February Signal: Fan engagement

February might still be wrapped in winter layers, but when it comes to fan engagement, things are heating up fast. With the 2026 Winter Olympics co-hosted by Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo well underway, the global spotlight is already starting to drift towards how fans will experience sport over the next year.

That’s exactly why this month’s Signal is all about fan engagement. Because in a world of second screens, social feeds and endless streaming options, capturing attention is no longer enough.

At the heart of this month’s edition is the latest FEED Forum webinar, where a panel of industry experts tackle one of sport’s oldest modern dilemmas: the second screen. Is it the enemy of immersion, or an opportunity hiding in plain sight? From practical broadcast strategies to smarter integrations that work with (not against) audience behaviour, the conversation cuts through the noise to focus on what genuinely resonates with today’s fans.

Elsewhere, our longer reads take a deeper dive into the evolving mechanics of engagement. We explore how social media integration is helping broadcasters reach new audiences and turn live sport into a shared, participatory experience. We also examine the growing role of personalisation, asking where the line sits between relevance and intrusion, and why ethical considerations matter more than ever as data-driven experiences become the norm. And because watching sport is no longer a passive pastime, we look at how gamification, apps and interactive features are redefining sports streaming, from loyalty-building mechanics to real-time fan influence.

With major global events approaching and expectations rising, February feels like the perfect moment to ask a simple question with a complicated answer: what does great fan engagement actually look like now?

Key talking points

• How fans are evolving with digital media
• Younger audiences viewing habits
• How to cater content creation to different audience needs
• The growth of immersive content
• How to develop in-stadium experience
• Niche sports: unique growth opportunities
• How data analytics can improve content strategies

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