Super Bowl LII – how the night unfolded via live streams and social videos
On a dramatic night and on one of sport’s biggest stages, the Philadelphia Eagles were crowned Super Bowl LII champions. Social media reverberated to #FlyEaglesFly!
Here’s your 1-minute recap
Thanks to NBC the live stream was widely accessible online for free in the US, and in Europe thanks to the BBC and other media outlets like ProSieben in Germany. Cord cutters got the same content as TV subscribers (wow!), with lots of OTT’s showing the action – YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Sling TV, Hulu with Live TV, PlayStation Vue, FuboTV, and CenturyLink Stream.
The Eagle’s social media team live clipped content, added graphics and shared social videos, just as you can with Tellyo as action happens…
From epic slow motions (this feature is available in Tellyo as well!):
Your #SBLII MVP, @NFoles_9!#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/7Fichns0vQ
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) February 5, 2018
The night was good also for the NFL – over the weekend they gained 100k fans on Facebook. Video was the most engaging content during the two days of Super Bowl madness, with the NFL Facebook page receiving over 1.2 million interactions, including shares.
While the NFL’s Sideline Cam provided a different angle, getting online fans touchline to experience magic moments:
Classic Gronk. 😳#SBLII #NotDone https://t.co/ofE1saOSwy
— NFL (@NFL) February 5, 2018
To capture end-of-game celebrations, the NFL were on Twitter with its technology partner @SamsungMobileUS, filming on a Samsung Galaxy Note8. You can give similar social mentions to your partners directly from Tellyo.
The @Eagles came in as underdogs and left US Bank Stadium as top dogs after beating the reigning champs in #SBLII! ? (via @thecheckdown)
?: @SamsungMobileUS Galaxy Note8 pic.twitter.com/DRkOdPdzNq
— NFL (@NFL) February 5, 2018
Post-match the NFL rounded up the evening with a highlights compilation, like ones you can produce in Tellyo. It achieved almost 6 million views in the first 30 hours (a number sure to grow).
In the end, everyone was celebrating in the City of Brotherly Love!
even the police are celebrating in philadelphia #flyeaglesfly #superbowl pic.twitter.com/em3uYsSbtU
— Batavia’s Best (@bataviasbest) February 5, 2018
Maximise great moments in sport, just like the Minnesota Miracle
The 52nd Super Bowl Final hits our screens this weekend. The road to the final has been full of trials and tribulations. Yet, it’s the Minnesota Vikings’ failure to reach Sunday’s game that epitomises the extreme highs and lows of American Football’s annual showpiece.
See other, sports related stories:
- The future of sports fans: what should you expect
- 5 sports clubs keeping fans excited with creative video content
The Vikings’ failure was the ultimate price of their 38-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles – a result which only added to the team’s historical playoff woes. Minnesota have now lost six NFC championship play-off games over a 42-season span, causing some to call it a curse.
“There is no damn curse,” said Vikings coach Mike Zimmer to local paper, The Star Tribune.
Yet only a week before the Eagles loss the Vikings were on a high. In a dramatic last-minute moment, they had won their divisional round, defeating the New Orleans Saints 29-24. The stars seemed to align for the Vikings that night. With the game at third-and-10 on the Minnesota 39-yard line and with only 10 seconds on the clock, the Vikings were down 24-23. Yet, somehow, Stefon Diggs pulled off a game-winning touchdown in the dying seconds, causing many to ask: How the hell did the Vikings pull off the Minnesota Miracle?
.@STEFONDIGGS FOR THE WIN!!!!!!!!! #SKOL #NOvsMIN #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/UAoNJ2NJ97
— NFL (@NFL) January 15, 2018
Diggs’s touchdown was one of those moments in sport that generates pure excitement, something fans all over the world live for. It was also a moment that blew up across social media and generated huge levels of engagement.
How could you maximise such a moment in your sport?
If such a miraculous moment happened in your sport, what would you do? Like the Vikings, how would you amplify it through video content, and help fans everywhere to relive what happened and celebrate your success? Let’s take a look at three aspects of our Tellyo platform that would help.
Multi-camera footage
Tellyo is able to ingest footage from multiple devices – video cameras, smartphones and drones – giving you the option to live stream and share clips from different angles. The Vikings did something similar by sharing footage from their Side Line Cam. Although only from one camera, it added an alternative take on that touchdown (a video short that has since been nominated for a prestigious Shorty Award).
? #MinneapolisMiracle Sideline Cam#BringItHome pic.twitter.com/fRe9CZTlwt
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 15, 2018
Live clipping
While the Viking’s clip is undoubtedly awesome, Tellyo’s ability is to take such a clip, mix it with several other angles and publish within minutes of an event happening. The Tellyo video editor puts this level of video production at your fingertips.
In the case of the Vikings, they live clipped and shared the reaction of its player, Everson Griffen, who was simply lost for words. His reaction seemed to sum up the #MinneapolisMiracle.
