The Modern Football Fan 2.0 - WHAT MAKES THEM TICK? An exploration of their behaviours, their values, their motivations - Copa90 Media
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SPRING 2019
COPA9 0
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
The Modern Football Fan 2.0
WHAT MAKES THEM TICK?
An exploration of their behaviours, their values, their motivations
01
THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0 I NT R O I N TR O
COPA9 0
MODERN
FOOTBALL
FAN
This is our second deep dive
into the fast-paced, eclectic
world of young football fans.
In 2018, we paid a lot of attention to the exciting
technological and entertainment related trends
that were transforming the fan mindset [and
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
broader game] as we know it.
With fans now enjoying an unparalleled level
of access, these riches have also brought
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unwelcome excesses such as fringe opinions
being emboldened by the social media swell,
and traditional football media views that jar
with the diverse and conscientious Modern Fan
community.
The Modern The ModernThese increasingly visible challenges, along
with the glacial progress of football’s structural
Football Fan Football Fan
bodies, are bringing these young Modern Fans
to a crossroads. They are seriously questioning
what ‘brand’ of football is fit for purpose
(whether that be relating to national identity,
1. Rear view mirror…
football is female
3. Modern Fans and
gender, social issues, or wider politics), and
football in 2019
what they are willing to do to achieve it.
2. The future of
a look back
We have interrogated these hot topics, and also
cast our net wide, conducting research in the
USA, UK, Brazil and China, to better understand
local nuances of the Modern Football Fan.
Welcome to the Modern Fan Report 2019.
02 03
THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0 I N T HI S SE CT I ON I N TH I S S E C TI O N
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REAR
RAER
VIEW
WEIV Section 01
MIRROR...
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
...RORRIM p06 — BROADCAST CONTEXT
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A look back
p07 — NEW VOICES OF AUTHORITY
kcab kool A
p08 — PLAYER BRANDS ON THE RISE
p10 — BLURRED LINES
The Modern The Modern
p11 — AN EVER EXPANDING UNIVERSE
Football Fan Football Fan
Here’s a quick look back at some of last
year’s observations and predictions, and
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04 05
B R OADCAST CONT E XT N EW V O I C ES O F A U TH O R I TY
of authority
NEW VOICES
BROADCAST
THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0
Chelsea Football Club
broadcasting model.” - Adam Field, Global Sports Marketing,
influencers who bring a point of difference to a very traditional
more traditional hosts/pundits being replaced with more micro-
the younger players in the squad. Moving forward I could see
that Craig had a genuine and natural relationship with some of
authentically with influencers in football. I think it worked well
Craig Mitch (The Lions’ Den) is a good example of how to work
“The work that was done by the FA during the World Cup with
Dentsu Aegis
seasons.” - Dan Holland, VP of Global Strategy & Comms—
most entertaining things on the internet over the last couple of
actually talk about. Arsenal TV, for example, has been one of the
emerging, talking the way fans actually talk about things they
“I do like the more real-fan focused “influencers” that are
becoming more visible in the game.” - Fan, NYC
“I’m excited about seeing a wider range of ‘football creators’
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In last year’s report we only stretching the broadcasting
highlighted the rapidly evolving landscape further for young
broadcast context in which fans Modern Fans, providing more
are consuming the live game, options to get a quick, hassle-free
and this trend shows no signs of fix of live football on the go.
abating any time soon.
Broadcasters are doing what they
The World Cup helped further can to adapt to these behaviours—
pronounce this shift from broadcast such as ESPN+ and Telemundo
to streaming, with a total of 31.2 offering free streams for the group
million browsers watching the stages of the World Cup.
group matches through the BBC
platform compared with 32 million With these behaviours increasingly
online viewers for the whole of the entrenched amongst young
context
Brazil WC 2014.¥ football fans, new digital players
will continue to test opportunities
New heavyweight media brands across the broadcast landscape, as
such as Amazon, as well as illicit they loosen the grip of mainstream
streaming apps like Live Player, are broadcasters on the 90 mins.
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
Fan designed celebrations—Vuj asked Bernardo
Case Study
Silva to do a ‘Have a Nice’ celebration when he
next scored for Man City, and Bernardo Silva
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then actually does it. Bernardo later posts it on IG
and tags Vuj, linking it all back to the COPA90
community.
The Modern The Modern
At the end of 2018, we saw the true can now see how this influence has
influence of the ‘new bastions of spread from fans to players, directly
Football Fan Football
power’Fan
¥ Source: online survey, February 2018 (N.515, 16-24 year old UK based football fans)
personalisation and customisation of the broadcast experience.
when COPA90’s David influencing action on the pitch.
second half of NBA games while letting users vote on who they
changing room, someone will stream the game on their phone,
“By the end of the World Cup group stage, which consisted of
and we’ll all watch for 10 minutes before our own game kicks
48 total matches, Telemundo said its live streaming coverage
moving in and I’m sure will have great success. However, the
want to follow. It’s complementary to the TV broadcast and a
between 48% and 51% of its live digital viewers consistently
more traditional broadcasters aren’t exactly TV only, they are
For example, Twitter will have player-specific cameras in the
‘Vuj’ Vujanić requested Bernardo
Holland, VP of Global Strategy & Comms—Dentsu Aegis
investments to date have been relatively small compared to
what broadcasters such as Sky are investing. Furthermore,
also busy growing their own digital services to future proof
protecting their valuable rights.” - Rudolf Vidal, President
technology companies to create added value to fans while
themselves against increasing digital competition.” - Dan
achieved a total of 105.3 million live streams... [they had]
“Yes, the likes of Facebook, Amazon & DAZN are quickly
Images from top to bottom: @bernardocsilva, @poetscorneruk (both Twitter).
Poet designing a Silva to perform his trademark We’re witnessing the emergence
“Once we’ve done our warm-ups, and we’re back in the
This also highlights how rights holders are working with
new way to add to the game day experience for fans.
“Digital companies are continuing to experiment with
Puma football ‘Have a Nice’ celebration should of a new ecosystem of influence
boot that Marko he score. The Portuguese in football, one based on the
Case Study
Arnautovic then obliged the following week when constant digital chatter amongst
scores with… he netted against Bournemouth, players, fans and football creators.
watch the games on their smartphones.”
transferring YouTube content
into an on-pitch in-game moment This is just the start, in the future
for all around the world to see. there will be greater integration
of this influence into football’s
Americas, Bayern Munich
Brands have now even begun ecosystem. From social media
collaborating on new products with via football creators, onto players,
football creators in the same way back to fans on socials, this
off.” - Fan, LDN
F2 Freestylers sign as agents for Rhian they do with players. In our last entangled sphere of influence will
Case Study report, we highlighted how these only create more exciting and
- Digiday
Brewster; showing the expanding
influence of football creators behind the new voices of authority were a key rich crossovers across the fan
scenes as well. influence on Modern Fans, but we landscape.
