COVID-19 and the Bundesliga: A study of digital fan engagement strategies in professional soccer

This chapter examines how the German Bundesliga clubs have responded to the COVID-19 challenges in terms of engaging fans digitally. Expert interviews were conducted with 13 representatives from three stakeholder groups of the league: club senior managers, consulting managers, and fan representatives. Findings outline six digital engagement principles learned from the clubs` response to the challenges. These include fan centricity at the core, creating a 360-degree view of the fan, turning physical into virtual encounters, the rise and adaptation of social media use, converting tactic into strategic solutions, and the need for flexible and innovative environment. Theoretical and practical implications as well as suggestions for future research are provided.
© Copyright 2022 Research Handbook on Sport and COVID-19. Published by Edward Elgar Publishing. All rights reserved.

Bibliographic Details
Subjects:
Notations:organisations and events sport games
Tagging:Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemie Bundesliga
Published in:Research Handbook on Sport and COVID-19
Language:English
Published: Cheltenham Edward Elgar Publishing 2022
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.4337/9781802207576.00034
Pages:301-312
Document types:article
Level:advanced