The report was presented by Annalie Watt, Nielsen sport strategic director at the recent Nielsen Sports SA’s Annual Trends Breakfast, themed Edge of Adaptability: Rethinking Sport, Sponsorship and Strategy.
The report is based on Nielsen Sports’ specialist tracking service that enables the monitoring of sports and sponsorship trends and developments, including the measurement of fan avidity toward sporting disciplines, sporting events, and lifestyle activities.
Nielsen Sports uses historical fan data to make forecasts on effective sponsorship using a secure Google large language model (LLM).
Other report findings include:
Brands need to adapt as South African fans’ sport consumption and demands continue to shift rapidly, often unpredictably.
This is according to Amy Daley, chief operating officer of Nielsen Sports SA, as she highlighted the ongoing metamorphosis in South African fans’ sports consumption.
Nielsen Sports SA managing director, Tumelo Selikane, emphasises the power of smart data and strategic agility.
“In an environment defined by disruption, our goal is to help partners adapt — intelligently and quickly — by anchoring decisions in trusted data,” he says.
He showcased Nielsen’s unique Quality Index (QI) methodology, offered as the most effective measurement tool in terms of sport sponsorship.
The morning event that took place at the Bryanston Country Club in Johannesburg closed with a panel discussion, moderated by Selikane.
The panellists include:
The panellists challenged the industry to reframe adaptability as a response to pressure and a competitive edge.
Attendees were urged to rethink how sponsorship rights are selected, valued and activated in a fragmented media environment, and to focus on what fans really want, based on specific consumption habits.
“Adaptability isn’t a reaction; it’s a responsibility. And it starts with knowing exactly where your audience is, what they care about and how to meet them there in real time,” says Selikane.
