BCaster's technology as a promotional tool in sports teams' mobile application : A sports team and sponsor perspective

Abstract

The purpose of this master’s thesis was to find out how the technology of the Finnish startup, BCaster, can improve the promotional efforts of sports teams and their sponsors through mobile applications.

The literature review of the thesis is divided into two different chapters: sports promotion and mobile applications in sports. In terms of research design, qualitative approach was chosen for the study. The empirical evidence was gathered through interviewing sports teams, sports sponsors and digital marketing experts using a semi-structured interview style. The participants of the semi structured interviews were chosen due to their relevance in their respective fields. In addition, the perspective of the fans was taken into account by conducting a structured online interview for Juventus FC application users. This data was analyzed comprehensively to find key materials that support the research objectives.

The results of the empirical research were in sync with existing findings, but also provided new insights, for example, to user acquisition and fan engagement. Overall it was found that BCaster’s technology has several promotional benefits for both the sports team and the sponsors, however it would seem that bigger sports teams (and thus their sponsors) are in a better position to benefit from the company’s technology.