Brands are going all in to attract new fans. But Richard Swain of DesignStudio says the playbook only works if you understand what makes people care in the first place.
What makes sport compelling is emotion. And emotion comes from people caring.
Devout fans care deeply. They care because they are willing to sacrifice part of themselves to be part of that fandom – or to make that fandom part of who they are.
Casual fans, on the other hand, care mostly in the moment. They come and go. They are the extras in the movie – essential but forgettable.
Some devout fans even go as far as to get their team’s crest tattooed on their bodies. In other words, there’s nothing casual about fandom.
Want to go deeper? Ask The Drum
Culturally curious
Yet, casual fans are having a moment when it comes to growing audiences.
Hello Kitty Night at Dodger Stadium.
Tyson v Paul.
The NFL and Taylor Swift.
All smart plays aimed at winning over culturally curious newcomers.
And I get the appeal. I’ve worked on many projects where this was the precise brief.
We live in a world where people are more culturally fluid, with direct windows into athletes’ lives. There’s never been a better opportunity to welcome new audiences into sports.
And in an increasingly fragmented media landscape, appealing to casual fans can feel like the safest bet.
But be mindful not to mistake the hype you create for fandom.
Hype is fleeting
Hype – driven by trends – can spike sales, but it’s fandom that builds long-term brand value.
Of course, hype can create the conditions in which fandom might grow. But one doesn’t automatically lead to the other.
That’s why I worry when I hear from a client: “We’re going all in on collaborations”. When you launch a collab strategy, you’re borrowing equity, not building or earning it.
Building equity takes time. And it can’t be manufactured.
If it could, we’d all be watching The Overwatch League: the defunct Esports league launched to make esports “feel like the NFL”. It languished because its creators failed to recognize that fandom in esports wasn’t tied to geography but to creator-driven communities.
Or Florentino Pérez would have been successful with his breakaway European Super League. It promised global audiences and commercial dominance but collapsed in 72 hours under the weight of fan protests, media boycotts, and public outrage.
Harnessing fandom
When we rebranded the Barclays Premier League, there was internal discussion about leaning into EPL, the global shorthand. But fans told us that was a step too far. The name meant something important to them. So we listened.
Our success with the LEC (League of Legends European Championship) came not from mimicking sports tropes of shields and mascots, but from building a brand based on playing styles, rivalries, and storytelling that felt true to the community it served.
Even Wrexham AFC has earned global legitimacy (and success), not through celebrity but through genuine investment in the city, the club, and the people who love it.
These were decisions made intentionally, not just to win over fans in the moment, but to build something that could sustain itself over time.
Because without the foundation created by devout fans, there’s no emotion to build from.
The long game
The ultimate winners in the epic race for our attention will be the leagues that build for both the moment and the long term.
The WNBA knows it struck gold with Caitlin Clark. But they also know much of the cultural buzz surrounding her was hype. That’s why they continue to invest in long-term strategies around storytelling, fashion, partnerships, and media equity.
Formula 1 achieved great success, welcoming more young and female fans into the sport through the documentary Drive to Survive. But the outcome of its upcoming TV rights negotiations will be determined by the number of those absorbed enough to watch the races live on the track.
And while the ‘Messi effect’ certainly filled MLS stadiums, the league knows the real test is the follow-through to its Apple TV viewership.
After all, hype – like that from a limited-edition drop or viral social moment – can be engineered. But fandom – demonstrated by someone spending an outsized percentage of their income on a season ticket – can take years of wavering emotions to cultivate.