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THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0 PL AYE R B R ANDS ON T HE R I S E P L AY ER BR A N D S O N TH E R ISE
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In our last report, we pointed to cut quantitative impact a player Memphis Depay’s foray into music. stand against inequality and social
the rising commercial and cultural brand can have on a club’s wider injustice in the NFL.
power of individual player brands, ecosystem. Raheem Sterling was recently thrust
a trend which we predict will only into the centre of the public debate As we’ll discuss in later chapters,
continue to grow in importance for In China, player brands already on racism after being abused during there’s an increasing expectation
both clubs and fans. supersede club allegiances with a game this season. His intelligent from these Modern Fans, as
76% of fans following their favourite and thoughtful response critiquing opposed to older generation of
Since last year we’ve seen the players over clubs.¥ We predict the the institutionalised racism he fans, that players ought to speak
launch of OTRO, a behind-the- power of a player’s social reach/ sees at the heart of this problem out on the socio-cultural and
scenes player content app that is a influence will become a key criterion has seen him become the de facto political issues of the day.
direct example of how players, as within a club’s transfer strategy for figurehead for a new generation of
a collective, are now commercially clubs everywhere. not just football players, but young We expect to see more globally
leveraging their brand away from people willing to stand up and recognised players using
their clubs. In future, we expect to see a challenge the root causes of racial their voice on issues, not just
wider range of players parlay their injustice. It has elevated him into a entertainment, as a handful of
When Ronaldo transferred to personal brands to create a diverse new sphere of cultural influence. players go from being seen as
Juventus last summer, Real set of non-footballing opportunities, commercial brands to something
Madrid’s Instagram lost 1 million such as Olivier Giroud being the Both US and UK fans were able to more culturally symbolic.
fans, and Juve’s soared by 4.7m— voice of the Green Goblin in the connect Raheem’s line of thoughts
this is perhaps the most clear latest Spiderman animation or with Colin Kaepernick’s high profile
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
ON THE RISE
- Fan, LDN
a generational thing.”
enough or focused… but that’s just
guys think the players aren’t serious
half athletes now. So that’s why old
players are half entertainers and
or Keane… with social media,
“It’s not like the days of Gattuso
“As many as 46% of 16–24 fans in the UK support a second club, with 27% of those supporting three
average engagement rate of 3.3%. A possible explanation being that football stars can be interesting
Player Brands
clubs or more, according to COPA90 research. An idea such as OTRO should play well in a far less
to a broader audience—think lifestyle, celebrity culture—than clubs or leagues that resonate mainly
that arguably competes with the major clubs and leagues. We have seen the popularity of players
manifest itself on social media, where our data sample has shown that they achieve a very strong
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“There are a handful of icons in the modern game that can command audiences and attention
- James Bisgrove, Head of Sponsor Partnership Management for UCL and UEL
The Modern The Modern
Football Fan Football Fan
¥ Source: online survey, February 2018 (N.515, 16-24 year old UK based football fans)
Arsenal’s Héctor Bellerín announced in
February, on the day of his injury against
Case Study
Chelsea, that he would be recording vlogs to
share his journey back to fitness and give fans
an insight into his life while off the pitch.
and he [Sterling] had to talk about it,
but I feel good that he did talk about
goes to show that football is at the
top in terms of global recognition.”
[Ronaldo] can become one of the
“I feel terrible that that happened
more than just athletes and they
biggest people on Instagram - it
Juventus gained 4.7m fans when signing Ronaldo, Real
Case Study
“I think it’s incredibly smart that
it because it shows that they’re
lost 1m fans.
club-loyal football world.”
Twelve footballers have more than 10m Twitter
Case Study
with football fans.”
followers. Only five clubs have reached that milestone.
have a voice.”
- Fan, NYC
- Fan, NYC
NFL relaxed rules on player celebrations helped increase
- WARC Case
viral-ness of Study
the NFL, team and player brands.
08 09
THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0 B L UR R E D L I NE S A N E V ER E X PA N D I N G U N I V ERSE
Poets hitting number four on the UK iTunes charts.”- Fast Company
“It’s tough to measure direct impact, with the closest measure so far being the global media coverage of the series, as well as its theme song by local singer-songwriter The Lake
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Last year we wrote about the has created the most significant recommended junior coaches to
increasingly blurry line between blurring of the real and virtual look to video games for inspiration
“We’ve still not had the ‘Space Jam’ equivalent in
the virtual gaming world and the game this year. This was most in more effectively training young
AN
A NE VER
EVER
‘real world’ game for Modern Fans. notable with Antoine Griezmann’s English players. ¥
soccer—I’d love to see that!” - Fan, NYC
Fortnite inspired celebrations at
Since then another edition of the World Cup, but also in the way So, where next? If Alex Hunter has
XPANDING
FIFA has come and gone, and in which clubs like Marseille or advertised adidas boots, promoted
EXPANDING
E
with limited edition digital club Independiente del Valle in Ecuador shirts for Real and been sponsored
shirts created in collaboration have made viral player and squad by Coca-Cola, what will be the
with adidas, EA added yet another announcements based on the next stage? Will games publishers
NIVERSE
layer of real world crossover to the game via their social platforms. create more virtual characters
UNIVERSE
U
game and for its players. especially for sports brands to fight
With football and gaming sitting over? Will they have to negotiate
However, it’s the emergence more closely than ever, it’s with virtual agents? We won’t have
of another game, Fortnite, that little wonder the FA have even to wait long to find out.
In this chapter Aside from this new wave
BLURRED
last year we of football docuseries, our
wrote about Modern Fans also told us of
our Modern their increasing interest in the
Fans’ insatiable wide array of football podcasts.
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
appetite for Some Modern Fans were also
bitesize chunks creating them.
