Sports Fan Empowerment through Social Web

Abstract: This study examines Euroleague teams and their approach to fan empowerment through social web. By combining previous knowledge with new empirical data, the aim of this research is to learn about fan position in power relations of sports industry and see if they get empowered through participation on social web. The study also explains what opportunities are offered for basketball fans on social web and how the power balanced has changed between Euroleague teams and fans with the rise of social web. It is believed that social media provides fans possibility to participate and become empowered to affect teams they support in a way it was not possible prior social web. Existing research has established the importance of social media in sports and has focused on how sport teams utilise social media and until now there was little data about sport team’s approach to fan empowerment. To understand if sports fans get empowered through social web and if they do, how their situation has changed, this study interviewed social media and communication specialists from three different Euroleague teams. The study involves a text analysis of data collected through interviewing Euroleague personnel from three different countries combined with semiotic analysis of official websites and examples of best practises. This study suggests that fan empowerment did not increase with the rise of social web as much as it believed in sports community.