Entain highlights ‘sportainment’ movement ahead of Fury/Paul bout
Entain has highlighted the rise of exhibition fights and ‘sportainment’ ahead of this weekend’s boxing match between Tommy Fury and Jake Paul.
The highly-anticipated bout between Fury and Paul has been cancelled twice, but is now set to finally take place on 26 February. Entain noted that the duo – through various altercations both in person and on social media – have helped bring a substantial number of fans to the event beyond the traditional boxing audience.
“With the rise in YouTube stars like Logan Paul, Jake Paul and KSI entering the boxing world, bringing new and more diverse audiences to the sport, it has brought about a ‘sportainment’ movement where sports and entertainment worlds collide,” a statement from Entain read.
The group has revealed that two-thirds of British punters have backed compatriot Fury to defeat Paul, who hails from the US. Fury is the half-brother of legendary boxing figure Tyson Fury.
Entain has revealed further data ahead of the event, including the fact that in the last five years, the top three fights with the highest percentage of new customers came from bouts involving a YouTube personality. Furthermore, more than one in four customers betting on the fight are predicted to be new customers.
Entain CCO Dominic Grounsell commented: “The way in which fans engage with sport and entertainment is changing, and the interest in creator boxing is one of the trends that sits at the heart of this convergence.
“We see from our data that these events are injecting new life into the sport, diversifying and bringing in new audiences beyond traditional boxing fans.”
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