(BETWEEN VIRTUAL AND PHYSICAL) of football
Many industry insiders now believe the heavy use of content in the Ultimately, whether visually
LINES
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games like FIFA is creating an emerging generation of form of gifs, or aurally, our Modern Fan
Case Study *
smarter and more tactically aware players. videos, and is craving new, interesting
memes. And stories, and happy to be fed this
Beyond gaming, this blurring of the real and the virtual whilst we see in the medium and style that
helped allow Spurs fans to get an early virtual tour of no obvious best fits the story—whether this
Case Study
their new stadium via FIFA19 before it was actually sign of their desire for bitesize is in short-form bitesize news
The Modern finished, as well as providing a testing lab to pilot VAR The Modern
info decreasing, we’re seeing over Snapchat or as a longform
innovations, footballs, and noise levels. an expansion of their content documentary piece told over
Football Fan Football Fan
universes to include more long Netflix.
form content also.
We expect to see more
loved it when Griezmann started doing the ‘take the L’
the soccer news you need but they’re also comedians
Netflix’s football docuseries interesting and complex
¥ Source: The FA - How coaches can learn from computer game design
are already aware of 4-4-2, 3-5-2, wingers, defensive
“Playing video games such as FIFA can help players
midfielders and the key attributes that make the best
“I love listening to the Cooligans podcast: you get all
“You see a lot of Spurs players on it [Fortnite], and I
By the time they are six years old, a lot of children
pick up the intricacies of the sport at a young age.
‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die’ has storytelling emerge from
“I look at his name and then try to remember how
so it has a really funny vibe to it...” - Fan, NYC
laid a template for a new type of inside the football universe
good he was on FIFA.” - Alex Iwobi, Arsenal
“When I was captain of my high school team,
learning about formations and team balance
playing FIFA really helped me.” - Fan, NYC
characteristically English lens crossing over into the wider
into the inside machinations pop cultural sphere thanks to
Many unfortunate players have been superseded by of a football club and its digital platforms like Netflix
players the best.” - The Guardian
their virtual twin’s trajectory. Mid 00’s favourite surrounding community. This and Amazon.
Case Study
Cherno Samba was an early casualty, as are current characteristically English style
Image used with thanks to Fulwell73
celebration.” - Fan, LDN
players such as Youri Tielemans and Martin Ødegaard, is in stark contrast to the more This will be particularly
who are both struggling to match the success and success-based narrative and, important in bringing in
popularity of their virtual avatars on Football perhaps more American tone new fanbases in emerging
Manager. Recently, this seems to have been the opposite and format, of Man City’s ‘All footballing territories like
for unheralded but statistically powerful French right or Nothing’ on Amazon. China.
back Kenny Lala, who is now realising his virtual
potential and making a name for himself in Ligue 1.
* 010 011
THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0 I N T HI S SE CT I ON I N TH I S S EC TI O N
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Section 02
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
p14 — INTRO
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p16 — FANS WANT MORE
p20 — FEMALE SUPERSTARS LOADING
p24 — RE-SHAPING CULTURE FOR THE BETTER
The Modern The Modern
p30 — IT ALL STARTS AT GRASSROOTS
Football Fan Football Fan
p34 — THE FUTURE OF FOOTBALL IS FEMALE
012 013
THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0 I NT R O I N TR O
- The FA
game by 2020.”
fans in the women’s
number of players and
is on track to double the
“The Football Association
the biggest crowd” ¥
this season, with 46,884
men’s La Liga games
attendances for Athletic’s
figure beats that of any
Atlético Madrid... the
quarterfinal tie against
side’s Copa de la Reina
people watched their
game in Spain as 48,121
at a women’s soccer
record for attendance
“Athletic Bilbao set a new
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Our interviewees
A year ago, in our first included:
Jessie Dai Sheng ying
Modern Fan Report, we
Footba ll Confed eration
Director of the Women’s
Compe titions, Asian
Game at the Football
said:
Manag er Women ’s
Kelly Simmons
In 2019 , with match day
“Just as games like the FIFA
Association
attendances and viewing
series now enable women’s figures regularly reaching new
teams play, the female voice heights along with investment
within football becomes rightly in participation, commercial
normalised for the average development, and elite
fan. Brands with purpose
Governance and Leadership
player development pouring
Football (formerly Head of
and innovation will push
DFB (the German Football
in, it feels like a significant
Managing Director of the
Germany National Team
the women’s game, leading cultural change in attitude and
to further changes in the
Bayern Munich and
CEO of Women in
awareness of the women’s
Jane Purdon
consumption of the game for us
Heike Ullrich
game is already underway.
at UK Sport)
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
Lina Magull
Association)
all.”
World
Player
Not too long after we published Combine that with the
Cup kicking off in Paris
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that, Alex Scott was seen by
millions outshining her male on June 7th , and we have a
pundits on the BBC’s World perfect storm brewing that’ll
Arsenal and England Player
Cup coverage (which she
Winner, ESPN analyst and
make 2019 the most important
Department at the Chinese
Founder of the JF Sports
continues to do on a regular year for the women’s game to
Former Deputy General
Secretary and Director
Two-Time World Cup
The Modern
basis, much to the chagrin of The Modern
Football Association
date.
of the International
Jordan Nobbs
Graeme Souness), and Visa
Julie Foudy
Football Fan Football Fan
Becky Wang
inked a landmark seven-year And so, in this bumper year,
Academy
sponsorship deal with UEFA as we wanted to give you the
the first partner to the women’s lowdown on what you need to
game and competitions. know about the women’s game
and women in football more
Safe to say we called that one. generally.
Former Professional Player,
of the Women ’s US Nation al
Techni cal Directo r, Directo r
Two-Time Gold Medallist,
Former US Nation al Team
Player, Captai n, Coach &
Strateg ist (forme rly Brand
Alongside our own research,
Team Youth Progra m
World Cup Winner
¥ Source: channelnewsasia.com / Reuters
Abby Wambach
we’ve also been chopping it Brand and Market ing
April Heinri chs
up with some very influential Directo r at Nike)
Ruth Hoope r
women to set the scene
for what is certain to be a
momentous year for
women and football.
014 015
FANS WANT MOR E FA N S WA N T M O R E
Case Study
THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0
“England’s crunch Euro 2017
- The FA
10,000 more fans attending than in 2017.”
last year. It was the fourth year in a row the record had been broken with over
“A record attendance of 45,423 fans attended the FA Women’s FA Cup final
- Fan, LDN
games via the red button on the BBC.”
