A young man in a jersey takes his friends to the stadium. At least virtually. On the journey in the car or plane, in the hotel and finally on the block - he has them with him everywhere. He films, he comments, he emotionalizes. And polarizing. Vlogger in the football stadium. It's a hot topic.
There is a kind of clash of cultures. Here are the Internet stars who distribute personal video diaries and often earn a lot of money from them. There is the fan scene that doesn't want their curve to be used as a backdrop. In the middle are leagues and associations that have to unite a wide variety of interests. And then there are traditional sports journalists who see the competition growing up.
One of the best-known German influencers who regularly produces adventure films about their visits to the stadium is “ViscaBarca”. He was also recently present at Jürgen Klopp's debut as national coach in the Nations League game against the Netherlands in Amsterdam. He has almost two million followers on YouTube and his videos are viewed hundreds of thousands of times.
And he is not an isolated case. Many influencers work with advertising partners and agencies. They would show their enthusiasm for football, introduce fans at home to different cities and cultures and try to capture the stadium atmosphere as authentically as possible, they argue. Her clips get a lot of likes and are heavily commented on on the Internet.
However, we also hear from the clubs that the complaints are increasing. Many stadium visitors would feel disturbed by the constant filming and talking next to them. The rejection is particularly great where the active fan scene comes together. Where the love for the club is strong and the effort required for choreographies is sometimes enormous.
“The stadium is not a TV studio”
The content creator Conan Furlong once published a video that showed him having discussions in the stadium circles with Borussia Dortmund supporters.
“We reject the commercial exploitation of fan culture by influencers and stadium vloggers,” says Armin Popp from the fan alliance “Our Curve”: “The stadium is an emotional place for fans and not a TV studio or event space.” Vloggers are not classic fans there, but rather produce content for their own monetization.
“Vloggers have no place in the fan game,” says Popp. The clubs would have to draw clear boundaries regarding their house rules. Just like Dynamo Dresden did. The second division club bans commercial stadium vlogs at its home games. In a statement, third division club Hansa Rostock once again referred to its stadium regulations, which allow photos and videos for private use as usual, but prohibit recordings for commercial purposes.
There was also resistance in Karlsruhe. “Fan culture is not a lifestyle product, not a photo motif and not a tool for your self-expression,” wrote the fan umbrella organization “Supporters” to the stadium vloggers. “We actively mediate between our fan representatives and the influencers and vloggers we know from the stadium area and strive for a solution-oriented exchange,” said the second division club Karlsruher SC.
There were official content creators at the World Cup
Consideration for other stadium visitors is one thing, the legal situation is another. Television stations that have acquired broadcasting rights pay expensive money for this. Rights holders and clubs can therefore send a limited number of content creators to the games. And leagues and associations use social media channels such as TikTok or Instagram to appeal to a young audience that traditional media may no longer reach.
At the World Cup in the summer, the world football association Fifa provided a group of around 30 global content creators with access to press conferences, indoor spaces or training areas. As correspondents, they should not create traditional match reports, but rather convey content that is as close to the fan as possible - such as first impressions of the arrival of the team buses. Sensitive areas to be penetrated. And in many ways.
"More and more peripheral actors are joining journalism," says sports scientist Thomas Horky from Hamburg's Macromedia University: "The stadium vloggers are also part of this. In other words, they do a lot of what a traditional journalist does. However, without the appropriate training and for other interests, mainly for their own marketing."
Usage habits change with the generations, says Horky. Classic sports journalism will have to adapt, he says with a view to influencer journalism. And: “The Bundesliga will have to weigh up how much it allows this to happen in order to take advantage of all the positive effects, and at what point it might alienate the rights holders.” Vloggers, fans, media. It is an area of tension. In the middle of the stadium.
