ABSTRACT
As football has become a vehicle for and expression of global culture, many decry the loss of local affiliation, association, belonging, and place attachment. The widespread availability of digital tools and technology further threatens the place of local clubs, reinforced by the transnational structure and distribution of media which emphasizes spectacle, celebrity endorsement, and the creation of consumer and flâneur-type affiliations. However, drawing on a survey (n = 73) and interviews (n = 10) with international subscribers of a club media service and interviews with three senior clubs, we argue that just as the digital can potentially lead to a transnational commercialization of culture, it can also provide the opportunity for minority sports and minority sporting institutions located within specific sports (such as football) to use digital platforms to reach geographically dispersed audiences. The Space of Flows (SoF) permits clubs to create personalized content and deliver it directly to fans across the world, strengthening personal and collective affiliations and bonds so crucial to the survival of football clubs in a competitive global sporting landscape.
