The Transformation Of New Types Of Football Fans Throughout The Global Sport Complex

[Ladawn Luu]

The next generation of football enthusiasts have arrived. Continue reading to discover how followers of the beautiful game are quickly changing their stripes.

Football fans worldwide share lots of universal attributes. They usually go the length and breadth of the nation to cheer on their favourite team. They rejoice the successes and drown out the defeats down the local pub. They wear scarves and shirts to demonstrate their support. At first sight, it might sound like supporting your team is the same as it has ever been. But the arrival of digital technology has transformed the nature of a sports fan. As sport becomes a universal experience, many followers of a particular club are not from the same town not to mention the same nation. Instead of going personally, they follow the most recent news and reports throughout social media. They watch their team on streaming platforms from their laptop or mobile. As the planet becomes progressively digital, media founders like Michael Schwimmer must adjust their services for the present and future of the football fan.

Football has come an extremely long way in a short space of time. Who could have imagined twenty years ago that football teams would be made up of footballers from every corner of the world? That the players would have their names on the back of their top? Let alone the assorted corporate sponsors printed around their shirts and sleeves. But maybe the most surreal change has been the way in which people watch football. In past times, fans of their local club would trudge down to the arena on a Saturday afternoon. But many of the greatest clubs have global fanbases with people watching around continents and time zones. It makes sense that sports media executives like Yousef Al-Obaidly are charged with rapidly extending their sports network throughout the world. Alongside the thousands of football fans in stadiums, millions more now awaken in the middle of the night to tune in as well.

Cast your mind back to a crisp morning in the spring of 1992. It may not ring any bells for the more informal supporter. But English football fans can likely verify this precise date as the moment the game changed forever. The arrival of a new league – the premier league of English football – was considered a landmark moment at that time. But who could have believed how significantly it redefined the face of the sport? Alongside a bold new league, the introduction of a slightly struggling television channel set the scene for football’s longstanding partnership with the media business. Skip forward to the current day, media executives like Stephen Van Rooyen continue to provide premium sports viewing services. The ability for ordinary followers to watch sports on television has permitted teams to develop into global brands. Rather than going to the stadium, fans can sit back and watch from the convenience of their home.