FIFA Club World Cup, MLB Speedway Classic show why live music at sporting events is becoming the new norm

Musical acts performing at sports events is nothing new. But in recent years the idea has spread far beyond jewel events such as the Super Bowl, the World Series and various All-Star Games. This summer alone, there were pregame or halftime concerts at the final of the FIFA Club World Cup, the MLB Speedway Classic and even regular-season WNBA games.

The recent FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium featured the governing body’s first halftime show, produced by Done + Dusted. The U.K.-based company also will produce the halftime show for next summer’s World Cup final at MetLife Stadium. Done + Dusted is increasingly getting “hit up” by the sports world to produce concert spectacles before, during or after sporting events, said Guy Carrington, executive creative director and partner.

“A lot of it seems to be down to competition,” he said. “Especially since COVID, people are now actively seeking out these live experiences they can do with their friends and other people. It’s become about much more than just the event.”

Ticket prices are high and people travel long distances to attend marquee sporting events, so it’s no surprise that one-off spectacles such as MLB’s Speedway Classic in Bristol, Tenn., last month — in which country music star Tim McGraw played before the Braves and Reds took the field — often feature pregame concerts. The performances can drive ticket revenue, and not only are sponsors interested in them, so are fans. The right performer can attract a new audience to a sport, league or team.

“It’s more show, it’s a story we get to present, more fun we get to give our fan base or customers, so that we feel they are getting their bang for the buck,” Matt Coy, Cuento Marketing’s vice president of experience. “Win or lose, you’re still going to walk away entertained.”

The Braves collaborated with their All-Star pitcher Spencer Strider to make a mixtape of Strider’s favorite Georgia-native musical acts, then pressed a limited run of vinyl, which was tied to a postgame concert. The first 15,000 fans attending the Braves’ Aug. 19 game against the White Sox at Truist Park received a 7-inch vinyl album of Strider’s recommendations.

“You’re just seeing the opportunities to tie music and entertainment to sports and the personalities of players, leaning into that a little bit, I think it helps drive some further fan engagement,” said Hannah Basinger, Braves senior vice president of operations.

The performances sit at the intersection of sports, entertainment, fashion, music and celebrity.

“It feels like now those worlds are much closer together,” Carrington said.