The #MinneapolisMiracle was so crazy, even @EversonGriffen was lost for words.#BringItHome pic.twitter.com/OXTd9L4pjJ
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 16, 2018
Social publishing
As a memorable moment happens, everyone wants to be a part of it. Social media is the place where people want to experience these moments and share them with friends. That’s why Tellyo enables you to publish videos to multiple social media channels simultaneously, with the ability to add messages and hashtags.
The results can be staggering. Once shared, the Vikings’ Cam clip immediately racked up 500,000 views, and has since achieved 8 million total views and counting[1]. The club’s #MinneapolisMiracle social media effort has also generated a whopping 360 million mentions to date!
If you’d like to maximise the moments that matter in your sport, feel free to get in contact with our team to discuss how Tellyo can help.
What’s in store for social video in 2018
With 2018 well underway, I took the time to ask a few of my colleagues and Tellyo customers what they feel is in store for social video this year.
Here are their thoughts and predictions:
“2018 will see a direct-to-audience offering become the norm, in which social is fully accepted as a mainstream video channel to reach and engage audiences. For top-tier sports or major broadcasters, such an offering will complement and extend the reach of existing content, engaging younger demographics effectively and providing further touch points for fans and viewers. In the case of niche sports, this will be the year to choose a direct offering as a primary channel, with a comprehensive content schedule around all events and key moments.
There’s no doubt that technology has changed what is possible, even if you have more limited resources. What we’ll see across the board is better video production and content, more experimentation and innovation, and a richer experience for audiences when content is shared directly with them. Those organisations that succeed will achieve constant exposure and greater engagement, with this having a positive effect on revenue.”
“To succeed online in 2018, it will be important for sports clubs, leagues and federations to continually evolve with the social video production technology they use and the platforms they choose to partner with.
For federations like ours, the year ahead is further opportunity to ‘do it yourself’ – to push forward with the production and distribution tools that provide us with the autonomy to create highly engaging content. It’s this content that positively impacts how fans experience our tournaments and brand globally, be it via a live stream or a social media video clip.”
“2018 will be the year in which broadcasters and producers push for more from the technology available to them. This is being driven by viewers’ expectations of the technology and their desire to experience truly high-quality digital streams.
While live streaming will only grow in popularity, 2018 will also see it evolve. With all the major platforms now offering users the chance to live stream, producers and broadcasters will adapt in the coming year to prevent audiences from tuning out as the ‘live’ novelty wears off. We’ll see a more holistic approach to social broadcasts take shape, with social media, video clips and multi-device considerations increasingly playing a role.”
“While more and more people consume video content through social media and smartphones, this is both an opportunity for marketers but also a challenge to grapple with in 2018. Over the coming year, this challenge will need to be taken head on, particularly as engagement with video will increase in tandem with consumption.
As a result, there will be a spike in demand for solutions that can deliver video content to different platforms simultaneously. Marketers will want confidence in the way they can manage multiple video formats across platforms, eyeing the frictionless engagement that this will bring. Essentially 2018 will be the year in which marketers get complete control of how video is presented for mobiles and social media platforms with suitable APIs.”
“2018 will see us make much more of social media-friendly short clips of our skaters, mountain bikers, BMXers and wakeboarders. This sort of content sits well with the ephemeral content that our younger audience loves nowadays – such as the short-lived social video clips that you see on social media platforms.
During our 2018 World Series, we’ll also continue to mix clips with live streams. This way we can recreate the live experience of our events online, amplifying the excitement and buzz at each event, and so reaching and engaging with more people across social media.”
Have we missed anything? Feel free to tweet your thoughts and predictions to us @TellyoTV
Local social media to explore – VK in Russia
The internet in 2018 might look like a monolith at times, especially from an English-speaking perspective: Facebook, Netflix, the next iPhone release. However, there’s lots of life outside of this Western mainstream bubble.
So, if you’re planning to target new regions and reach broader global audiences with your video content, you might want to consider what other local solutions and platforms are available to you.
Interested in sports-related topics? Check out our other stories:
- Great sports personalities to follow at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
- A quick guide to understanding esports and gaming fans.
Here, I would like to introduce you to VK – the main social network in Russia, the 9th most populated country in the world.
In touch with VK
Launched in 2006, VK (VKontakte, which translates as ‘in touch’) is an extremely successful social network. It’s very popular in Russia and some former soviet republics, like Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, but also receives a noticeable amount of traffic from Germany[1].
VK is ranked as the 11th most popular website in the world, which means it’s more popular than Twitter, Amazon, Instagram or Wikipedia globally. Needless to say, it is number one in Russia and even more popular than the country’s two leading search engines – Russian Yandex and Google!
For lots of reasons, VK is often compared to Facebook. Its features are pretty similar to Mark Zuckerberg’s platform. The interface uses a blue colour that Facebook users will be familiar with and overall the functionality is comparable.
