ABSTRACT
This chapter examines 16 platforms for engagement. It highlights how rapid advances in technology and the widespread embracing of digital tools are driving change in this area. Both the opportunities and the minefields of increased and more diverse sports engagement are examined. Leagues and federations in many sports have made multiple efforts to make their on-field product more engaging. These include competitive balance mechanisms (such as draft rules for rookies that aim to improve the playing talent of the lower performing clubs), rule changes to increase scoring and rule changes to speed up the game or reduce the times when action on the field is on hold while the game clock is ticking. Many fans and viewers have a deep attachment to a specific sporting club or a specific sporting event or series. One very visible sign of club engagement is their fans wearing replicas of the club apparel in public settings such as a workplace or a restaurant.
