Feature: The impact of technology on sports personnel - January 2004  

Chris King

Chris King, director of The Sports Recruitment Company, assesses the affect that technology has had on the people who work in the business of sport.

Before we examine the impact of technology on sport and the people that run sport, let us cast our minds back as little as say, 15 years. We're in the late 1980s - a decade of sporting success for the UK in particular - Torvill and Dean, the great Coe/Ovett rivalry, soccer legends such as Alan Hansen, Bryan Robson - all enjoyed, admired and watched through the simple mechanism of a TV set. Fast forward to 2004 and technology is rife and we're no longer experiencing great sporting moments simply through our TV set, but via a myriad of other technological platforms. Not only do consumers now have the infamous red button to play with on their televisions, but a host of other mechanisms that potentially offer fans the opportunity to watch sport in exactly the fashion they wish. Interactive TV, mobile highlights, broadband internet channels, 3G as well as choice over which player to follow, what angle to watch a given sport through, and when to watch it. This advancement in the use of technology in sport is not unique to the armchair fan either, but is also used by referees and umpires as well as managers, coaches and teams. The use of 'third umpires' to argue indefinitely the relative accuracy of a given decision in a match, event or sporting show denote the massive shift towards a dependence on technology that has previously been unseen.
So how has all this technology impacted on sport and the personnel operating within sports organisations? Have clubs, teams, federations and governing bodies, with this suite of potentially revenue generating platforms available to them, employed a host of multi-platform technologically-savvy whiz kids with the sales ability of Gordon Gecko? Or is sport struggling to truly identify both the opportunity that technology presents, and harness the people that can turn opportunity into reality?
The emergence of new technologies such as interactive TV, mobile devices, internet broadcasting and Club TV channels has provoked considerable discussion particularly for the top tier sports. There has been much speculation that these emerging technologies could be the 'great white hope' that sport has been looking for in an era where sponsorship revenues are decreasing, TV rights fees are also on the wane, and many of the traditional revenue streams that clubs have relied on are at best eroding, and at worst obsolete (perhaps with the exception of ticketing). Conversely, in saying all this, the potential of 3G for example, is as yet unknown. But there can be no argument that potentially, with a population that appears to be mobile and full of gadget fanatics, sport, with one of the most attractive content propositions around, and a uniquely loyal fan base, could be sitting on a goldmine. However, are the personnel within sport equipped to deal with these technologies and their potential?

Expert opinion

At People Power, a seminar that The Sports Recruitment Company ran in 2003 focusing on the human resources issues that sport faces, Peter Gandolfi, head of sports marketing for UK bank Nationwide made the following comments: ''It's interesting to think about sport - a game built on the performance of people; yet from a business point of view, it's almost as if the back room staff, the people running and managing the business don't count as much, which is a real challenge for sport at this time."
Other signs that the industry isn't quite as sophisticated in the methods it uses to lure qualified experienced personnel were also noted at the same event. Said Andrew Thomas, commercial manager of the Lawn Tennis Association: "Governing bodies can't hope to attract experienced marketers and individuals with specialist experience on its own - the lure of sport is not a strong enough pull."
Both statements can lead even the casual observer to the conclusion that when it comes to investing in quality commercial and back office staff, sport lags well behind other industries. Couple that with the need for competent individuals that understand the unique requirements of these emerging technology platforms, and sport faces some difficult times ahead. Another big consideration is of course, how can sport attract individuals with experience to move from a more mainstream, developed industry to what in sport, is essentially still a young and often naive sector? Moreover, sport finds itself in somewhat of a dichotomy. Initial research suggests that those working within the sports sector are underpaid in comparison to their counterparts in other industries. For example, a sales manager can expect to be paid, on average around $15,600 less on their basic salary, with around $30,000-$45,000 less on their on target earnings (OTE), all for the pleasure of working in sport. So, in fact, as the candidate, you could only reconcile working in sport, and the subsequent drop in salary, by having a passion for sport - either by being an active enthusiast, or via fan association. Ironically, what sport actually needs however, is classically trained, business-focused individuals who are dispassionate about the given sport or association, but passionate about the delivery of their skill set, be that marketing, sales, sponsorship or PR.

Thinking beyond the passion

For example, in one instance The Sports Recruitment Company received a brief from a sports organisation that stipulated candidates should not be active participants, or fans of the sport. With all this in mind therefore, can sport attract the people it needs? Those with experience in emerging technologies, who are prepared to take a salary cut, while not having any passion for sport is surely an untenable proposition.
The key for sport in embracing new technologies is to consider the potential of technology for sport, and then assess its own existing capabilities. It will more often than not be the case that an existing sports organisation doesn't have someone qualified to run the mobile marketing team for example, but needs to look at the potential revenues that can be achieved through someone running a division that does. This may require a considerable investment at the outset because qualified technologically aware individuals come at a premium, but sport must take this step if it is to move forward and truly embrace the potential and commercial opportunities available through the use of technology.

For more information about The Sports Recruitment Company please visit www.sportsrecruitment.co.uk, or telephone +44 (0) 207 845 7268.

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