Social Evolution: How Sports Have Changed

If you hadn’t noticed, sports have blown just about every other form of entertainment out of the water. The recent charge of the Milwaukee Bucks, set aside blockbuster releases and music events, as up to 75,000 fans were given way to head to the Fiserv Forum. It was seen all around the world, with a suspected 4.25 million people around the world watching live. Considering how popular streaming is, you can bet that that number was doubled. Sports have not just become more social, they’ve become more accessible. Let’s explore how the socialization of sport, has evolved it into the biggest entertainment on the planet.

YouTube fan channels

By and large, sports teams have a lot to thank YouTube fan channels that have made following their story in every league, a thoroughly entertaining experience. There are some channels that just follow teams, and they give commentary on the plays on the field. This is done via live streaming, without the actual footage of the event being played. This cannot be done due to copyright claims. However, there has been talk of allowing some off-season games to be streamed live on influencer’s channels. The reactions that the influencers give, the ability to make their views laugh and be entertained, has meant that brand new viewers of the sport, especially in Gen Z have become loyal supporters of teams and the leagues they play in.

Apps for sports

The biggest thing to arrive on the scene for sports apps is the sheer choice for fans. The number of companies that are making their own sports apps, for various different sports, leagues and competitions has shot to the moon. Take, for example, rugby, it’s always been a popular sport in Europe, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. The Rugby Union app gives you all the updates on the matches, the injuries, what the bookies think and the story of the players. Not to mention, behind the scenes footage of training, management of events and breaking news stories.

Sports stars and comments

Various sports stars, especially in the NBA, are known for answering back to fans and rival fans on social media. This has meant that more and more people believe they can directly engage with their heroes and that has also meant more accessibility for fans. Social media is hit and miss for some, as they don’t like the fact that anonymous users can send hateful messages and not suffer repercussions as they would in real life. However, for the most part, when sports stars reply to your message, you would probably jump up and down if they read what you commented and took the time to message you back.

The social evolution of sports has brought it to the forefront of entertainment. It’s so much more accessible, with apps, direct communication with stars and YouTube channels that give insight into specific teams.

Samantha

Samantha hails from Virginia and is a proud wife to a retired Deputy Sheriff and mother to two amazing little boys named Jack & William. A veteran product reviewer; Samantha has been reviewing products for 8 years and offers high quality product reviews with original photography.