity of a sport is only as popular as the connection it has to the viewing public.
Society has more to do with the popularity of a sport than anything else because every society has different norms and therefore, shapes populations differently and their views on what is entertaining. This explains why certain sports are more popular in certain parts of the world and not so popular in others. It is a problem that professional leagues and teams run into when trying to grow a fan base in another country. Even though this has a lot to do with societal norms, there are ways to expand sports leagues and the popularity of sports by promoting the sport in a way that resonates with a certain demographic.
The best way to promote a sport to another demographic is by thinking of the sport as a product. When promoting "a product" it's important to keep in mind who is the target audience, how they feel about the product and what other interests they have; a narrative that promotes a sport in a way that not only aligns with the sport or team's values, but within the life of the target demographic.
For example, the United Kingdom is known for their love of football, what the Americans call soccer. But, in recent years baseball, basketball and American football teams and leagues in the United States have been trying to build their British fan base. While some teams and leagues have had some success, their strategies can be improved by understanding why British sports fans tend to pick soccer over another sport, like basketball.
In my research, basketball struggles in the United Kingdom even though it comes right after football (soccer) in popularity. According to an ESPN article "The NBA is in London, so why no British stars in the league? It's complicated." This is reflected in British culture through a lack of accessibility. For basketball to grow in the UK, it needs to be as accessible as football in order to grow in popularity. By making basketball more accessible, it will create the opportunity to let the sport organically become a part of British society which will promote the sport and the teams involved at the same time. This will not only let the culture adopt the sport, but limit the overall threat of fans turning to a sport more accessible in the future.
Overall, the key to promoting a sport on an international scale is not by relying on the same strategies already used, but by promoting a narrative that shows how the sport fits into their lives.
Rachael Mathewson is from Vermont. She has just graduated with her second Master's, in Advertising and Public Relations, from Richmond, The American International University in London. She also has a Master's in International Sports Journalism from St. Mary's University, Twickenham, London.
