Technology helps engage fans, sustains the growth of sports, says Siddharth Raman Premium

Explaining the path and process of growth of a brand like IPL, Siddharth Raman, the deputy CEO of Sportz Interactiive (SI), stressed that there was scope for other games to flourish if they followed the process and invested in the game for about five years, building a great product, without worrying initially about profit and loss.

It is a dream of every sport in the country to have a league like the cricket IPL, and help the game thrive. Some leagues like badminton, hockey, kabaddi and wrestling have had great success as well.

Explaining the path and process of growth of a brand like IPL, Siddharth Raman, the deputy CEO of Sportz Interactiive (SI), stressed that there was scope for other games to flourish if they followed the process and invested in the game for about five years, building a great product, without worrying initially about profit and loss.

“Fans are the key. You can have a world-class game, but you need the fans to make it successful. So, it is important to build your fan base,” said Raman, an expert in digital marketing, video production, social media assets for leading broadcasters, leagues, teams, and brands across different sports.

“Technology has made life so much better for sports fans. Even during a live match, you are able to watch highlights any time,” observed Raman.

It is a classic reflection of how the business of sports and fan engagement has evolved in a big way in the past two decades.

The latest to join the league race is taekwondo.

The good thing, and a very intelligent approach with many games taking a plunge into the league pathway, has been that they keep the budget and investment strictly under check. Obviously, not every game can have the resources like cricket in the country to splurge, in an attempt to build a world-class product that can capture the imagination of the commercial world.