Research by Sonos shows that many Dutch people get a lot of energy before a game of their favorite club, and that they often have certain rituals to get in the mood and get luck on their side. Think of whether or not to wash the team shirt and listening to certain music.
According to Sonos, sound plays an important role in creating group feeling and enthusiasm for a match. For example, research commissioned by Sonos shows that many Dutch people get a lot of energy before a game of their favorite club, and that they often have certain rituals to get in the mood and get luck on their side.
Explore Sonos: Sounds, music and/or traditions essential to the game for 64% of fans
• 64% of the Dutch have a fixed ritual before watching a match of their favorite football club; 21% believe this ritual brings good luck to their favorite club
• 14% of respondents say they are more loyal to their sports team than to their partner
• Young players and amateur footballers have the chance to win a Sonos sound system for their club’s locker room or cafeteria
• To further enhance the atmosphere, Sonos is partnering with Liverpool to launch a new radio station: Anfield Pre-Match Anthems
Fixed Rituals
The research showed that many Dutch people have fixed rituals before a match. 64% of the respondents have at least one ritual before watching a football match. This ritual varies from person to person: some fans wash their team shirts before the game (18%), while others avoid washing their football shirts for better luck (12%). Furthermore, the rituals before the game vary: from painting nails in team colors (12%) to listening to favorite music (12%): it all helps fans to fully prepare for the football game of their favorite team.
Loyal exuberant fans
We Dutch are known as loyal fans of our favorite clubs, and this is reflected in our loyalty. A quarter of the respondents (26%) indicated that they are more loyal to their football club than their hairdresser. For some men or women, a match sometimes takes precedence over a romantic dinner, and that feeling of loyalty is also apparent from the following: as many as one in seven respondents (14%) indicate that they are more loyal to their sports team than to their partner!
In addition, Dutch fans are not only loyal, but often also quite loud. Fanatic supporters naturally sing many songs to celebrate the victory. Most Dutch (40%) have “We are the Champions” by Queen in their victory playlist anyway, followed by “We will rock you” by the same band (30%) and “The Final Countdown” by Europe (24%).
Not only does the atmosphere of the stadium contribute to the exuberant mood and loyalty, the commentator’s voice also has a major impact on empathy for a match for 65% of the Dutch respondents. The Dutch score the highest on this compared to the 12 other European countries where Sonos conducted the survey, and among the Spaniards, the number 2, this was only 15%. Sjoerd, Youssef, Suse and all the others do that well!
Many Dutch people especially love the enthusiastic feeling of happiness during a live match. 33% would like to take that feeling home, with the frenzy of the crowd and the singing of the club song in particular providing that cheerful atmosphere. According to fans, the must-haves to create the best possible mood at home during a match are a flat screen TV (43%), a soundbar of good quality (36%) and a nice couch (35%).
Sonos Radio and Liverpool
According to Sonos, sound at sports competitions is essential to give the viewer the ultimate competition experience. That is why the brand has also entered into a partnership with the English Liverpool FC as Official Sound Partner. For example, Sonos created a new radio station, with all the music that helps Liverpool FC players prepare for their game, so that listeners can get in the mood for the game. Anfield Pre-Match Anthems can be heard on the radio streaming service Sonos Radio. A Liverpool FC legend, John Barnes, provides the commentary and a variety of genres are featured, including Dance, Hip-Hop, Afrobeats, Pop and R&B. The station is available for free on Sonos Radio for Sonos users and on Mixcloud, for everyone else.
Win a Sonos sound system for the club
Another part of the partnership with Liverpool FC is to equip the club’s dressing room with a Sonos sound system. Sonos also wants to bring that experience to Dutch amateur and youth football teams. They can win a premium Sonos sound system for their club’s locker room or cafeteria by sharing their favorite song and pre-match rituals on Instagram. More details on how to participate can be found on Sonos’ Instagram channel.
*The survey was commissioned by Sonos and conducted by Atomik Research among 1,001 sports fans in the Netherlands.