“My dad has gotten into the women’s game just because you can watch
COPA9 0
Athletic Bilbao have been lauded by the Spanish
football match [with] a peak
audience of 4 million tuned
semi-final against Holland
drew the biggest ever UK Football Federation for their initiative of a 5 euro entry
audience for a women’s fee for the general public and free entry for season ticket
holders to watch their women’s team play—this has led
in to Channel 4.”
- The Guardian
to record-breaking attendances, surpassing those for
some men’s teams games.
S “If the media
E
Case Study
The appetite is clearly there, but there is an issue of
Fans are being starved of regular women’s
profile, outside of landmark fixtures, and access to a
consistent product that seem to be a barrier for fans. doesn’t show
the game, it’s
football content.
Record attendances at showpiece fixtures Fans
Fansof
ofthe
thewomen’s
women’sgame
game¥
in the past year have reinforced the
growing appetite for the women’s game.
a problem,
N
And yet, there remains a lack of access
Watch live women’s football games online
our matches
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
or awareness of regular women’s football UK USA BRA CHI
content. 19% 30% 25% 37%
become
Our data revealed that 44% of fans feel
hard to find.
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like the women’s game doesn’t pop up Watch live women’s football games on TV
on their radars frequently enough, and a
further 26% do not know where to access
More positive
O UK USA BRA CHI
A
game coverage.
- Fan, LDN
your way to see it live most of the time.”
women’s game you can’t just turn on the TV and find it, you have to go out of
“If I want to watch the men’s game I can put any channel on, with the
27% 31% 39% 34%
The Modern The Modern
coverage will
¥ Source: Online survey N.2,110 - 16–24-year-old football fans in the UK, USA, China, and Brazil
Fans were more likely to consume
Football
highlights, Fan
which are much more Football Fan
obtainable via social media, as their
primary source of content on the women’s
game, perhaps pointing to a lack of
have a huge
Watch highlights of women’s football games
impact on all
UK USA BRA CHI
consistent TV broadcast and online
streaming options. 36% 31% 36% 42%
W
Attend live women’s football games
aspects of the
sport, including
and growth of the game in its
Under the new partnership,
own right like never before.
able to measure the worth
potential to date and it will
women’s football from the
the Women’s Champions
game, from grassroots to
means that UEFA will be
all levels of the women’s
Unbundling the rights to
League, will be backed”
also accelerate growth.
the biggest sign of that
“[The deal with Visa] is
UK USA BRA CHI
men’s for the first time
12% 24% 10% 18%
the players.”
- The Guardian
- Lina Magull
016 017
THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0 FANS WANT MOR E FA N S WA N T M O R E
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How I plan to engage/consume WWC 19 ¥
Even with a lack of visibility and exposure Will watch some game highlights
of the women’s game, over half of those
we spoke to, both male and female, still UK USA BRA CHI
ownership to help the game grow.” - Fan, LDN
describe themselves as either fans of the
whole. I support women’s football rather than
LDN
expose them to the women’s game.” - Fan,
good. Now when I speak to other fans I try to
play I wasn’t expecting much, but it was really
“When I first went to see Chelsea women’s
“I’m passionate about women’s football as a
women’s game or as being interested to 44% 50% 47% 63%
a specific team. Fans like us need to take
watch and learn more about it.
Will watch my national team’s games
And it’s clear that given the opportunity
to consume the women’s game more
regularly, fans go on to adopt a ‘women’s UK USA BRA CHI
football is football’ mentality; often 36% 55% 37% 56%
becoming vocal advocates for the game.
Our data shows that in the US, this
Will engage with social media content around the tournament
behaviour is already quite commonplace,
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
with over a quarter of US fans we
surveyed already regularly engaging in UK USA BRA CHI
online discussions about the game or 34% 47% 36% 59%
sharing content related to it.
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The upcoming World Cup presents a Will not be following the tournament
perfect opportunity to create a whole new
army of advocates for the women’s game.
The Modern The Modern
UK USA BRA CHI
¥ Source: Online survey N.2,110 - 16–24-year-old football fans in the UK, USA, China, and Brazil
Three-quarters of fans we spoke to are 17% 3% 5% 2%
Football
excited about Fan
the upcoming WWC. The Football Fan
excitement is even more pronounced in
“When the 10 o’clock news was delayed for the GB women’s
countries where the women’s national
gold medal hockey match, people looked at it as a great
sports moment. That will come with women’s football.”
teams have traditionally (far)
Current relationship with women’s game ¥
outperformed their men’s teams, like
- Jane Purdon, CEO of Women in Football
China. I enjoy it more than the men’s game, I am
3% a huge fan 4%
Fans are anticipating and excited to see
more women’s game content popping I enjoy it in equal amounts to the men’s
23% 19%
up on feeds and TV with the upcoming game, I would describe myself as a fan
World Cup, but the challenge will be to 27% 30%
I’m not a fan but I’m interested to watch
join the dots for fans after the tournament and learn more about the women’s game
in regularly delivering them high-quality 33% 26%
content on their terms. I have no interest in it at all and will
never watch any women’s football
018 019F E MAL E SUPE R S TAR S L OADI NG F EM A L E S U P E R S TA R S L O A D IN G
We are about to see a new generation
THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0
and England
Arsenal Football Club
- Jordan Nobbs of
change opinions.”
the way we play—it will
to our games and see
that can watch us, come
media... the more people
women’s football is more
“The perfect scenario for
COPA9 0
“The Euros has changed the situation at home completely. Two years ago, some
of female football player emerge; they of our games weren’t even on TV. Now people stay at home to watch our games.
are the best footballers the sport has Now, every little girl knows that Holland has a women’s national team. We all feel
ever seen. Stronger, faster, and more we are heroes for them, that they look up to us. That we can inspire them. That they
realise that a girl from Holland can win the Euros and play for Barcelona. I used to
technical than ever before, these
say I wanted to be like Ronaldinho. Now they’re saying they want to be like Vivianne
players have fans already primed to
Miedema or Daniëlle van de Donk or Lieke Martens.”
follow them over women’s teams. - Lieke Martens for Players Tribune
Superstars like Alex Morgan, who
has 5.5m followers on Instagram, are
already household names in the US,
but a younger generation of female
footballers like Jordan Nobbs and
Lina Magull, who feel rightly entitled
to what their hard work and talent
has earnt them, are making names for “These women
themselves.
are about to
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
Our data shows that fans are more
likely to follow female players than
teams, especially in USA and Brazil— unleash a power
C O PA9 0
that they didn’t
countries in which female players
like Megan Rapinoe and Marta have
achieved a place in the wider pop
cultural landscape—where a quarter
of fans surveyed follow female
The Modern
players on social media.
realise
The Modern
they had
Football
SomeFan
of this younger generation of
players are also branching out into
before.”
