3 Strategies to digitally engage international fans in 2024

Sports teams are global products with fans who may never see them play in person. Engaging that international audience comes down to three things: building a campfire, pulling up a seat, and telling stories.

Build a campfire

Sport is tribal, and fans need a place to belong even when they can't be in the stadium. Digital communities can recreate that feeling: Discord servers let fans chat, watch games together and join Q&As, with clubs like Manchester United using it for fan forums and matchday watch parties, while sport-specific Reddit communities give fans anywhere a place to talk any time.

Pull up the seats

Most fans, even at home, don't watch live in a stadium — the Super Bowl's TV audience dwarfs its in-person attendance many times over. Apps like the NBA's lead the way here, blending live game feeds, behind-the-scenes content, multiple camera angles and broadcasts in several languages into one seamless second-screen experience.

Tell some stories

Fans follow narratives as much as results — underdog stories, rivalries, players overcoming adversity. Docuseries like Drive to Survive and All or Nothing show what's possible when clubs share real access to players' lives, giving international fans a way to feel as connected as those in the stadium.

Connecting with a fan on the other side of the world through a screen is now central to every team's engagement strategy — and the clubs leaning into community, second-screen experiences and storytelling are the ones building a truly global fanbase.