From sports data to fan engagement: Developing a custom statistics page for floorball fans
2024 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (professional degree), 20 credits / 30 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
Sporting events generate vast amounts of data. These data are used in many ways, including enhancing fan engagement– a cornerstone of modern sports. Extensive research on fan engagement has mainly focused on fan loyalty, emotional connections to teams, and the impact of social media and marketing. However, how more accessible in-game sports data can enhance fan engagement has been largely overlooked. This study aims to lay a foundation for further research on the connection between data availability and fan engagement, focusing on floorball. To bridge this gap, we developed a product consisting of a statistics engine and a user interface to increase data availability and enable efficient analysis of the connection between data availability and fan engagement. The statistics engine processes existing data and makes it accessible through the user interface, allowing fans to quickly access, sort, and f ilter data according to their preferences. Additionally, we specified future requirements to improve data collection and satisfy more fans while ensuring the statistics engine remains easily expandable as more data becomes available. By categorizing fans based on their their interest in data rather than conventional fan metrics, such as revenue generated or loyalty, we can provide more tailored data to visualize what the fans want and enhance fan engagement. This approach attracts and retains fans by focusing on their interests, thereby improving the fan experience for all categories of fans. Key findings highlight the unique fan categorization approach based on their interest in sports data, the positive impact of personalized data visualizations, and the critical role of fan feedback and improved data collection practices. This research not only provides a preliminary framework for future investigations into the relationship between data availability and fan engagement in sports but also establishes a foundation that helps floorball catch up to other sports in data availability.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2024. , p. 35
Keywords [en]
Fan engagement, sports data, fan categorization
National Category
Engineering and Technology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-228342OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-228342DiVA, id: diva2:1887944
External cooperation
SportsWik
Educational program
Master of Science Programme in Engineering Physics
Presentation
2024-06-05, Umeå, 21:49 (English)
Supervisors
Examiners
2024-08-132024-08-092024-08-13Bibliographically approved