INFLUENCE OF ONLINE ADVERTISING IN THE PROMOTION OF NIGERIA PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE (NPFL)

Abstract

The advent of online advertising has drastically changed how football is approached and funded. No doubt, Information and Communication Technology has had huge impact on sports development across the globe and also has created new vista for sports promotion, marketing, sports followership and revenue generation. This study examines the influence of online advertising in the promotion of Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL). The technological determinism theory was used as theoreti-cal basis for this research work. Survey method of research was adopted with four hundred copies of questionnaire administered to respondents in four States in the North- Central zone of Nigeria namely; Niger, Kogi, Benue and FCT. It was found that the extent of online advertising usage by the League Management Company (LMC) and NPFL club sides is poor in compare to its usage by other league organizers and club sides in advanced nations. Therefore, this study recommends that the league han-dlers should, immediately, consider setting up a fully equipped social media marketing team. This should include; web designers, graphic artists, online media influencers and advert executives. The LMC should also ensure the employment of professional web designers to revamp the look-and-feel of the site. Make it more user-friendly and updated constantly. Also, the website should be fully commercialized.