Sophie Wills knew her organisation faced a problem even before the Covid pandemic hit. As general manager of communications and marketing at the not-for-profit New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL), Wills had already noted a decline in fan loyalty as far back as 2019. For her, this problem was compounded by the difficulty she had in answering why, or in proposing ways to turn things around.

The AFL’s first drop of NFT collectibles from its own minting brand have sold out in 12 hours.

The Australian Football League (AFL) and Reddit are claiming a world first with the introduction of a limited edition set of AFL-themed avatars on the forum site. The news comes just weeks after the AFL struck a multi-year agreement to mint its own NFTs and step firmly towards the metaverse.

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) set its sights on an online fan hub as a digital destination for gamified fan experiences during the recent winter Olympics.

The partnership struck between A-League clubs and Epic Games virtual gaming platform, Fortnite, will put Australia’s football league on fresh footing against international clubs while opening the door to new opportunities to engage consumers, its orchestrators say.

Having a lean-in culture and attitude for finding solutions to a challenge is just as important as having the technical or operational capability to achieve it, NTT’s global CMO says.

Fandom in Australia is worth $4.3 billion, with each fan spending on average $909 per year on their particular fandom and aligning with the right fans represents a significant opportunity for brands, according to new research by Powered, Nine’s marketing solutions division.

Australian consumers are known for their love of sport. But for any new team that wants to build an audience, establishing a brand among so much competing noise can be a difficult challenge.

Cricket Australia’s decision to appoint HCL Technologies as its new digital technology partner is about providing a more engaging experience bringing fans, communities, supporters and staff even closer to the game, its technology chief says.

Few sports let you get just meters from Olympic athletes while standing with sand between your toes. So when surfing makes its Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo games, it will be an important milestone for a sport that has steadfastly refused to bend to the kind of corporatisation that has beset many others.

In an era where making things easy for the customer has become paramount, it is not surprising to see many brands turning to chatbots to resolve customer queries quickly.

The Cronulla Sharks clinched the 2016 premiership with a 14-12 win over the Melbourne Storm, ending a 49-year drought for the club. It was a momentous moment countless fans had been waiting for all of their lives.

Digital channels are driving unprecedented levels of fan engagement for Australia’s leading sporting codes, but more needs to be done to bring digital into the physical experience on the ground.