Randy Booker is not your average YouTube sports content creator. He has lived a life few could imagine and experienced what many never will in their lifetimes.
From playing international basketball and living in cities all over the world to meeting and interviewing the who’s-who of the basketball world, Randy has rightfully earned himself a seat at the table of the basketball game.
Randy Booker has been there to experience the digital revolution and its impact on the sports industry. He had the following to say about what the result of the digital boom means for the sports industry.
Rise of Esports and esports-related revenue.
With the development of esports rising each year, the sports industry has reduced its over-reliance on in-person game appearances.
According to Randy Booker, through developments in the digital space, more participants register for esport tournaments, which have seen an increase in revenue for the industry.
With esport events like NBA 2K being major industry events similar to the super bowl or the NBA championships, more investments are being pumped into the esport, thus generating even more revenue.
Randy is optimistic that the growth in technology will continue to positively impact the revenue for the sports industry by increasing the impact in the esports industry.
Using social media as a money-making venture.
“Although social media has been used in the sports industry before, the sports industry will have to invest heavily in the social media space if they haven’t already,” says Randy Booker.
Social media is a perfect tool for ensuring continuous engagement with fans even during the off-season. It is one of the most assured ways to create fan retention.
Through creating awareness during significant events such as the Covid-19 pandemic, taking social justice stands, creating one-on-one videos with clients, and how-to videos for fans, social media represents a wide range of options for increasing views.
And in the social media space, more views equal more advertisement opportunities, which equals more revenue.
Randy is one to have taken advantage of the sports social media space through his YouTube channel that has over 330,00 subscribers with over 100 million views.
Augmented and Virtual Reality in sports.
The Covid-19 pandemic forced the sports industry to accelerate the rate of adopting technology in the sports experience.
With events like the Bubble for the NBA, fans needed access to the same experience they would get by physically attending games in the stadiums.
This can be achieved by the augmenting and virtual reality that immerses the fans into the stadiums from the comfort of their homes.
After the Covid-19 pandemic, this technology can ensure more fans experience sports even though the stadiums might be at full capacity.
By tailoring fan’s individual experiences using the data they gather about them, sports organizations will leverage customer loyalty and their experience.
Overall, Randy Booker is excited about the potential that the digital boom has opened in the sports industry.
Today’s consumers are in constant need of connectivity, and sports brands should therefore be more intentional about connecting with the fans to build an amazing brand experience. He believes sports can be more successful if they embrace the available technology.