“You are a Champion and Will Always Be!” – Sports Fans, Influencers, and Media Consumption in 2021

Abstract

The spread of digital media culture can be seen in action in almost every walk of life. The use of online media results in new solutions even in the most common practices, and the field of sports and related fan cultures are no exceptions to that. From the mid-2010s, the trend of sports events, athletes, and their fans becoming more and more connected to online space can be well observed. This transformation generates significant changes, which can often have far-reaching effects. One such phenomenon is that excellent athletes can appear in the role of online opinion leaders or influencers. In the following study, I present these processes based on the results of a recent study that examined changes in Hungarian fan habits in connection with the 2021 European Football Championship. The second half of the study then focuses on how changes in fan practices contribute to making athletes the most valuable players in the influencer market.