Fans role in a sport
The community, sports, and sports clubs are highly related, and they interconnect. Most of these clubs are regulated, and they are paid as the fans get to watch a game. Some of the club managers have been said to overcharge for these services, and this keeps off the fans who cannot afford to pay the overcharged prices. The paper will discuss this issue of overcharging and how some individuals in the community fail to go to sports events since they lack the resources required. Also, the paper will address the strategies that can be used by managers of the club to equalize the services that are offered to the fans. All the fans should feel that they are part of the sports and the organization that is set for the community (da Silva, 2017, 36-48). Also, the research paper will present a case of a club that the fans feel that it overcharges. The fans think that they are denied chances to get to the club to participate in games and other sports events.
Introduction
Fans are a significant part of promoting the sports and, in this perspective marketing the events that are carried on in the country. The managers of the clubs should look forward to capacitating the facts so that the theme of the game can be marketed. The attendance of fans determines the success of the event, and therefore participants and spectators play a significant role. The government can even use the presence of fans to market products that can ensure the economic growth of the country. For example, for a company like Nike, it can use the gathering of the fans into a sports event to promote the brand in the market (Ioakimidis 2010, 4 The following are the factors that are discussed to ensure that fans’ attendance is encouraged. One of the ways through clubs creating an event name that attracts the attention of the fans. The name is the one that initially communicates to the participants who then get invited to the event. However, fans feel that they are denied the chance s to participate in sports through the overpricing by the club’s management.
Body
“Rip of” is a term that is used to explain how fans are eliminated from participating in the sports events due to increased prices. The perception is true in that fans increase based on the type of event that needs to take place. Some sports involve heroes that attract the attention of many fans. Some sports clubs have taken advantage of the desperation of the fans to come and watch the games. Increases of the money have made it hard for the population to vail to the events. However, there the technology has played a significant role in ensuring that the fans can connect with the events. Through technology, fans have been able to access the results (Kwon 2014). However, fans enjoy the game better when they are spectating with others. The enjoyment of the event involves watching the game as it happens. Other individuals also feel the fun of the game by watching their sports heroes play as they celebrate them. Some clubs have taken the issue of watching the games as a business to them for them to earn the profit and therefore ripping some fans. One of the examples of the clubs that have been for overcharging is the Arsenal, in which the Emirates club charges a thousand euros for a season ticket. On the other hand, there is the example of the West Ham club that has set an excellent example of setting reduced cash for a ticket. These are just but examples of how increased charges reduce the number of fans that visit the events. The issue of overcharging the fans has been mentioned as a global issue. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Discussion
Reasons for Overcharging
Clubs present their ideas for overcharging their fans, as stated in the essay. One of the reasons that are used is that the clubs need money to renovate their venues used for sports.
Some of the venues that are used need renovations to accommodate the vast number of fans. The clubs overcharge fans to facilitate the sports venue and to ensure that the players and the teams can feel comfortable when they are at the site. It is a reason that is presented by clubs to justify the issue of overcharging. The other reason that is used to justify overcharging is small venues that are used to hold the events. The management can use the tactic of overcharging to limit the number of people who get to the sports arena. When overcharged, some fans, as mentioned, lack enough money to get to the sports venue. Some heroes in the sports industry who are considered prominent can also be the reason for overcharging the fans (Drayer et al., 2012, 184-194). If the persons playing are celebrities, they make the club managers overcharge the fans. The club’s managers take advantage of the populations’ desperation of watching the stars play and hence overcharging. Based on these reasons, it is true that some sporting clubs overcharge the fans. It is, therefore, true that some fans are ripped off the events due to overcharging since they fail to afford the charges.
