Lights, camera, action: Irksome influencers at the US Open are here to stay
Experts say influencers likely to remain a feature of major sports events, despite the anger and irritation they cause.
Influencers at this year’s US Open have stolen the spotlight for disrupting play and acting in a way that is antithetical to traditional tennis etiquette, drawing the ire of players and spectators alike.
Tennis’s biggest stars weren’t battling weather extremes and challenging court surfaces last week when the year’s fourth and final Grand Slam got under way at Flushing Meadows in New York. The disruption, rather, came from flashy ring lights, untimely selfies and raucous behaviour from influencers in the spectator stands.
The use of influencers – social media personalities who create content for followers online – is a relatively new trend in sports marketing across major sporting tournaments like tennis’s US Open and football’s FIFA World Cup.
Of the 100 influencers accredited by the US Open, 20 are dedicated to providing coverage of the food and beverage scene alone. Others show what fans are consuming (such as Honey Deuce cocktails and overpriced chicken nuggets topped with caviar), what they’re wearing, and what the overall atmosphere is like.