DX Expands in the With-Corona Sports World. NFT Utilization and the Rise of Gen Z Media Transform Sports Content

Sports is undoubtedly one of the industries most severely impacted by the spread of the novel coronavirus. Numerous sporting events were canceled or held without spectators, shaking the very foundations of the sports business and depriving athletes of their platforms to shine. Furthermore, we experienced the unprecedented situation of the TOKYO 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games being postponed by one year. On the other hand, the pandemic's impact has also accelerated digital transformation (DX) within sports content. This article focuses on how incorporating technology has evolved the ways we enjoy sports content.

Digital Technology Upgrades the Viewing Experience

The pandemic, ongoing since 2020, dealt a significant blow to sports content. A prolonged period of canceled events and tournaments was followed by spectator-free events or those with limited attendance. This challenging situation persists even now, at the end of 2021. Amidst this, efforts to evolve the sports viewing experience through digital technology are also advancing.

Beyond the shift to spectator-free events, various factors—including technological innovation, accelerated communication infrastructure, and the rise of video streaming platforms—have expanded online broadcasting. Consequently, sports events previously unavailable via TV or internet streaming are now accessible, broadening opportunities to watch via computers and smartphones. For some, the sheer act of watching sports events may even occur more frequently than before.

However, it is also true that "watching a sporting event at the venue" offers unique, real-life enjoyment that cannot be experienced solely through streaming video. The excitement of the venue, the sense of unity among fans, the joy of sharing reactions with fellow spectators, the thrill of cheering athletes directly, the sounds audible up close, and the sheer intensity conveyed by live play – the list goes on. While watching sports itself is enjoyable, many people likely find the atmosphere at the venue even more appealing, or simply want to watch with friends over a beer.

Responding to such voices, the sports content industry is launching various initiatives aimed at "recreating and enhancing the unique enjoyment of real-life events digitally," and even "providing viewing experiences that surpass the real thing, made possible precisely because they are digital." While many are still in the testing phase, here are three examples of ongoing updates to the viewing experience.

1. Fostering connections between fans

This service recreates and visualizes connections between fans while watching live sports streams. For example, by using chat and avatar features to converse while watching, fans can experience the feeling of enjoying the event together with friends at the venue. Even during matches without spectators, displaying the number of viewers creates a sense of "cheering alongside a large crowd," heightening excitement. Alternatively, new viewing styles are emerging, such as dressing avatars in team uniforms and watching together in a virtual space to recreate the unity felt at a stadium.

2. Creating Connections with Athletes

Being able to directly cheer for your favorite athletes is a unique pleasure of live attendance. However, in large venues, the distance from the stands to the field means you can only shout or wave from far-off seats. Digital platforms, however, enable unique forms of athlete interaction. For instance, online broadcasts often package events—including not just the match itself, but post-game fan meet-and-greets and fan interviews with athletes—allowing viewers to gain deeper insights into the athletes' personalities and daily lives. Furthermore, features like "tip" functions enable fans to send direct messages and benefits to the athletes they support.

3. Multi-angle, High-Impact Viewing

At a live event, you can only watch from your assigned seat in the stadium or arena. Digitally, however, you can freely change your viewpoint. For baseball, for instance, you can enjoy the view from behind the backstop—a prime seat—or experience the excitement from the infield seats at the same eye level as the players. Furthermore, placing cameras throughout the venue creates diverse perspectives—like the view from the dugout, the umpire's viewpoint, or the batter's eye level—offering a uniquely different experience. In the future, it may even be possible to watch top professionals play up close from the comfort of your home.

Video Content and NFTs Enable New Athlete-Fan Engagement

Next, let me introduce an interesting service that leverages digital technology to create new connections between athletes and fans.

Have you ever seen the scene in tennis matches where the winning player signs something for the TV camera at the end? It's a commemorative autograph right after victory. The service that digitizes this "signature" is "LIVE Sign." "LIVE Sign." is a service that allows you to write a handwritten signature directly onto a video. Using this service, the "signature drawing" created on the app and the "celebrity's appearance" while signing are instantly combined, digitizing the signed video. Amidst the challenges of the pandemic, where athletes and fans find it difficult to interact directly or obtain physical signatures, "LIVE Sign." enables athletes to deliver their signing process and messages to fans as video content. Signatures hold significant value not only for "when they were written" but also for the communication during the signing process. Fans appreciate that "LIVE Sign." provides video content capturing the athlete's joyful expression immediately after winning an important match, along with the celebratory atmosphere of the venue.

Furthermore, combining "LIVE Sign." with NFT (Non-Fungible Token) technology adds asset value to the autograph data. While digital, it guarantees the unique value of being "that top athlete's signature written immediately after winning that match." "LIVE Sign." is just one example, but advancements in digital technology like this enable new forms of engagement between athletes and fans. This also creates opportunities to further expand businesses related to sports content.

Diversifying Ways to Enjoy Sports: Insights from Gen Z Media "Overtime"

Amid the emergence of diverse sports content, I'd like to highlight another distinctive sports media platform aligned with contemporary values. Have you heard of "Overtime," a content distribution platform born in New York? You may have come across it in various media reports. It's primarily a comprehensive media platform for student sports like high school soccer and basketball, focusing on young athletes. With over 40 million followers, the vast majority under 34, it's often cited as a prime example of "Gen Z media."

Overtime has approximately 7,000 creators worldwide. They closely follow amateur sports games in their respective regions, filming and editing them into cool videos that are uploaded daily. Its core followers are Gen Zers like college and high school students, who enjoy watching athletes their own age compete. Some high school athletes featured on "Overtime" have gone on to become the next generation's superstars, cementing its status as one of the most popular sports media outlets among young people today.

Recently, so-called "urban sports" like skateboarding and BMX have surged in popularity. In these sports, it's commonplace to "film your own tricks with a smartphone and post them on social media" or "practice by watching videos of skilled people's techniques to learn how to replicate them." SNS and video content serve as their platform for expression and communication tools. As this illustrates, the future enjoyment of sports extends beyond watching live broadcasts or checking results. It encompasses discovering athletes' authentic, everyday selves—including off-the-field moments—and showcasing one's own play or techniques to the world. How effectively sports content can adapt to the diverse enjoyment styles of the younger generation will be a crucial perspective for its future evolution.

The spread of the novel coronavirus presented a major crisis for sports content. However, the loss of what was once taken for granted as entertainment likely led many to rediscover the value and appeal of sports content. Riding this wave, sports content is now poised to evolve further by embracing digital technology. Above all, the excitement sports provide is an indispensable part of enriching our lives. How will sports content evolve next? It's worth keeping an eye on the various initiatives underway.