Meet the Member: “The sponsorship market is a lot more mature over here; if something can be branded, it will be!”
June 7, 2023
Ali Kyrke-Smith is InCrowd’s new Director of Strategy for North America. She landed in the Big Apple a couple of months ago so we decided to catch up with her and find out about the differences she’s seeing in how American sport plays out between leagues, franchises, athletes and fans as well as discussing her recent conversion to bagels…
So Ali, to kick us off, take us through your journey in sport?
I began working in sport nine years ago specialising in market research, having started out in healthcare market research after university. Over time, my remit broadened into strategy consulting. I had always been interested in not just the research itself but the application of the insights to inform strategy, so it was a very natural transition. I joined InCrowd in January 2021 as part of the consulting team, and since the start of the year have been heading up our operations in the US. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some amazing clients over the years, including the Rugby World Cup, F1, the ECB, and most recently the MLS – to name just a few!
You have recently moved to New York; what are your first impressions of US sport now you are on the ground?
The scale is undeniably massive. That is the one thing everyone talks about in the UK, but you only truly understand it when you start working here. In the UK, there is obviously a massive interest in football, but here there are so many different sports and events that get that same level of exposure. It creates great moments in your calendar all year round.
For example, when I arrived, the college basketball tournament March Madness was going on and that was on at every bar in the city, all the time and then the MLB season started and it was the same.
What are the key differences and similarities vs the UK sports market?
I think the biggest difference is the volume. For example, every Major League Baseball team has 81 home fixtures in a season, and it is similar for the NBA – they have an 82-game regular season. This means that there inevitably has to be a massive focus simply on selling tickets, with huge sales teams dedicated to that at each franchise.
I also think the sponsorship market is a lot more mature over here, in the stadium and on broadcast. If something can be branded, it will be!
On the flip side, I think that the volumes of tickets to be sold has perhaps detracted from other elements. For example, historically it has created such an emphasis on selling to a local audience, which means there has been less focus on engaging wider digital audiences or those who may not attend in person.There’s definitely missed revenue there as a result.
Broadly speaking, though, I think a lot of the challenges and opportunities are similar in both markets, just with a slightly different context.
Building up to the World Cup in 2026, we are seeing massive growth in men’s football in the US. As we get closer to the tournament how do you think work between clubs, the national team and the fans will evolve?
Well – firstly I’ve had to start calling it Soccer, but I’m not sure that will ever come naturally!
It does feel like the sport is really getting ready to explode here. Working with the MLS, I’ve seen first hand the focus on leveraging the opportunity that the World Cup will provide, in order to attract and engage new fans with the league. With the recent announcement of a 30th team, and the Leagues Cup to be played this summer featuring all MLS teams and all Liga MX teams, soccer is only moving in one direction and it’s an exciting journey to be a part of.
We have seen Pickleball explode in the US over the last 18 months; what have they done well in terms of securing investment and growing a participant base?
It all really started with the participant base, which has skyrocketed, and the investment has followed on from that. I think a lot of that comes from the nature of the sport. It is so accessible; relatively easy to pick up, and can be played anywhere. You walk around New York on a sunny evening and in every open space all you can see is people playing pickleball.
I think that the reality is that if a sport is easy for beginners and sociable in its nature then it is going to become popular. From that popularity we have seen some amazing investment in the elite end of the sport as well. It’s definitely one to keep an eye on over the next couple of years.
Gamification is undeniably on the rise across digital platforms; do you think sports fans will buy into this new way of consuming content and engaging with their favourite sports?
Outside of sport, the most successful digital products have tapped into the human psyche, employing what we would broadly term ‘gamification’ techniques to drive deeper engagement with their platforms and build relationships with users that have real longevity. Take Duolingo: we’re creatures of habit, so the ‘streak’ feature encourages us to build habits.
We’re social beings, so the ability to follow friends and see how others are learning motivates us by creating a social layer. We’re goal-oriented, so the use of ‘challenges’ makes us stay longer on the App than perhaps we originally intended, until we meet the goal. The best gamification executions don’t need a conscious decision from the consumer to ‘buy in’, but instead underpin the digital experience itself – and there is a huge opportunity for sport to embrace that.
Over here we are seeing a lot of rights holders personalising digital experiences for fans. Is this something that is being picked up in the US as well?
I don’t think this is something that has been a priority for sports in the US, but I think that it is beginning to change. As I mentioned before, the focus has tended to be on the fans attending games and trying to keep them coming back. There are also some structural factors – for example, the geographical restrictions on marketing for NFL teams means that until recently there has been an incredibly local focus.
At the moment, we are having a lot of conversations around widening the opportunity for rights holders to engage fans on a global scale. We are also trying to help rights holders move past the assumption that the majority of fans are in the local area, and will be attending games frequently. There is still a long way to go in terms of making sure that each fan enjoys a great experience, tailored to them as an individual, when they are following their team online.
Quick fire questions
Black Cab or Yellow Taxi?
As a born and bred Londoner, it has to be the Black Cab
Tube or Subway?
Neither, give me my bike anyday
Sandwich or Bagel?
Bagel – I am a recent convert.
Nets or Knicks?
I will have to see which team I end up going to see first.
Jets or Giants?
Jets – looking forward to seeing what Aaron Rogers can do for them next year
Mets or Yankees?
Yankees – my first baseball game was the Yankees so they will always have a place in my heart.