Up to 15,000 spectators—that was in the initial plans that the International Biathlon Union (IBU) presented to the city of Munich and the Olympic Park there for the new season opener. The response surprised. “When the sun shines, be ready for 25,000,” says Daniel Böhm, the IBU’s sports director. The forecast for the Loop One Festival on the weekend (October 18–19), set in the urban backdrop of a megacity, could come true.
For the 9,000-seat grandstand at the shooting range on the Olympiasee, where tickets cost up to 49 euros, extra capacities were created due to high demand. Spectators can watch for free from along the course, and the weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday is also favorable. That promises a major backdrop for the start of the biathletes into the Olympic winter—even though there is of course no snow and they will be racing on ski rollers.
The biggest stars of the scene from all over the world have announced their arrivals. Whether the German world champion and overall World Cup winner Franziska Preuß will be part of it will be decided at short notice due to a hand injury. From the men’s overall World Cup winner Sturla Holm Lægreid there was criticism due to the unusual scheduling in the middle of the season’s preparation.
But behind this seemingly crazy idea lies a clear plan from the sport’s world federation. “We want to stay relevant for the younger generation, reaching not only hardcore biathlon fans but also families and seekers of experiences,” says Daniel Böhm. Therefore, alongside the spectator-friendly sprint races in the Olympiapark there is also a comprehensive program of side events. The athletes’ presentation takes place in BMW Welt opposite the Olympiapark. From there the biathlon stars go on an “introductory lap” to the start. “That’s like in Formula 1,” enthuses Böhm. A comprehensive side program with food trucks, interactive activities and concerts headlined by singer Kamrad is also on offer.
Interviews with Gen Z
The (financial) outlay is clearly high—but the IBU is willing to accept it. Why, explains Digital Marketing Manager Lorenzo Giovacchini. “There are, as in other sports, about 20 percent hardcore fans and 80 percent casual fans. We mainly want to reach the latter group—and Gen Z.” By “Generation Z” are meant those born roughly between 1995 and 2010, the “digital natives” who have grown up with the Internet and other digital technologies essentially from birth. They have different needs than older biathlon fans. Which exactly, the IBU has tried to determine through 1,500 interviews within the Gen-Z target group.
The first important finding: For the “digital natives” the athletes themselves are more interesting than the sport in general, i.e., the human factor. Therefore, videos of the leading biathletes were shot to show the person behind the athlete. They were clicked millions of times on social media; overall, the contacts on the IBU’s channels there have surged from 500 million to 1.7 billion in recent years.
A second finding from the surveys: The sense of community is extremely important for Gen Z—virtually as well as in real life. The Loop One Festival, with its program spanning sport and show, is an attempt to meet exactly this need in time before the start of the Olympic biathlon season and to whet the appetite for the winter action of the biathletes.
To reach the younger generation, the IBU has, for the Loop One Festival, for the first time also used influencer marketing as a means. “We engaged four influencers who promoted Loop One among their followers,” reports Giovacchini. Will this investment and the premiere of the Loop One Festival be successful? The spectator numbers will tell.
