Thanks to the rise of the internet and the greater accessibility of sports, teams in almost every competition have the chance to boost their brands globally. Some of the world’s most successful sides have reached notoriety through franchising and merchandise, with the New York Yankees being a prime example of this. Emerging teams or sides that want to grow larger fanbases should look to the gaming industry for assistance, as collaborations with developers can be highly lucrative.
Which Developers Should Emerging Teams Eye Up Collaborations with?
Certain offshoots of the gaming industry have boomed online, with the online casino sector being one of the internet’s greatest success stories. This form of entertainment is designed to appeal to the masses, with a vast range of game genres available. Sports are often used in casino online games, with titles like Football Glory, Cheltenham Sporting Legends, and Cricket Star Scratch among several examples.
There are plenty of branded slot games, with these often focusing on sporting heroes like Brian Lara. These offerings are designed to appeal to people who enjoy their themes, but they can also serve to introduce players to the subject matter as well. For example, an American player may not know anything about cricket but could be influenced to learn more about it after playing Brian Lara Sporting Legends.
With the internet awash with online casinos, the slots market is continuing to expand to cater to increasing player numbers. There will, therefore, always be opportunities for new slot games to reel in different demographics. Sports teams would be wise to look to collaborating with developers on branded slots, as this would help them get their names out to players who may never have had the chance to encounter them before.
Getting a branded slot game can also give sports teams a better shot at developing a legacy. The game wouldn’t simply exist to attract people to the team now, but it would also ideally allure players five or ten years down the line. Some of the most successful slot games have been played for over a decade now, with Microgaming’s Mega Moolah being a prime example.
Is Becoming a Global Brand Key in the Modern Age?
In the past, sports teams had to mainly rely on fostering a fanbase in their specific catchment area. Some people wouldn’t have access to a major team and would have to support a local outfit in a less prestigious division. For instance, football fans in Ann Arbor, Michigan don’t have an NFL team. Instead, people there would follow Michigan Wolverines in the NCAA division if they want live action.
Nowadays, it’s easier to pick and choose a team to follow thanks to the rise of streaming. Major US sports are shown all over the world and are attracting new viewers from different countries. When these people start watching, they can’t pick a side based on where they live. They need to be influenced in other ways, and that’s where good branding comes in. The Yankees have fans in countries around the globe, including Colombia, Australia, and Croatia. This has been achieved through successful marketing and representation in other media.
The MLB outfit from New York pioneered a model that’s easier than ever to replicate. It did it through clothing and collectibles mainly, but it has always adapted to changes and advancements in society. There are now countless avenues in which sports teams can attract new fans. Aside from online casino games, this could include representation in console or mobile titles, or social media. Interactivity through live streaming on official team pages, for example, can be an excellent way to get people interested.
Another thing that sports teams can do to gain attention is to form partnerships with sides in other leagues. This is helping teams in the MLS get fans from other soccer-loving countries. New York City is connected to Manchester City within the City Football Group Limited. This brings about cross-promotion between the two clubs, along with player switches. It will be interesting to see how Jamie Vardy’s Rochester New York FC will fare, and whether the Leicester City player will investigate cross-platform franchising to boost his side’s chances of building a fanbase.
TV Shows and Movies Have Benefited Greatly from Franchising
The online casino market offers a lot of untapped potential for sports teams, and this is highlighted by the success that it has brought to numerous television series and movies in recent years. These forms of entertainment often opt to market their offerings through other media, with slots being an effective way of gaining new fans.
Tomb Raider is one franchise that has broken out in so many places that it is impossible for people not to know about it. What began as a video game series for the PlayStation in 1996 is now a sprawling multimedia brand with options for everybody. There are casino games like Lara Croft: Temples and Tombs, mobile games such as Lara Croft Go, and various films including the 2018 Tomb Raider from Roar Uthaug.
It seems that modern internet users want to engage with content on many different levels. This means that when they follow a sports team, they may desire to interact with its social media account, as well as play games and watch a series based upon it. The more areas of online entertainment that emerging teams can break into, the greater chance they have at building huge armies of followers. This, in turn, will help them sell other merchandise and become global brands.
As the gaming industry continues to blow up and pull in eyewatering sums each year, it’s a sector that sports teams can’t ignore. Getting representation in slot games could be the first stepping stone toward attracting more fans and boosting a brand.
