The marketing industry is currently pinning hopes on the world of "Metaverse", as brands and their agencies continue to hope that "Metaverse" will bring transformative capabilities in almost every sector, according to the Emirati statement.
What about the sports sector, which has witnessed an increasing number of digital events in recent times, which has increased the enthusiasm of brands to engage more with the online fan base, what does the future hold for this sector in the world of “Metaverse”?
"Sports is no different than any other industry, and there are hopes for a real big shift, and this transformation is underpinned by exciting developments," says Hannah Thompson, media director at TAJ.
In an article published on the marketing website "Drum", she says that sitting in a living room watching football on a virtual TV screen is "Metaverse", and this increasingly looks like the future of watching sports. She sees metaverse dimensions, where the brand's communication with customers mathematically will drive expectations of profitable opportunities for broadcast media, streaming platforms and brands in the future.
It refers to important digital events that ignited the enthusiasm of sports teams and clubs worldwide, such as the “Roblox” video game platform, and what it represents as a virtual world that includes user-generated games and social spaces, by hosting a live concert with rapper Lil Nas X, in December 2020 seen 33 million times in one weekend.
This year alone, the Atlanta Braves baseball team recruited US video game and software developer APEC Games to recreate a baseball stadium in Georgia, Troist Park, and the Manchester City football team revealed similar plans for the Etihad Stadium. Football, and a number of fans experienced watching the AC Milan football team in the form of “Avatar” in Metaverse.
Video game engines are said to have opened up limitless possibilities for designing creative collections, while marketing teams have seen opportunities to generate new revenue streams through real and virtual merchandise and collectibles, and branding a new virtual business and creative landscape.
On May 1, the “Italian Football League gave 10,000 fans in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) the opportunity to access its virtual room on the “Metaverse” to watch the match against Fiorentina in this virtual world in an innovation that has not been tried with any of the European championships.” . After this pilot project, the goal will be to generate revenue, as the Italian league may split the broadcast rights of the Metaverse match and sell it to whoever wants to buy it, says Daniel Ferri at the BBC.
She pointed out that the Italian League has developed a broadcasting infrastructure and opened a center for international broadcasting last October in Milan, where all matches are produced and edited and sent to broadcasters in Italian, Arabic and English, with the creation of five virtual advertising feeds displayed on local LED boards in different countries around the world, For each game, people who watch the game in the United States, for example, see different commercials than those who watch the same game in Italy, and the future could be going to any stadium wearing VR glasses.
Thompson reports that in addition to the already growing popularity of esports, the potential for engagement with online fan bases is rapidly increasing as well.
Thompson looks at the experience of the energy drink brand Red Bull, which has become a big name in Formula One and a range of sports from motor racing to tennis, which also took the lead in esports and sponsored Halo player David Welch in the mid-2000s. She now works with groups like Team OG on Dota 2, and sees the future of brands in organizing matches, coaching, broadcasting live and hosting a series of tournaments.
For a start, you see that holding virtual matches gives brands the opportunity to facilitate shared sporting moments creating strong bonds between the brand and beloved teams, and with recent technological developments sees an increasing field to provide value-added additions, such as multi-view cameras that enable fans to roam in stadiums and stadiums Sports and personal sports centers, referring to “Sports Metaverse” for “SportsSilicon”, where users can watch games with friends and enjoy virtual player interactions.
As for the future of personalized promotions, she sees the future in a seamless virtual transition of automated surround advertising and says it is a classic way to sponsor sports with ever-increasing acceptance in every target market. Stadium based on viewer location, weather conditions, and real-time action, and as sports streams transform into new virtual homes, this targeting has the potential to help brands ensure greater relevance and a deeper resonance with fans.
As the variance of games and esports grows, you see more opportunities for integrated advertising and brand collaboration across virtual environments.
And you see a basic example of an original advertisement within the game of the FIFA game initiative to launch an automated bidding platform, which provides access to the in-game ad space for a group of buyers. Brand materials with limited collections and product trials from Nike, Ferrari, Balenciaga and finally Timberland.
Thompson says e-sports platforms are often described as mini metaverses that put