Football Fan
- Abby Wambach, Former USWNT player
other cultural scenes, such as music
and entertainment, but doing so in a
way that brings a wider audience to the
sport.
It’s important to bear in mind that in a
landscape lacking consistent TV and
Image: Rex Features. Filter : Grainsnap
streaming coverage, fans are already
the emotions all over the
- Heike Ullrich, Head of
“We will see the creation
Case Study
social media will show
going directly to the players. It is the German Football
of more role models;
BBC Sport’s ‘Chelcee Away’ is an online show featuring
players—old guard and emerging— singer-songwriter and footballer Chelcee Grimes.
who are the current ambassadors and
Association
drivers of the sport.
world.”
020 021F E MAL E SUPE R S TAR S L OADI NG F EM A L E S U P E R S TA R S L O A D IN G
Understand that this emerging
THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0
COPA9 0
generation of players are no
longer willing to accept the
non-parity standards that “Powerful,
previously existed in the game.
They are pushing for their space
and opportunity in the sport
athletic,
by building their own personal
player brands. confident, strong
Brands like Nike, adidas, and PUMA
also have an important job to do
women playing
football to a
in not only providing platforms to
create the superstars and role models
for the next generation of players
and fans but also in normalising the
women’s game for a wider audience. fantastic level,
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
They have the opportunity
to both elevate players and
playing in front
the game, as well as send a
of a huge global
C O PA9 0
powerful message of inclusivity
Case
Lieke MartensStudy
featured alongside and gender equality.
Mbappé and Neymar as the face of
Nike’s Born Mercurial campaign.
As such brand collaboration
audience is going
The Modern
in the women’s game is often
talked about less cynically when
compared with the men’s game,
to be a powerful
The Modern
Football Fan Football Fan
it offers a genuine opportunity
for partnership where both message to both
parties share a strong desire to
see the sport grow. men and women
Case
Study that women can
THE DRUM
officer, Disney UK and Ireland.—
play regularly.”
kicked a ball before, to those who
part; from those who have never
of all ages and experience to take
that there are opportunities for girls
Girls’ Football Week and showcase
attract new audiences to the FA
characters, we can help the FA
by using Disney’s storytelling and
“This campaign highlights how,
ahead of the FA’s Girls’ Football Week.
partnership will target parents and kids
role of football in UK girls’ lives. The
partnership which aims to increase the
in football as part of a three-year
together to get more girls involved
Disney and The FA have been working
- Anna Hill, chief marketing
do anything.”
the brands have been the activists
in tennis, and many people have
reason - it hasn’t worked. Today,
Marketing Strategist (formerly
to get women’s football where it
“Billie Jean King was an activist
tried with football. For some
- Ruth Hooper, Brand and
Brand Director at Nike)
- Kelly Simmons, Head of the Women’s Game at the
Football Association
should be…”
022 023THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0 R E -S HAPI NG CULT UR E F OR T HE B E T T E R R E - S H A P I N G C U LTU R E F O R T H E B E T T E R
- [iNews headline]
Sports history”
Sunday time warp as Alex Scott makes Sky
“Relic Graeme Souness stuck in Super
BT Sport)
& @England Women’s Goalkeeper (via
- Rachel Brown-Finnis Former Everton
it’s not women’s football, it’s football.”
know our trade inside out—that’s football;
COPA9 0
“We’ve played at the elite level, and we do
CU LTU RE It’s our belief that female voices
in football will soon cease to be
seen as a novelty and will soon
BETTE R
be considered the norm.
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
This certainly seems clear when
speaking to fans for whom female
C O PA9 0
pundits like Alex Scott or Ali Wagner
not only do the job as good as, or
better than, their male counterparts
but importantly they’re pushing
analysis forward, bringing a fresh,
The Modern The Modern new perspectives to the game, which
is well appreciated by fans.
Football Fan Football Fan
While we should be celebrating the
new wave of female experts on our
screens dissecting the men’s game,
we should also be asking ourselves
why it has taken so long?
“When one person penetrates, we must
that kudos back to the women’s game!”
Coach & Technical Director, Director
Germany. There’s an opportunity being
- Ruth Hooper. Brand and Marketing
be experts of the men’s game, none in
a one-off. Then we need them to bring
referencing Alex Scott—she gets bare
Strategist (formerly Brand Director
follow up with more to ensure it’s not
of the Women’s US National Team
“In the UK women are brought on to
- Lina Magull, Bayern Munich and
- Former USWNT Player, Captain,
“For too long, sport has been male,
Women have long since been part of
“These days I even hear my uncle
the day-to-day fabric of the men’s
football landscape. Premier League
stats show that a quarter of match day
attendees in the ground are female.
Germany player
Youth Program
stale and pale.”
So why is it so outrageous for some
- Fan, LDN
to have one of four pundits’ chairs
missed.”
at Nike)
respect”
filled by a woman?
024 025R E -S HAPI NG CULT UR E F OR T HE B E T T E R R E - S H A P I N G C U LTU R E F O R T H E B E T T E R
The real success is
THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0
- Fan, LDN
amazing, and it’s only going to go up from here.”
women’s football I couldn’t. Thinking how far we’ve come is
trying to get guys to play football with me or if I wanted to watch
“I think back to when I was younger and how hard it was always
- Kelly Simmons, `MBE, Director at the Football Association
girls are playing, more and more people are coming to watch games”
“The gender barriers are breaking down more and more every year, more
COPA9 0
in some instances helped wider
that womens’ presence society begin to reframe how
in the game is slowly women are viewed and treated.
becoming normalised in “When a man still
Outside of Europe in particular, in
spite of the very recent
live experiences of
cultures where women still face sees Ada Hegerberg—
huge social challenges, football
prejudice and antiquated
behaviour.
can be the vehicle to inspire and such an accomplished
create social change.
woman—as a sex
Our experts and fans shared For example in China, where
shocking stories of sexism, social previously rigid social constructs object, it just goes
media abuse, aggression, and are shifting fast, football, as well
threats. Yet, it’s almost as if this as its surrounding culture and to show how far we
atmosphere of antagonism has community, is providing female
accelerated the positive evolution football fans with a space to still have to go as a
of women’s roles in the game, and stretch the notions of femininity.
society.”
