While global events such as the Olympics, FIFA World Cup and continental championships can drive massive audience interaction for operators, obstacles remain in terms of converting these fleeting moments into long-term engagement.
Unlike yearly competitions such as the Premier League, these events do not always offer a natural next step for players seeking to continue their betting experience.
“Marketing for regular events is based mostly on loyalty, fan culture and continuous engagement, whereas events which are held less frequently need extra effort,” says Tamazi Gambashidze, Head of Sports Brand Experience Department at Adjarabet, speaking to iGaming Expert ahead of SBC Summit Tbilisi.
At the same time, he continues, not all events are created equal.
Football tournaments such as the World Cup and UEFA European Championships create huge organic interest, which is reflected in betting activity. However, other events like the Olympics and the revamped Club World Cup require more marketing effort.
Although operators deploy strategies to boost engagement, often the buzz around an event relies on the on-field success of a national team, club or individual athlete.
In the case of Gambashidze’s native Georgia, the rise of the current UFC Bantamweight Champion, Merab Dvalishvili, has boosted the popularity of mixed martial arts in a country more synonymous with football and rugby.
“Football was and will be big in my country of Georgia, but if you see the numbers on streaming or betting on MMA, it has skyrocketed in the last five to six years,” explains Gambashidze.
Sports betting for many fans is an integral part of the sports viewing experience, and as broadcasting evolves through the use of greater AI integration, Gambashidze sees no reason why the two cannot combine to enhance the viewing experience for fans.
“I would love to have betting integrated into my streaming services,” he says. “Whether in basketball, to have a position such as “Who will score the next point” popping up on my screen, or in football, ‘which player will have the next shot’ would be great. That kind of engagement will make betting & streaming a lot of fun.”
To do this, though, admits Gambashidze, it would take stepping over the hurdles posed by the increasingly strict regulations being placed on gambling advertisements, especially across Europe.
Looking ahead to the future, it’s inevitable that thoughts turn to the role of AI. Gambashidze outlines his belief that the use of AI has not fully developed among bettors in his region, and he foresees a time when players will “rely heavily on AI assistance”.
You can hear more from Gambashidze at the upcoming SBC Summit Tbilisi, where he will be speaking on the panel “Big Games, Bigger Bets – The Power of Sports Broadcasting in Fan Engagement & Betting”.
Source: iGaming Expert
