How Technology Has Impacted Football Fandom

There are elements of being a football fan that remain the same regardless of era. People were just as passionate about their teams in the 1950s, for example, as they are today. And the results of a football match have always had the capacity to make or break a fan’s day/week/month/year.

But football fandom also changes over time, especially in this technology-laden world of ours. Today, fans have a better, more immersive experience than ever before, and it’s all thanks to the internet. Let’s take a look at just some of the reasons why you’d rather be a football fan in today’s world than in days gone by.

Round-the-Clock Coverage

Imagine being a fan back in the 1970s. You’d have to wait until Saturday rolled around to get your football fix. There’d be commentary in the papers during the week, but nothing that would really grab you in any meaningful way.

Today, it’s all different. For one thing, games take place on most days of the week. If you support one of the bigger clubs, then you’ll play every other day. And when there’s not a game going on, you can consume the immense quantity of content that clubs pump out on social media each day. Technology has allowed for round-the-clock fandom, essentially.

Podcasts and Other Deep Dives

It wasn’t too long ago that people were holding funerals for the humble podcast. But they’re not anymore. Podcasts have come roaring back, and today they’re a fundamental part of millions of football fans’ daily routine. The Totally Football Show, Football Weekly, and Football Ramble are just a few of the wildly popular football podcasts that help to educate, guide, and entertain football fans across the planet.

Online Football Games

The gaming industry has benefited in general from the emergence of the internet and technological devices, but we see it particularly in the gaming field. Despite being a hugely popular sport, there aren’t too many football games for major video game consoles. Since the FIFA series came to an end, there are usually only a couple of video game releases to choose from.

But that doesn’t matter, because the online football game world is richer than ever. At online slot sites, games such as Football Glory, Football Rules!, Spin & Score, and Football: Penny Roller are some of the most popular options. And given there are hundreds of games to select from, that’s saying something. On their smartphone, fans can play Dream League Soccer 2024, Soccer Stars, Soccer Manager, and dozens of other games. Indeed, football games are routinely the most downloaded sports-related games on the app stores for both iOS and Android.

Distant Support

Widespread adoption of the internet has also transformed football fandom in another way, too: it has made it easier for fans to support clubs that are located far away. Of course, people have always supported distant clubs; however, back in the day, it was difficult to support the club in any meaningful way. You might get a periodic update in the newspaper, or catch some goals on television, but you weren’t truly in the loop.

Today, a fan on the other side of the planet can support a club in much the same way as someone who lives opposite the stadium. And the only thing they need to have that experience is a smartphone and an internet connection. Beyond that, it doesn’t really matter where you are.

Communal Experiences

You can also argue that technology has helped to enlarge the communal experience that you’d usually only find in the stadium. While it’s far from the same thing, the ability to speak to fellow fans before, during, and after the game online is a tremendous bonus for fans who don’t have the means to attend a game in person. All they need to do is find a relevant forum — say, their club’s Reddit page — and they’ll have instant access to thousands of fellow fans.