Strategies to Adopt for Equitable Ticketing
Ticketing strategies are the ones that are used to determine the number of fans that get into the event. Equitable distribution of sports tickets can be achieved through the following ways. One of the strategies that have been adopted that has worked is through teaching the fans essential skills like sue of the internet to book for tickets. Technology is applied in buying online tickets within a short while outside the sports arenas. There are new ticketing platforms that have been introduced, and they include Eventbrite, which has made it convenient for the tickets to be bought. The use of these tickets has worked as an enticement for many fans to join the sports events (Sports Business Journal 2017). There are companies like Barry who offer cheap tickets online, and the fans can be able to access and purchase the tickets for the events. Some of the mobile apps that are used to bring cards in the hands of the fans are the StubHub and TicketsNow, and this has ensured that there is equitable distribution of tickets. The use of technology has made it possible for fans to make the last-minute decision to join the sports event, and hence the use of technology should be considered. For instance, the use of mobile access flexes that offered the fans with twenty vouchers. These vouchers were redeemable through the App, and once redeemed, the fans can access the sports events. The fans lacked enough resources that could redeem the coupons and would gain access to the event hence equitable distribution. Redeeming the vouchers ensures equal distribution of the tickets to the community for better results to be achieved (Shank 2014). The program was launched to adopt mobile ticketing as a lower cost that would ensure that the fans get access to the tickets once an event is taking place. Mobile ticketing played a significant role in ensuring that a large number of fans turned up for the game. E-ticketing allows the fans to book their tickets at their convenience, and hence they will feel that there is equity is offering tickets to the community.
The other ticketing approach that should be considered by the clubs to enhance equality is through subsidizing the ticketing prices. Subsidizing the prices contributes to building the loyalty of the fans that depend on the club. Reduction of the prices works as a loyalty token that helps in the increment of fans who feel appreciated. Fans feel appreciated through the reduction of prices. As mentioned, the increment of price rips of the fans and there should be equality. Subsidizing also calls for the club to come up with sponsorship programs that will help in funding the fans that cannot get into the sports arena. Sponsorship provides the fans with free entry into the event (De Knop et al., 2004, pp.57-77). Sponsorship can be obtained from the well-wishers and the government that ensures that many individuals are involved in sporting. The solution to solve the issue of overcharging is to reduce the costs by obtaining resources from sponsorship. Customers’ loyalty programs can be introduced by the clubs that reward loyal fans who always come to the events. For instance, the Barcelona club identifies loyal fans and uses the loyalty program to rewards them with free entry. The free entry of some fans provides an opportunity to reduce the charges of the tickets allowing the club to accommodate many fans.
The providence of tickets can be done equally by offering ticketing at special rates. For example, individuals can be allowed to get their entry tickets for free. The sports arenas should also be designed is a way that the disabled can also enjoy the events that are offered. The managers of the clubs can ensure that there are free tickets to the events. Sponsorship programs can be implemented that can result in the providence of resources for free ticketing for the disabled population. The managers should also involve advocacy programs that will ensure that the government can provide the resources to the company (Taylor 2017). Sponsorship can also get sponsorship from companies that would wish to market their brand through sports events. The disabled can be guaranteed to get the tickets at reduced prices that are affordable to them. The club’s managers can also provide free transport services to these individuals. The transport services can fetch these individuals and bring them to sports events. Some of these individuals, like the blind and others, struggle to get to the events, and they should be supported. Also, equality can be enhanced by facilitating sports events in ways that support the population. For instance, there should be instruments that can make the handicapped to feel accommodated. The community with special needs need to think that their needs are met by sports clubs.
Also, there is another approach to ensuring to reach many fans in the community, which is technology. Technology has made an immense impact on the sports industry and should be used to get to the fans even to offer the tickets (Witkemper 2012). The club can make sure that the fans can get the live stream of the game without limitations. Some of the games charge a lot of data online so that the fans can get access to the live stream of the game. Fans have to wait until the game is over for them to get the results of the game. The clubs should ensure that the live game can reach the individuals who cannot manage to go to the venues. Some fans cannot afford the prices for the tickets, but they can watch the game from their mobile phones, and televisions. Once the fans watch the game through social media, they will fell much accommodated like they bought the tickets. The clubs can come up with ways of ensuring that the fans of the games watch the game from their social media (Kelley 2001, 161-166). Technology has been determined to play a significant role in improving sports, and it should be utilized by the club managers. One of the ways that are identified to have changed the sports industry is social media and digital. The managers should use the many digitalized channels to make sure that their fans can record, save, and replay the entire game when they need to do it. The fans can also get access to the news about the game once it is playing, including the half time sessions that are taken during the game event. The extensive coverage of sports can be improved so that it can reach all the populations, including the ones with special needs. For example, the gadgets used by the blind community should be the ones that provide comprehensive information.