- Fan, NYC
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
C O PA9 0
- The Guardian
complete empowerment of Latin American women.’”
to those that we have been accustomed to. I feel that there has been a
says the current feminist movements ‘have inspired totally different visions
“The [Chilean] forward Fernanda Pinilla, a driving force on and off the field,
“I’m totally driven by the fact that I want women to have a better opportunity
The Modern The Modern
than I had. I want this generation of girls to play whatever sport they want.”
- Becky Wang, Former Deputy General Secretary and Director of the
consciousness about what women can do, forcing men to think of us as
“Football helps women be complete, it gives you recreation and friends,
“This game is changing the world... we have been changing the global
Football Fan Football Fan
International Department at the Chinese Football Association
Football Association
Director of the International Department at the Chinese
- Becky Wang, Former Deputy General Secretary and
was a good start”
They had a female commentator, she was not an expert, but it
“China had the biggest TV crew at the World Cup in Russia.
- Kelly Simmons, MBE, Director at the Football Association
- Abby Wambach, Former USWNT player
Case
Study
your life is so much richer.”
“A seven-year-old girl who was
mocked for playing football in
a team dominated by boys has
been invited to be a mascot for
the Lionesses during their next
equal.”
match.”
- Independent
026 027THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0 R E -S HAPI NG CULT UR E F OR T HE B E T T E R R E - S H A P I N G C U LTU R E F O R T H E B E T T E R
COPA9 0
Modern Fans are on the lookout announced as the first ever Ballon behaviour can directly impact and
for fresh perspectives to widen d’Or winner? We see the tide influence their relationship with
and deepen the conversation on turning in this more representative football and football culture. (More
the game. They also want new and direction—the backlash to the on this in our ‘More Than Rainbow Laces’ chapter
varied types of football content Ballon d’Or incident being a good later.)
to consume, and importantly indicator of this cultural mood shift.
they want to see and hear it from There’s still work to be done in
ages, races, and genders that are Importantly, this change doesn’t changing attitudes and raising
different to what feels “traditional”. only benefit female fans of the the profile of the game, but fans
game. For some male fans we know what we know: that the more
And in the face of some pervasive spoke with, the conversation women involved in football at
cultural headwinds, what about around women in football has led every level of the game, the better
Ada Hegerberg being asked to them to reflect on wider issues it is for ALL fans of the game, and
‘twerk’ on stage shortly after being of sexism and how gendered potentially for society at large.
“There’s so much
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
negativity tied
C O PA9 0
up in being seen
as an ‘England
The Modern The Modern
Football Fan
Fan’, but I feel Football Fan
like I can back the
outside. I used to go on to Leicester City forums—as soon
“The FA has done a lot of work to make it very safe,” says
“It’s things like seeing photos of Fran Kirby next to Eden
Amy. “It’s more about getting involved in conversations
as people saw my name was Amy, it would be, ‘What
Hazard at Stamford Bridge—you need to shove it in
Scotland fans call out the #Everyday sexism observed when
England women’s
team in a way that
people’s face and say ‘this is normal!”
Case
Study
I can’t with the
promoting the new Scotland kit.
does this woman know?’”
men’s team.”
- Fan, LDN
- BBC
- (Male) Fan, LDN
028 029I T AL L S TART S AT G R AS S R OOT S I T A L L S TA RTS AT G R A S S R OO T S
In England and the case of the Chilean Norwegian FA and New
THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0
COPA9 0
Europe, more money national team where, Zealand agreeing to pay “There is more money
is flowing into the as The Guardian tells their men’s and women’s in women’s soccer in
women’s game than us: “players from the team equal pay, as well
ever before. However, national women’s side as media and brands to England than there has
this investment is often formed a players’ union the infrastructure around ever been. Last summer,
centred on a handful of in 2016, which eventually the game will be key in
successful European integrated into the men’s defining the next phase the country’s highest
clubs and has yet to union and gained enough of development of the tier, the Women’s Super
trickle down to the rest momentum to reorganise women’s game.¥ League (W.S.L.), became,
of the game. the women’s team after
years of neglect. It was We’re seeing the for the first time, fully
We’re still regularly the union that convinced green shoots of professional, with a
hearing stories of the the Chilean federation to these longer-term broadcasting arrangement
financial hardships faced host the Copa América, structural development
by professional clubs another step toward investments, such with the BBC. England’s
with well-resourced the revitalisation of as initiatives like the biggest clubs, including
men’s teams, like women’s football on the FA’s Wildcats. The
Wilfried Zaha’s donation continent.” programme, which Manchester City, Chelsea,
to Crystal Palace provides football and Arsenal have invested
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
Women’s Team or the However, individual opportunities for girls heavily in their women’s
crowdfunding campaign gestures, while well aged 5–11 years,
to keep Milwall’s intentioned, aren’t has over 800 centres teams in recent years,
Lionesses afloat. enough to sustain the nationwide and has spending not just on
C O PA9 0
game in the long run. attracted over 17,000
Or in countries without Goodwill will only take new girls to play the homegrown players but on
well funded men’s the women’s game so game for the first time— high-profile imports, too.”
leagues to rely on, we far. Genuine financial and is only in its second
- NY Times
hear of admirable tales commitment from clubs, full year.
of self-organisation, as in federations, like the
The Modern The Modern
Football Fan Football Fan
and stronger; commercial investment should get
¥ Source: BBC— What it’s like being a modern-day female football fan
have to be passionate about it; you must love
in at the ground floor to make more of it in the
Secretary and Director of the International
the game. The chance to be a professional
“The women’s game is getting better, faster,
“If you’re a woman playing the game, you
- Abby Wambach, Former USWNT player
and earn enough money to support your
- Becky Wang, Former Deputy General
Department at the Chinese Football
family financially isn’t there yet.”
Image: Rex Features. Filter : Grainsnap
Association
long run.”
030 031I T AL L S TART S AT G R AS S R OOT S I T A L L S TA RTS AT G R A S S R OO T S
Fans think the issues holding back the women’s game
THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0
COPA9 0
there is a real and powerful change
more professional and attractive to
happening that’s going to inspire a
been championed in the women’s
in the last couple of years, it feels
“It feels like there is a paradoxical
Executive Director of Women’s
level as non-league football… no
are crossing over at the moment.
relate to a lack of development in the domestic game.
