Every professional sport today is on a never-ending quest to engage the fan and make their game more experiential. However the bottom line is that at the highest level most professional sports are to be watched and enjoyed than played by those who follow it. MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA are all more aspirational and inspirational, and tha.s a great thing. They provide a relief and a break from the every day, especially now that the worlds of sports and entertainment are so closely intertwined. So are there professional sports that are more experiential, more of a lifestyle, but still hold the cache of elite athletic.? One is probably pro beach volleyball, and the AVP, which opens their 2010 season in Fort Lauderdale this weekend, has done one of the best jobs in melding the pro game and the experiential for their fans and brands.
The latest example is in choice of title sponsor. While some touring sports have landed title.Sony Ericsson for examplehe AVP scored a January coups by beating back a move by some NCAA schools to have sand volleyball eliminated as an NCAA sport, thus keeping a very fertile grassroots platform for both interest and talent development alive. They then signed a deal with ESPN for television, giving the league its most consistent broadcast platform ever. Now comes a title sponsor and the start of a new season that will keep the Tour in markets where they can be successful and where the beach volleyball lifestyle is strong. Will that drive more TV viewers for the short ter. Given the fact that matches are on TV when those ardent followers are probably outside, probably not. But in this new world of TIVO and DV.s, as well as multiplatform activation, the AVP moves thus far this year should bode well for the sport and give it a niche that most.nich. sports do.t have, which is consistentcy of placement and willing sponsors who can activate against a core group at sites around the country. I.s not a perfect solution for big dollars, but it is a solid base from which to grow, especially as the AVP transitions from its most recent stars to a group of new ones.
While the major sports will always provide the biggest platform for eyeballs, the AVP is still a great example of how to combine lifestyle and elite athletics, and as a result generate interest and unique value at a time when lifestyle is becoming an increasingly valuable asset on ROI for brands. Serve it up.
