Emotional Gridiron: Psychology of Sport Identification and the Digital Experience

EMOTIONALGRIDIRON

Psychology of Sport Identification and the

Digital Experience

“SPORT HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE THE WORLD.

IT HAS THE POWER TO INSPIRE. IT HAS THE POWER TO UNITE IN A WAY

THAT LITTLE ELSE DOES. IT SPEAKS TO YOUTH IN A LANGUAGE THEY

UNDERSTAND. SPORT CAN CREATE HOPE WHERE ONCE

THERE WAS ONLY DESPAIR.

- NELSON MANDELA, 2006

Copyright 2016 | @TSingletonSays | TunishaJSingleton.com | JabCross Media

Mental Market in

Sports

- Emotional Context• Belonging• Connection• Purchase patterns • Goals • Values

- Digital Context• Consumption patterns• Devices• Multiple screens• Expectations• Media behaviors

Fandom is not new. How we

express fandom however, is

changing.“Sports have drawn people together to

cheer for their heroes for as long as there has

been a record of human activity.” – Jeremy M. Jacobs,

Owner of Boston BruinsCopyright 2016 | @TSingletonSays | TunishaJSingleton.com | JabCross Media

Components of

Commitment• Foundation of organizational

psychology applied to the vertical of sport identification and media technology.


Affective Attachment:

(Want)

• "...the emotional attachment to the organization such that the strongly committed [person] identifies with, is involved in, & enjoys membership in." (Allen & Meyer, 1990)

• "I want to watch the game.”• “I want to tailgate to be around

other fans and share the experience.”


Continuance: (Need)

• ..."commitment is viewed as a tendency to 'engage in consistent lines of activity based on a person's recognition of the 'costs' associated with discontinuing the activity" (Allen & Meyer, 1990)

• "I need to watch the game because my team is playing.”

• I need to go to Timmy Nolan’s bar to be around other Boston

Celtics fans.”Copyright 2016 | @TSingletonSays | TunishaJSingleton.com | JabCross Media

Normative: (Ought or

Should)

• ..."feelings of obligations that an employee or member has to an organization...individuals [who] exhibit behaviors solely because they believe it is the 'right' and moral thing to do" (Allen & Meyer, 1990)

• "I should watch the game because I feel obligated to my team.”

• I ought to attend at least 1 home game live.


SOCIAL AND DIGITAL MEDIA HAVE CHANGED EVERYTHING,

INCLUDING THE WAY WE IDENTIFY WITH SPORT & SHOW

COMMITMENT.

DIGITAL MEDIATION


New Forms of Affective :

• NBA OFFICIAL LEAGUE AND TEAM TWITTER FOLLOWERS 38,800,000• “Too much of my sport experience

would be disrupted if I were unable to tweet before, during, or after a

game.” NBA Official Game Ball w/ Twitter Handle embroideredCopyright 2016 | @TSingletonSays | TunishaJSingleton.com | JabCross Media

New forms of

Continuance:

• “I know that if I miss watching a game live, I can use social media to see what happened.”

FoMO (Fear of Missing Out):

“...FoMO could serve as a mediator linking deficits in psychological

needs to social media engagement. FoMO plays an essential role in the

explanation of social media engagement over and above

several individual factors, such as levels of need satisfaction” (Alt,

2015)Copyright 2016 | @TSingletonSays | TunishaJSingleton.com | JabCross Media

New Forms of Normative:

• “I have an internal desire to promote my favorite team or player, in person and on social media”

• Possession-Self Link (Ferraro, Escalas, & Bettman, 2011)

When a person gives an object meaning, possession become a symbol of the content and values essential to their identity.

Belongings Self-worth


External Group

IdentitiesCulture

Ethnicity

Location

Vocation

Status

Sexuality Multiple extensions of

self afforded through sport’s narrative


Emotional Gridiron

DIGITAL GRIDIRON

Evolution of sport media consumption


Trends of media behavior revealing details of human psychology

1911 Western Union

Telegrams 1921 radio broadcast

1936 World's first live TV broadcast

Before


Now 2000s – Live Streaming2013 - Multiscreen experience

2015 Virtual Reality

2016 Augmented Reality


Future Merged Reality (combination of at-home and in-venue

experience)

Tech-fused Third Venue (AR, interactive

tabletop, on field holographic replay, 3-

D display)

Sensory Upgrade (addition of motion,

smell, wind, and other sensations to

watching video


Virtual Fandemonium

VR/AR represents a turning point in media consumption.

The sport experience is no longer storytelling; it’s STORY LIVING.

Are fans willing to use VR to watch live sports?

Avg of 6.63 shows a leaning towards VR!

PREFERRED VIEWING EXPERIENCE

Augment the experience with immersive-based features beyond premium seating or traditional home viewing

SELF-SPORT CONNECTION

Augmented by social and digital media application


Sport SelfiesEnhancing Identity &

Extending Experiences with digital media.

Digital validation of fan experience and

affiliation.


3 Keys to Sports Mental Market

Use technology to build emotionally-binding content.

Ignite our social and digital media landscape with activity

A great experience has no expiration date.

1. Emotion2. Engagement

3. Experience


Experience is Undefeated.

Feel it.

Remember it.Share it .
