Beyond the Tokyo Olympics: What "Spozium," a platform for sharing sports business success stories, envisions.

My name is Yoshikazu Noguchi from the SPOLUTION team.
For this column, we welcome Mr. Tetsuhei Morita, Editor-in-Chief of the sports media platform "SPOZIUM," operated by our SPOLUTION team partner, Limlet Inc.

Mr. Morita was actually an employee of Dentsu Inc. until recently and was a member of the SPOLUTION team. However, seeing great potential in the sports business leading up to 2020 and beyond, he left Dentsu Inc. and is now working in a new environment.

We'd like to hear about the background and passion behind launching this unprecedented sports media platform, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing the sports business industry.

 

Noguchi: First off, what kind of media is "Spozium"?

Morita: It's a specialized media platform for all stakeholders aiming to promote business through sports. This site covers activities (activation) designed to expand the sports industry. We envision Spodium as a symposium space for discussing the development of the sports industry, where knowledge and success stories from these activations spark further ideas.

 

Noguchi: So that's why it's called "Spozium." By the way, with the Olympics approaching, there's this sports bubble-like atmosphere, but when asked specifically about the potential opportunities, many people are vague. How do you feel about the "potential of sports," Morita-san?

Morita: During my time at Dentsu Inc. working in the sports industry, I identified three key pillars for growth. First are the "content holders" – teams, leagues, and athletes. Second are the "sponsors" who support them. Finally, there are "other stakeholders" like governments and broadcasters.

Noguchi: I see. Could we start by discussing the potential held by the content holders?

Morita: As various business magazines have already covered, the baseball world is undergoing significant change. Particularly the Pacific League, facing reduced exposure on free terrestrial TV, has been proactive in digital strategy. They launched online streaming services like " Pacific League TV " at an early stage.

 

The entire league is undertaking various activities to grow its fanbase, and you can sense the content holders themselves are committed to changing.

Also, the J.League, which we recently covered on Sporium. With the goal of "growing together with Asian nations," they've begun initiatives to expand their Asian strategy, such as providing the know-how cultivated within the J.League to other Asian countries.

Noguchi: One aspect involves enhancing the digital dimension—making content more data-rich through internet streaming, conducting more detailed video analysis, and so on. The other is pursuing global expansion, like the J.League's Asian strategy. So, what potential do corporate "sponsors" see in sports?

Morita: From what I've observed, the focus used to be heavily on "how much exposure the company's logo or name gets on uniforms and bibs." While many companies still prioritize brand name visibility, a growing number of clients now realize that, given the significant shift in communication methods, brand exposure alone isn't necessarily the only goal.

Within this shift, companies are beginning to realize that sports can be leveraged not only for enhancing brand value and boosting product sales, but also for addressing corporate challenges beyond advertising, such as improving employee motivation and investor relations (IR). This trend is likely to become a major wave in the future.

 

Noguchi: Recently, a major life insurance company announced its sponsorship of the J.League, generating significant buzz. You can sense their desire to foster customer communities through sports.

For instance, I've heard that one reason the life insurance company became a J.League title partner is because it allows sales agents and customers to enjoy matches together. With heightened security, agents now find it harder to visit companies for sales calls as they did before. When they needed to create new connections unlike anything before, sports proved to be the perfect solution.

I've also heard many companies participate not only in spectator sports like the J.League but also in DO sports events like marathons. Broadly speaking, the communities cultivated through sports are becoming increasingly important for corporate marketing.

Morita: I feel many companies overseas are considering the use of sports—or activation—from an overall marketing perspective, including how to mobilize communities and connect them to their own business. It would be great if we could actively import that knowledge.

Particularly, seeing what activations Brazil implements as it hosts the Olympics next year could serve as a benchmark. I think it will offer hints for how companies will engage with sports moving forward, especially as we approach the Tokyo Olympics.

Noguchi: Then, for the third axis, "Stakeholders," please tell us about the potential of sports, especially within the media.

Morita: In Japan, mass media outlets like broadcasters and newspapers remain crucial players. The evolution of internet infrastructure and smartphone penetration are transforming the broadcasting business model. It's said that high school girls spend about seven hours a day on their smartphones, and working adults are constantly watching videos on their phones during commutes or work breaks. In this environment, figuring out how to increase the points of contact between sports and consumers is incredibly important. I sense broadcasters are starting to recognize this significance too.

For example, in the " Virtual High School Baseball" project, where Rimlet is assisting with strategy planning and development alongside Asahi Shimbun and Asahi Broadcasting, game footage is simultaneously streamed online. Beyond the multi-angle feature allowing users to freely choose between pitcher, batter, and stadium-wide camera views, it offers a uniquely internet-based service called the "Highlight Generator." This lets individual users clip their favorite scenes and upload them to social media. We believe this sparks actions like, "Hmm, maybe I'll check out this scene my friend recommended," even among people who normally have zero interest in sports, potentially leading to gaining new fans.