The other approach that can be adopted is the think of family-friendly. The strategy enhances equity as it involves all members of the family, young and adults, and old age as long as they can avail themselves. The sports club is expected to have moderate prices for all the population. The prices should be varied depending on the individuals since the prices of the adults cannot be the same as that of the children. However, the prices should be manageable to all the individuals so that they can afford to get to the event. The events should be the ones that are accommodative to all the individuals in which necessary skills competition is promoted (Taylor, 2017). Some of the family-friendly activities include pitching and others so that many fans can get into the event. In some of the sports clubs, children are not allowed to the clubs whereas they can be used for marketing a brand. Based on this, the arenas and the ticketing processes should be done to accommodate children.
An Example of Case
An example of a case of a sports club that overcharges the fans is the case of the F1 ticket. According to the fans, the F1 club tickets are said to be expensive, and they wish that the prices of the tickets they can be reduced. The fans say that due to a large number of turn up of the fans, the club overcharges the fans making it hard for the fans to get to the events (Saward, 2014). The fans try to argue that the management tries to limit the number of fans who get entry to the sports arena. The population wishes to go to Monaco to watch the games, but the tickets offered are the ones that limit the population because they are overpriced. However, it is said that the prices of the F1 club are reasonable since the cost of taking the fans to world events is high. F1 has impressive marketing power as it can make sales of tickets to many individuals at a limited time. For instance, there was a time the club was able to make sales of seventy-five thousand tickets in a period of fifty-one minutes. A fan states that he got curious to understand the prices of the F1 club, and he visited the website to look for the ticket prices. The fan wanted to attend a Men’s Final at Wimbledon, and he found that eight thousand two hundred dollars were required to hire a ticket. Also, the fan needed to watch the World cup Brazil event, and he needed to get a ticket (Saward, 2014). The fan needed a ticket of five thousand and five hundred dollars, but the only ticket available cost eight hundred dollars with conditions that could not be met by the individual. According to the fans, they cannot afford to go to the events that are sponsored by the F1. However, the reasoning presented is a strategy that needs to be used by the club to ensure growth. According to the arguments, the club needs to cater for the transportation and hotel management of the fans to have to go for the events. The fans need to feel accommodated in the hotels and in the venue. The club charges highly since it has to ensure that there are enough resources and facilities that can be utilized during the events. Fans will only wish for affordable prices, but they would complain if the hotels’ conditions are not conducive. From the information provided, the F1 limits the number of fans who visit the events because they need to deliver quality services for all the fans (Barca, n.d). As noted above, some of the reasons that are used by fans to justify their overcharging are genuine, including getting resources for the facilitation of the events. It is reasonable for the F1 to charge high prices for the tickets. However, the club should come up with strategies that can be used to accommodate all the fans who feel to watch sports events (Saward, 2014). For instance, so that some fans can feel that they are not overcharged, sponsorship can be considered that will help in the reduction of ticket prices. Aids can also be given to other fans that can be trained on how to redeem vouchers online so that many fans can feel part of the sports.
Conclusion
Sports are better marketing places, and they have played a significant role in the economic growth of the country. The adoption of the mentioned strategies can attract many fans into the events. Fans are like tourists, and they bring resources to the area the games are being held and, therefore, economic growth. They use facilities such as hotels and transportation channels. The money that they bring to the country can be used to renovate facilities (Hitesh 2019). Also, through sports, the country is able to market some of the products that are sold in the country. The fans buy the products resulting is economic growth. Sports clubs should, therefore, adopt these strategies mentioned like the use of technology, facilitating live games, and even meeting the needs of requirements of the special needs populations. Ripping of fans from sports events creates negative attitudes of the fans towards the club, and this is not a proper marketing strategy. The clubs also market themselves through ensuring that all the demographics are accommodated in sports events.