It’s the Super Bowl LIII this weekend.
One of the most watched annual sporting events in the world, surpassed only by the UEFA Champions League final.
With tickets costing between $2,500 and $3,000, fans expect to be entertained off the field as well as on the field. And they get it. Music, fireworks, million dollar ads and a half time show featuring some of the music world’s top talent.
But what about this side of the pond? With tickets prices to attend live sporting events increasing, is the fan experience getting better?
In our report on The Future of the Sports Fan, a trend that we identified was ‘Extra Live’. This looked at the live sport experience and suggested unique venue experiences as a way for right holders to enhance the fan experience.
One example of a team doing this well is Wolves. At the Wolves v Liverpool game before Christmas, Kiss FM DJ Justin Wilkes did a set before kick-off. The fan reaction was so good, Justin was back at Molineux this week with another set.
Wolves have also introduced fireworks at their home games since last season and do a Light Show for some evening games.
You can see why this pre-show entertainment is a no-brainer for Wolves. The majority of fans have said it made their evening more enjoyable and the music adds to the atmosphere and gets the crowd in the right frame of mind by the time the players come on. It also brings people into the stadium earlier and hopefully increases their spend when they’re there.
While some fans might complain about it being too American, for the majority of fans and the club, it’s got to be a win-win. Now let’s see which clubs follows in their footsteps.