Marketing Strategist (formerly
game, which in turn is becoming
women’s football is on the same
around identity, community, and
same as non-league level... but
and women’s game where they
relationship between the men’s
wonder if the investment is the
The men’s game is going back
social issues, which have long
like something has happened,
to its roots dealing with issues
Over a third of fans we surveyed blamed their lack of
“There’s been a criticism that
- Ruth Hooper, Brand and
new generation of women.”
- Rebecca Smith, Global
interest on underfunding in the domestic game.
“According to the annual global sports salaries survey in 2017, the average woman playing in the FA Women’s Super League
Brand Director at Nike)
When we asked fans who had the power to create
Game, COPA90
positive changes they want to see in the women’s
game, they said the following:
brands.”
(FAWSL) is paid £27,000 — about one per cent of the salary of a male Premier League player.” - BBC
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
They expect wealthy clubs to lead this charge,
with the players being celebrated as the
C O PA9 0
figureheads of this movement.
Tellingly, our fans also believe there’s an equal
role to be played by both commercial brands as
well as fans themselves. They believe there’s a
need for a bottom-up and top-down approach to
The Modern The Modern
help the game to grow.
Football Fan For ourFootball
insiders, it’s theFan
bottom of the pyramid, at
grassroots level, with a lack of parity of access to
funding, facilities, media, marketing, resources,
staffing, medical support, technical support,
coaching, refereeing, where investment most
needs to be funnelled.
Whether top-down or bottom-up, investment
and more parity in opportunity and access in the
women’s game will be key in defining how far the
game can progress, as well as how quickly.
032 033THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0 ...T HE F UT UR E OF F OOT B AL L I S F E MAL E . . . TH E F U TU R E O F F O O TBA LL IS FE MA LE
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Fact. Women’s football and women in football
have never had parity of access into the sport, in
terms of funding, marketing, coaching, facilities,
resources, media attention, technical support,
structured leagues, not to mention the ban on the
sport in some countries... the list goes on...
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
The deck has always been stacked in favour of
the men’s game, and yet the women’s game and
women in football are not only flourishing, but
they’re adding new dimensions and dynamics to
...The Future
C O PA9 0
an old sport, and in doing so have already made
of Football
the game better for all of us. They’ve not just put it
top bins, they’ve done it with their weaker foot.
The movement has started.
The stage is set for France this summer, and
is Female
beyond that, it’s only up from here. First to market
has a massive advantage; the women’s game is
waiting for some game changers. This space is
definitely the most exciting and the biggest growth
area for 2019 and beyond. Evolve or die.
034 035THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0 MODE R N FANS AND F OOT B AL L I N 2019 M O D ER N FA N S A N D F O O TBA LL IN 2019
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MMODERN
FFANS A N D
F O O T BA L L
IN 2019
IN BEFORE we dig into new
behaviours and hot topics,
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
let’s check back in on how
these fans are interacting
with football content
C O PA9 0
at large.
To recap, our Modern Fans
The Modern are MALES AND FEMALES The Modern
AGED 16–24 YEARS OLD,
Football Fanwho engage with football Football Fan
content every single day.
This time, we have also
focused on CHINA, USA,
and BRAZIL in addition
Image: Rex Features. Filter : Apropos Resources
to the UK, to give us some
different perspectives from
around the global Modern
Fan community.
036 037T V S CR E E NS AND K I CK AB OUT S S U BS C R I P TI O N S A N D BEY O ND T H E 90 MIN U T E S
beyond the 90 minutes
SUBSCRIPTIONS and
THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0
COPA9 0
When it comes to paying to view fans were the most accustomed
and kickabouts
football, Brazilian fans are most to using a one-off pay-per-view
TV SCREENS We first wanted to see what the
main interactions with football
likely to watch games via a TV
channel subscription (79%),
and China-based fans are more
format for a game (68%) and
were also the most interested in
any future formats that allows
were. Of the 18 behaviours we likely to pay via streaming (either them to pay just for the last 20
tested, female fans ranked higher monthly or per game). American mins of a game (78%).
(1–8% more) in 10 of those fields,
including watching football 70% TV chann el (Mon thly subscr iption )
on TV and following results as 59% Stream ing platfo rm (Mon thly subscr iption )
they come in. Only gaming and 54% TV chann el (One- off payme nt for a game)
playing the game in real life with 48% Stream ing platfo rm (One- off payme nt for a game)
friends / a team skewed towards
male Modern Fans:
1. 60% Watch ed footba ll live on TV U K U SA B R A CHI
2. 58% Follow ed result s on TV, news and intern et
Docu m e n tarie s
58% Talked to friend s/fam ily about footba ll
talk shows, while male fans biased slightly towards TV punditry and post-game analysis in general.
documentaries. Female fans ranked high for contemporary, deeper formats such as documentaries, interviews, and fan led
In terms of TV content formats outside the 90 mins, the top three options for Modern Fans were highlights, interviews, and
3.
4. 54% Watch ed highli ghts on my mobil e device 47% 44% 57% 62%
5. 50% Watch ed highli ghts/c lips on TV
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
6. 48% Watch ed other footba ll relate d video clips online Hig hl ig hts
7. 48% Watch ed highli ghts on my laptop /home compu ter 71% 63% 48% 72%
8. 44% Read footba ll transf er gossip online
9. 34% Watch ed a game via a paid for/su bscrip tion based live stream TV pu n dit an al ys is
C O PA9 0
10. 32% Watch ed a game online via an unoffi cial live stream
50% 44% 63% 50%
There were also some interesting
nuances from country to country. Fan - l e d tal k s how s
UK fans definitely lead the way 31% 42% 19% 40%
for talking about the game with
The Modern friends, checking match results, The Modern
In te rv ie w s
and following transfer gossip.
Football Fan Modern Fans in Brazil are more Football
61% Fan68%
58% 55%
likely to play football outside
with friends and via their games
An al ys is
console, whereas fans in China 45% 48% 36% 46%
were the most keen on watching
match clips on their mobile E ditorial articl e s
devices and laptops.
