Evaluating Digital Transformation in Vietnamese Football Clubs Using Deloitte’s Five-Level Digital Maturity Framework - Cultural Industry Perspective

Abstract

Football holds a significant position and plays an essential role within the cultural industries of every economy. The adoption of information technology and digital transformation has become an inevitable requirement in modern football, serving as a key driver for the development and expansion of the cultural industry. This study assesses the current state and digital maturity of Vietnamese football clubs by applying Deloitte’s Five Levels of Digital Maturity framework. Data were collected through an online survey conducted among five representative clubs: Hanoi FC, Viettel FC, SHB Da Nang, SLNA, and PVF. The analysis focuses on five critical domains of digital transformation: digital governance, match and tactical analytics, fan experience, player development and training, and commercialization and media. The findings reveal that digital transformation in Vietnamese football remains at a relatively low and uneven level across these domains. Among them, player development and training exhibit the highest level of digital maturity, followed by fan experience, while match and tactical analytics as well as commercialization and media remain underdeveloped. These results underscore the urgent need for a comprehensive and long-term digital strategy that integrates technological innovation, governance enhancement, and improved fan engagement. Such a strategy would not only strengthen the competitiveness of Vietnamese football but also foster its sustainable development within the broader context of the digital cultural economy.