Attending a sporting event is a much more profound experience than just watching the game. It includes the shared experience of cheering your team on and when that team is winning, the sheer ability to share the experience with those around you – and the opportunity to engage in an almost theatrical musical performance of so-called stadium anthems.
No matter the time, the sport, or the level of dedication towards the teams playing – once Seven Nation Army, or We Will Rock You starts, every person in attendance has some feelings about this.
Taking this into account, it is not surprising that events like the Super Bowl, the World Cup, or the Olympic Games consistently break viewership records – topping any rock performance, or pop-culture event.
Why entertainment matters
Sporting spectacles combine the art of sports, competition, music, and collective mentality – gathering TV, and digital streaming audiences alike. Whereas most forms of traditional entertainment have faced a decrease in audience size, sporting events continue to maintain their popularity – or even face an increase in interest.
In other words, sporting events have both managed to maintain the traditional practices and pastimes that they have always utilized and have also managed to incorporate another level of entertainment into their network.
Music in sporting entertainment
Music is without a doubt a vastly important factor in sporting entertainment. The sheer popularity and scenography of Super Bowl halftime shows is more than one might need to substantiate that claim. These shows continuously aim to gather the biggest, most prominent musicians of modern day – and set them up for a performance of a lifetime.
However, even when we distance ourselves from the big event that is the Super Bowl, we still see the exceptional value music plays in sporting events.
Classic call-response rock songs are an indispensable part of basketball games, football games, soccer, hockey – and much more. It is borderline impossible to attend a game without hearing classics by bands like Queen, AC/DC, The Ramones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Metallica and more.
Besides these hits that encourage the audience to actively participate in stadium wide chants, an incredibly popular niche of music are the so-called hype hits – with a recognizable, distinctive beat, a catchy tune, and an enormous number of Spotify streams. Hits within this domain are produced and performed by artists like Cardi B, Kesha, Lizzo and more.
Why stadium music matters
At the end of the day, most people attend sporting events precisely to enjoy the sporting segment of the event. However, despite this, the musical element should not be diminished or disregarded. Maybe the half-time performance isn’t the main reason for your attendance, but it does without a doubt have an influence on the event and makes the overall experience much more enjoyable.
Besides, it pumps up the players and gets them going – making your experience of the game just a tiny bit better.
