The sports and mainstream media landscape has experienced a groundbreaking collaboration, sponsorship agencies exploit the growing esports space and could Facebook be making a comeback in the sports content game?
US artist Travis Scott becomes a catalyst for young audiences in sport
US music artist Travis Scott has struck a revolutionary deal with global fast-food franchise McDonald’s. This collaboration will see a new meal called ‘the Travis Scott meal’ at the fast-food chain that is inspired by the American Rapper.
The last celebrity to have had their name on the McDonalds menu was basketball legend Michael Jordan in the ’90s. Travis Scott has become a phenomenal asset in the sports industry recently, from featuring a virtual performance on Fortnite which accumulated astonishing results for the esports medium and establishing a co-sign with sportswear giants Nike with his ‘Cactus Jack’ sneaker collection.
Young tech-savvy audiences heavily influence the sports industry. Travis has this demographic at the palm of his hand, which mainstream media has identified to leverage new audiences to evolve into a global entertainment enterprise.
Football sponsorship agency SportQuake tap into the esports space
SportQuake is in place to support the football industry’s evolution into a global entertainment business. They’ve recently launched a niche esports agency entitled ‘Esportquake’ to captivate opportunity across the digital sports landscape.
It’s no surprise seeing the growth of esports open up further commercial opportunity, considering its influence to combine culture and entertainment across millions of young audiences. SportQuake will be working with brands and rights holders to support their reach towards Gen Z and visionary audiences.
YouTube TV and NFL Network collaborate to optimise fan engagement in the US
The National Football League (NFL) has penned a carriage agreement with YouTube TV to provide their subscribers access to live and on-demand content via the league’s channels. The NFL will deliver a host of shows including Good Morning Football, NFL GameDay Morning, NFL Now and NFL Total Access as well as live content.
The NFL currently leads the content game in the US; its games contributed towards 47/50 productions on national television in 2019. YouTube TV customers will receive the NFL smart app and NFL.com on PC’s, tablets and TV devices.
The UFC targets the growth of Chinese Martial Arts ahead of the Olympics
The top MMA competition, The UFC announced an agreement with the Chinese Olympic Committee. This deal will witness The UFC to play an imperative role to train Chinese athletes for the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.
Specifically, Chinese athletes will receive a variety of treatments focusing on strength and conditioning, sports science, physiotherapy and nutrition. The aspiring sports stars can also expect customised training, daily coaching and optimised competition preparation and recovery.
This is not only inspiring for The UFC’s prospering relationship with China but also supporting the grassroots layer of Chinse combat sports.
Facebook enhances revenue generation for the ATP tour
ATP Tour’s Tennis television streaming service has accumulated a 60% growth in revenue through increased in-stream advertising, during last December and May. Facebook has proven an interdependent part of their digital monetisation strategy. This includes the ATP Tour posting more content across Facebook for free. The ATP’s increased involvement with Facebook has also resulted in a 45% rise in followers, a 225% increase in video engagement and over 180m viewers watching men’s tennis content for one minute+.
ATP Tour has demonstrated a thoughtful approach to stay ahead of the digital marketing curve to grow the global profile of tennis. Facebook’s recent video monetisation incentive utilising in-stream ads could prove to be a game-changer across the sports social media game.
That’s a wrap! Will Facebook’s new monetisation feature prove a significant long-term impact on sports content? How will external sponsors associated with Travis Scott leverage opportunity from his current incentive and will the NFL’s partnership with YouTube support the game to stay ahead of the curve?
Sharing lessons sports professionals can learn through sports content 