The internet has changed many things in the world of sports. One thing many people don’t realize is how much the internet has changed spending for sports fans. The internet has created new ways for sports markets to increase their revenue from fans through the use of online payments.

Buying Tickets

Early on in sporting, the only way to purchase a ticket was at the stadium or sporting arena itself. Today the world of ticket buying for sporting events goes far

beyond the arena itself. Tickets are now available for purchase online from any computer or smart device. This means that fans can now obtain tickets for their favorite sporting event without having to leave their own couch. The demassification of sporting arenas has lead to an increase in apps and other modes of easing the purchasing process for fans. Fans may select exactly the seats they want based on price range, location, and other factors as well. Fans can even sell their tickets if they have to miss the big game for any reason.

Gambling

Gambling in sports has always been present, but the internet has completely changed the game. Many gambling options have risen to power with the movement towards the internet in sporting. One of the biggest companies that has risen to power is Draft Kings, an online gambling site that allows fans to gamble for real money on sporting events. Draft Kings started in 2002 and by their fifth year of operation, they were giving over $1 billion weekly during the height of sports seasons. These companies usually make their profit from entrance fees and other ways through which they can take a cut of larger profits. The Government reports that over over 85% of the US population engages in some form of gambling over their lifetime; and reports that there has been a massive increase in legal gambling forms over the past 10-15 years. Most likely this is due to Gambling on websites such as Draft Kings.

Paying to Pay

The internet creates the illusion of convenience to appeal to fans with of easy access, but only for a price. Fans gain the ability to purchase seats online, watch games online, and create fantasy teams. However, the price of the new material created by the internet comes with regular fees, while subtlety creating a pull method of advertising. The internet helps create the pull method by making sports fans choose what content they look up and in turn helping the advertisement companies target those very fans. Now a days, sporting events have become heavily monetized compared to the past. The internet provides sporting conglomerates like ESPN the ability to dominate much of the sporting world. Most people don’t even know that ESPN is often a great example of synergy by having advertisements for the company that owns them, Disney. The internet gave way to opening sports to new industries like online ticket purchasing, live streaming, fantasy football, and online gambling while raking in millions of dollars for any companies lucky enough to ensnare sports fans.

 

 

 

 

3 Ways Technology Has Changed the Sports Industry

How the Internet has Changed Sports Gambling

 Government Gambling Statistics

The internet has no doubt changed our society. But what is the industry that has most been affected by the rise of the internet? Sports. The advancement of streaming has made sports more readily available for anyone with a smart phone – anywhere and anytime.

Streaming

Streaming has expanded sports events from being an event that you go to, to taking the sports with you wherever you go. Television cleared a path for the trend of bringing sporting events outside the stadium, but streaming bulldozed the field and brought it literally anywhere with internet access. According to the EFF almost 2/3 of all internet traffic is streaming video, which makes sports streaming a very profitable domain for companies like ESPN.

Streaming Options

There are countless options for fans to engage in watching their favorite sport. One of the biggest companies in sports is ESPN. ESPN is part of one of the biggest media conglomerates overseen by Disney. WatchESPN is one of the most prominent producers in the sports streaming business. You can watch hours of sports on their website or their phone app so you can conveniently take it with you wherever you want. They do charge a fee for subscriptions to different sports for the season in order to make sure you stay hooked, keeping them in business.

Streaming gave rise to a new outreach for fans who simply don’t have to come to a sporting event or gather around the TV on a Sunday to watch the big game. In some aspects streaming has made a way for fans to make their favorite sports conform to their busy schedules. People no longer have to watch a game while it happens live or record it on a VCR. Now, they can watch the game at their convenience – on the bus, at home, or anywhere in between. The number of fans watching sports through cable is dropping – 100 million viewers to 88 million in September of 2018 alone. Streaming, on the other hand, is on the rise.

The NY Times estimates that almost half a million people daily streamed events in the last Olympics. The reason streaming is so popular is because it is convenient and often “free.” While some streaming sites don’t charge a price, they all have advertisements, which keeps the companies in business. Some sites offer no ads in their streaming, but on the condition of a premium membership, which in most cases incurs a fee.

Sources:

FCC: Broadcasting Rules

CNN: Disney and Sports

ESPN Watch

NY Times: How Streaming has Changed Sports