A BETTER WAY TO WATCH SPORTS
If you went back in time to watch a classic rugby or cricket match 20, 30 or even 40 years ago – how different would it be from the typical stadium experience these days? If you ask business developer and serial innovator Greg Stubbings, he’d say: not different enough!
“Years ago, the average Kiwi might have been happy to park two suburbs away from the stadium, line up for 40 minutes to get in, then sit in silence on a hard wooden bench pretending to enjoy a warm beer and a cold hotdog. These days, not so much. The modern world has really spoiled us!”
As a former TV sports producer and reporter, Greg is a lifelong fan of live sport. He was increasingly disheartened by the trend towards fewer and fewer people attending live games.
“You don’t have to be a marketing genius to see there are obvious issues selling the ‘old world’ stadium experience. These days we all have infinite, two-way entertainment options in the palm of our hands. We are used to getting everything on demand and doing things our way. Live sport can’t afford to be an analogue ‘pay up, line up, shut up’ experience anymore.”
Believing there was a way to help sports do it better, Greg and his team began building a digital platform and mobile app that aimed to completely overhaul the fan experience.
“Our Fanatical platform lets you see exactly where your seats are and reserve a parking space close to your gate. You can then see a full menu of all the food and drink options available and pre-order something to pick up as you walk in. No more queues.”
At the game itself, Greg envisaged a far more comfortable, spectator-friendly experience.
“When you get to your seat, you might find you want to hire a cushion or a blanket. Maybe another drink? Order those on the app. Need to go to the toilet? Get estimated queue times so you can choose the best time and place to go.”
A key part of what Greg wanted to achieve with Fanatical was helping spectators become a more active, engaged part of the stadium experience.
“Fanatical lets people send messages and photos to the big screen. And request a song from the DJ. One of the things I really like is the option to guess the score and vote for the MVP – with live updates of just how wrong we all were!”
Greg and his team ran a full season trial with the Canterbury Rams basketball team to test their newly minted Fanatical platform.
“The Rams were a perfect fit for us because they are totally committed to the fan experience. You can’t help but be impressed with what those guys do.”
With testing complete, Greg’s team is now looking for more sports organisations to work with.
“My hope is that more Kiwi sports embrace that ‘doing the same thing we’ve always done’ isn’t going to put the fans’ proverbial back on seats. It’s time to compete with other entertainment options by creating the best possible fan experience. If that means getting a beer delivered to my seat… then let’s make that happen!”