No doubt you have noticed that rights holders and venues across the world of sports are on a constant quest to enhance the spectator experience – at events and for those watching remotely – by adding entertainment elements, such as concerts, fan zones and enabling more access to star athletes. Taylor Swift’s pre-race concert at the 2016 United States Grand Prix, the theatre-style lighting deployed at the ATP World Tour Finals in London and, of course, the Super Bowl half-time show are all examples. There are also many examples of new entertainment events built around a sports element, including Andy Murray Live, an evening of music and exhibition tennis, and the Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastic Champions, a 36-city tour of US Olympic gymnasts designed to capitalise on the team’s success at Rio 2016. The NFL and Cirque du Soleil, meanwhile, have partnered to create a major showcase installation in Times Square, due to open next month. Trend four in Nielsen Sports Commercial Trends in Sport 2017 is The Greater Fusion of Sports and Entertainment. That’s because fusing sport and entertainment has shifted to become not just about halftime shows at grand finals, playoffs and Super Bowls, but something much deeper and more engaging. Joining me on the show, to help us understand the trend, and how we can navigate it, is Rebekah Stevens, Vice President, Global Brand and Sponsorship Consulting at Nielsen Sports. If you like to connect with Rebekah, you can do so on LinkedIn or email her directly using rebekah.stevens at nielsen.com During the show, Rebekah mentions the different types of fans. If you are interested in finding out more about that research, you can do so here. Also joining us on the show is our MD, Mark Thompson, who discusses his latest blog which looks at what sponsorship opportunities this trend presents to both rights holders and brands. Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.