17% 38% 19% 30%
Preferred platforms for consuming football Chal l e n g e form ats (e .g. F2, baite ze )
content amongst all Modern Fans globally:
13% 39% 18% 42%
35% TV (live)
24% YouTu be O the r footbal l form ats (e .g. fu ts al , 5- a- s ide )
18% TV (on deman d)
15% Footb all specif ic websit es 12% 6% 30% 19%
14% Faceb ook
13% Instag ram
12% Twitte r
038 039T HE NE W T R UST B AR OME T E R M EM ES , G I F S , A N D P R I VATE C H AT
C)
AF
private chat
MEMES, GIFS, AND
THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0
COPA9 0
,
IFA
In the previous Modern Fan Report, we When it comes to the source of this
,F
highlighted the importance of meme content, club accounts, football
AF
culture amongst fans, and this trend media, and fan club accounts were
AC
continues to grow globally, with funny more popular than those of first team
NC
videos and memes now overtaking players, backing up the view that fans
CO
game highlights on social media (60% have a more voyeuristic relationship
ur e
,
so am
v 59%). Interviews, GIFS, and stats with their favourite player’s accounts.
FA
ces
t ed t o n
UE
made up the rest of the top five content
s nm acco acco edia
dia
t b ts ts
forms. This becomes especially apparent
ew t tr sked
e.
en un un
me
(i.
ou ov dia di l m
Ot her utio rs’ s ed s ters bsit ups
when you compare it to the sharing
ll n os e a
us
ies
e s d g me me socia
53 % Jo peci cia lub ly nal
Though all four markets were keen of football Influencers’ content (41%
tba 5 m wer
1% Ot stit alle elat por l we ’ gro
he on ns oc oc on es
od
48 % S noffi ial c ami itio
a
to share football-related content, influencers v 38% players).
46 F otb lis foo or es
foo op ts
s:
7% % In ootb all r ts/re tbal ters
c
of eir T den
O n s s
52 % F urn alist l sup sour
57 % U ffic ds/f /trad
Brazilian and Chinese fans were the
2 % ie ew r e
th spon
66 F n p
lin an ial ial
most likely to do this publicly via their
a
p
p
social media profiles.
37 % T ews
rce er
Re
68 % N
V
r
45
UK U SA BRA CHI
a
%
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
Share d footbal l re l ate d con te n t
1
o
(m e m e s , v ide o cl ips , im ag e s )
%
r
43% 31% 45% 57%
C O PA9 0
Share footbal l con te n t on the ir s ocial
m e dia pl atform s s e v e ral tim e s a day
The Modern 13% The Modern
42% 48% 45%
Football Fan Football Fan
Cre ate d m y ow n footbal l re l ate d
con te n t (m e m e s , v ide o cl ips , im ag e s )
10% 25% 15% 20%
Spoke to othe r fan s on on l in e
When it comes to football related news, as does faith in official club sources and similar patterns. However, US-based foru m s /priv ate g rou ps
the landscape has changed drastically, specialist football websites, but it is fans had noticeably lower trust in TV (Whats App e tc.)
with Modern Fans trusting social media clear that social media is no longer just news, while Chinese fans were more
accounts (whether players’, journalists’, offering accessibility and speed when it likely to prefer official club and player 31% 29% 38% 43%
or just football themed) more than comes to football news. communications over new media
traditional coverage in newspapers. influencers and supporters groups.
This tended to be a global trend, with
Trust in TV news outlets remains strong, different markets following largely
040 041THE M O DE R N FOOTB ALL FAN 2 .0 R E AS ONS T O B E CHE E R F UL 1, 2, 3 L EA G U E WATC H
COPA9 0
When it comes to specific leagues and
tournaments, Modern Fans in Brazil are
the most ‘worldly’ with their tastes, taking
a strong interest in most major leagues
around the world. They are also more likely
to follow lower domestic leagues as well.
Conversely, young fans in the UK had the
large majority of their attention focused
on the Premier League. For young fans
in the US, the Premier League and the
Champions League were as interesting as
WORLD CUP MLS, with interest in Liga MX at 34%.
increase on overall connectivity, the
management, things are extremely
progressive reduction of streaming
scenario/journey over a real event
exciting. The end dream of having
in real time, independently of their
And, combined with the advances
content and sharing the individual
will be a seamless and integrated
from the gaming industry and the
amplifying it to any community of
latency mixed with the advances
UK USA BRA CHI
friends or equal interested users
wider ecosystem, where sharing
leading publishers is fast paced.
in cloud gaming capabilities, the
virtual over real experience and
power is a realistic one for sure
Transformation & Innovation
location, device or purchasing
“The continuous development
one user/fan creating a virtual
- Luis Vicente, Chief Digital
and I believe will be part of a
79% 58% 92% 88%
on streaming concurrence
Roughly a quarter of our Modern
Fans played football regularly as
part of an amateur team (26% of CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LIGUE 1
male v 20% of female fans) while
Officer, FIFA
experience.”
T H E MO D ER N F O O T B AL L FAN 2 . 0
45% enjoy a good kickabout. UK USA BRA CHI UK USA BRA CHI
With the easy seduction of FIFA, 69% 54% 88% 73% 16% 34% 47% 39%
what actually gets them out onto
the grass?
C O PA9 0
PREMIER LEAGUE BRASILEIRÃO
72% Fitnes s (for health and wellne ss)
61% Comp etitive ness (to test myself , to try and win) UK USA BRA CHI UK USA BRA CHI
55% Comm unity/ being part of a team (to be part of a group ) 80% 52% 71% 71% 8% 32% 92% 35%
52% Identi ty (it’s part of who I am and how I identi fy myself )
52% Expre ssion (it’s how I exhibi t creati vity and perfor m)
The Modern
49% Ritual (it’s part of a routin e, regula r activi ty) USA The Modern
LA LIGA MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
36% Escap ism (to forget about proble ms or stress) 35%
3% Other Football Fan UK Football
USA BRA Fan
CHI UK USA BRA CHI
25% 33% 56% 52% 14% 53% 46% 38%
Though fitness was the primary
driver across all four markets,
there were also interesting BUNDESLIGA CHINESE SUPER LEAGUE
Y
RL
GU ED
local nuances. In China,
LA
UK CHI
RE AT
competitiveness and ritual / UK USA BRA CHI UK USA BRA CHI
S EL
36% 52%
ME -R
routine were key motivators, in 18% 33% 38% 52% 6% 29% 20% 53%
GA ALL
contrast to the UK, where young
ER TB
fans were far more likely to
UT OO
reference community and feeling SERIE A LOWER DOMESTIC LEAGUES
MP F
BRA
CO LAY
part of a team. In Brazil and the
54% UK USA BRA CHI UK USA BRA CHI
P
USA, identity was a strong driver.
16% 38% 79% 48% 26% 32% 34% 20%
… a nd when it ’s rai n i n g
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