New Year’s has come and gone; with it came toasted champagne, renewed gym memberships, and predictions for 2011.
Many articles have speculated as to what 2011 holds for sports and social media. ESPN’s Ryan Corazza, for example, cites a rise in social gaming and geolocation apps. Another article by Jim DeLorenzo in Marshable, points to innovative startups. These articles rightly predict an exciting year for sports and social media.
That being said, one theme is being overlooked. It’s not something most fans want to talk about, but it is something that should be considered. There is a high likelihood of at least one sports lockout in 2011, and this would redefine social media use in the sports industry.
Social media has long been a way for fans to reach out to athletes. Whether it is RTing an athlete, or liking their FB page, social media gives fans an inside look at the life of their favorite athletes. It provides connections to these athletes that were previously unavailable.
If a lockout were to occur in 2011, I would expect fans and athletes to turn to social media as a way to fill the void left by an irregular playing schedule. Fans, by definition, are passionate about sports and want to follow their favorite teams and athletes. A lockout doesn’t change this. Without games, fans will likely turn to other means of supporting and following their favorite athletes and teams.
Along these same lines, athletes want to remain connected with their fans. If athletes are unable to perform on national television, they can still interact with fans over Twitter or Facebook. Not only would they have more time to do this, but they would have more incentive since they would not regularly be on TV or in the news.
Ultimately, it’s not certain that a lockout will occur, but if it does, it has the potential to redefine the role of social media in sports. A lockout would propel social media to the forefront, making it the primary means through which fans and athletes stay connected.