Niche sports are gaining fans very fast.
This can be an excellent opportunity for bookies who have the right tools to take advantage of the trend.
In this article, we will present some of the niche sports that have gained popularity recently and how bookies can capitalize on them to their advantage.
What are niche sports?
It is essential to start our analysis by defining what niche sports are.
These types of sports are those that have a small fan base and just a bunch of people practice them. In other words, contrary to the millions of fans around the world that basketball or baseball has, few people follow niche sports.
But there is no disparagement of niche sports, although they do not have a massive fan base. Fans of these types of sports are very loyal and can represent an interesting market.
Niche Sports On The Rise
There are many niche sports around the world. But in the last couple of years, 4 or 5 niche sports have started to gain a lot of popularity.
The most popular and trendy niche sports are:
Disc Golf
One of the niche sports that has exploded in popularity is disc golf. This sport has similar rules to golf. Players throw a disc at a series of targets in a course.
Since January 2019, the Reddit group dedicated to this sport has grown 100% month by month.
Everesting
This is one of the most peculiar trends that has become very popular during the pandemic.
The everlasting consists of pick any hill and go up and down it until you’ve climbed 8,848m, without sleep. The concept is pretty simple. However, Eve resting is the most difficult climbing challenge in the world. “
More than 5000 everesting challenges have been completed in around 96 countries, and the trend continues to rise.
Teqball
This sport, which started in Hungary in 2014, has become so popular that they already held two world championships.
Teqball is a combination of pin pong and soccer. It is played on a table similar to table tennis, with the peculiarity that it is curved. The objective is that the rival team – it can be played individually or in pairs – does not reach the ball and score points.
Many retired soccer players have been drawn to Teqball, which has helped the sport gain more popularity.
Paddle
Paddle is another hybrid sport since it combines tennis and squash. The sport began in Acapulco, Mexico, in 1969. It’s played on an enclosed surface that’s about ⅓ the size of a tennis court, using stingless rackets and low-compression balls.
The sport has several federations and associations that regulate the sport and hold tournaments.
Why have niche sports become popular?
Several factors have influenced the rise in popularity of these sports. But there are two that are the main:
The pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected traditional sports. On the one hand, leagues and events around the world suspended their activities.
On the other hand, ordinary people refrain from playing sports that involved large crowds and physical contact.
As a result, people began looking for new sports that would allow them to stay entertained and active during the lock-down.
The niche sports that we mentioned above are practiced individually or in pairs and with zero physical contact, so it is easy to maintain social distancing.
Streaming
The other factor that has helped these sports to become known and gain more fans is streaming.
For example, on platforms such as YouTube, searches for sports content have increased by almost 90% since 2018.
In addition, the bodies of these sports have created their own streaming platforms, which allows fans to have direct access to hundreds of hours of content related to these sports.
The Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT) launched the Disc Golf Network (DGN), and the system already has more than 20,000 subscribers.
Another platform dedicated to niche sports is FloSports, which covers local teams in traditional sports and niche sports events. This platform has more than 500,000 subscribers.
The Great Opportunity For Bookies
The great popularity that niche sports are acquiring can be a great opportunity for bookies. Since these sports can represent a way to diversify the income of your betting business.
Remember that bookies that depend solely on sports and traditional leagues such as the NFL or the NBA often have cash flow problems.
There are few betting services aimed exclusively at these sports. So the bookies that take the initiative will monopolize a large market and have little competition.
What do I need to capitalize on the rise of niche sports?
To take full advantage of the rise of niche sports, bookies need three things:
Betting Lines
In order to attract niche sports fans, it is necessary to have good betting lines. For this reason, bookies need to be associated with a good Pay Per Head provider.
The best Pay Per Head companies in the industry have extensive betting catalogs. Moreover, most of these companies provide access to lines and odds for more than 80 leagues and sports around the world.
Bookies who want to offer betting services for niche sports should make sure they have attractive and lucrative betting lines. Therefore, they must have a good Pay Per Head provider.
Marketing strategy
Bookies should make their business known to fans of niche sports. Therefore, it is necessary to have a marketing strategy and budget.
The advantage is that niche sports fans are easy to find and identify. For example, it’s a good idea to join Facebook groups, Subreddits, and YouTube channels about these sports. In this way, it is possible to connect directly with sports fans.
By being part of their community and showing a genuine interest in sports, you can earn their trust and make it easy for you to attract them to your betting site.
Community Development
When you have niche sports fans on your betting site, you must remember that it is essential to form a community with them.
In other words, try to constantly interact with them and show them that your betting site, more than just a place to place bets, is a meeting place for fans.
Niche Sports are the Future.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Niche sports will continue to grow for years to come.
Bookies must prepare their betting businesses and have the right tools to capitalize on this trend.
In addition, bookies that start to make a name for themselves in niche sports today will be able to diversify their business’s income and be able to monopolize a market in which there is little competition.