VK’s users can publish their thoughts, photos and videos on their profiles, connect with friends and follow communities (like FB groups or profiles). Users are known to consider the network as easier to use and more transparent than Facebook, and that’s probably one of the reasons why VK is more popular in Russia than Facebook.
Video hosting is central to VK
VK is widely used as a video hosting platform. Users make the most of VK’s features to share a wide selection of different video types.
Contrary to Facebook, VK also has a really neat search engine, which is a powerful tool that allows users to search for video content pretty easily, using convenient sets of parameters. Thanks to its search, VK is more akin to YouTube, as you can search through past and present video content with ease.
To picture how big and important the service is in Russia: VK has a bigger monthly audience than any Russian TV station, including the public service, Channel 1[3].
Social media in Russia = VK
VK is full of really strong communities (groups) created around or dedicated to different brands. These groups are created by users in praise of brands. However, the content published within each group is often not in tune with a brand’s own standards. To understand this better, let’s take a look at Nike[4].
Nike on VK
The biggest group dedicated to the brand has more than 1.6million users, while all three of the official Russian Nike profiles have around a third of that amount in total.
The unofficial groups are often used to share content that is interesting to its community and not content controlled by the brand. For example, the biggest VK group called ‘Nike’ is often dominated by game trailers or funny pictures, most unrelated to sports products. This throws up interesting questions about how you might connect with these groups, and influencers could play a vital role here.
The official Nike profiles tend to make use of numerous sets of VK tools to promote the Nike brand, including built-in e-commerce and sponsored content.
For other brands wanting to enter VK, don’t worry as the tools are already there for all to use, ready to help boost the visibility of your brand. Here at Tellyo, our cloud-based video production platform also integrates with VK, enabling you to easily publish video content to the social network.
Other brands on VK
Among other big sports brands present on VK, you can find FC Bayern Munich and Manchester City, but also the NBA, UEFA and dozens of video game titles. There are also many global fashion and beauty brands fighting for the attention of a Russian audience. If there is no official account of a global brand, there will be at least one or two groups dedicated to them.
What’s in it for you?
VK users are very receptive towards big, international brands. Brands can benefit remarkably from being present and active on this Russian social media network, where online communities play a huge role. So, if you’re thinking about developing a greater presence in Russia, then being on VK is a must and key to potential fans and customers noticing your content and brand. And we’re here to help, as our Tellyo platform integrates seamlessly with VK, meaning you can reach audiences on this social channel with real-time video content.
If you’d like to find our more, drop a message to contact@tellyo.com.
Local social media to explore – VK in Russia
The internet in 2018 might look like a monolith at times, especially from an English-speaking perspective: Facebook, Netflix, the next iPhone release. However, there’s lots of life outside of this Western mainstream bubble.
So, if you’re planning to target new regions and reach broader global audiences with your video content, you might want to consider what other local solutions and platforms are available to you.
Interested in sports-related topics? Check out our other stories:
- Great sports personalities to follow at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
- A quick guide to understanding esports and gaming fans.
Here, I would like to introduce you to VK – the main social network in Russia, the 9th most populated country in the world.
In touch with VK
Launched in 2006, VK (VKontakte, which translates as ‘in touch’) is an extremely successful social network. It’s very popular in Russia and some former soviet republics, like Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, but also receives a noticeable amount of traffic from Germany[1].
VK is ranked as the 11th most popular website in the world, which means it’s more popular than Twitter, Amazon, Instagram or Wikipedia globally. Needless to say, it is number one in Russia and even more popular than the country’s two leading search engines – Russian Yandex and Google!
For lots of reasons, VK is often compared to Facebook. Its features are pretty similar to Mark Zuckerberg’s platform. The interface uses a blue colour that Facebook users will be familiar with and overall the functionality is comparable.
VK’s users can publish their thoughts, photos and videos on their profiles, connect with friends and follow communities (like FB groups or profiles). Users are known to consider the network as easier to use and more transparent than Facebook, and that’s probably one of the reasons why VK is more popular in Russia than Facebook.
Video hosting is central to VK
VK is widely used as a video hosting platform. Users make the most of VK’s features to share a wide selection of different video types.
Contrary to Facebook, VK also has a really neat search engine, which is a powerful tool that allows users to search for video content pretty easily, using convenient sets of parameters. Thanks to its search, VK is more akin to YouTube, as you can search through past and present video content with ease.
To picture how big and important the service is in Russia: VK has a bigger monthly audience than any Russian TV station, including the public service, Channel 1[3].
Social media in Russia = VK
VK is full of really strong communities (groups) created around or dedicated to different brands. These groups are created by users in praise of brands. However, the content published within each group is often not in tune with a brand’s own standards. To understand this better, let’s take a look at Nike[4].
Nike on VK
The biggest group dedicated to the brand has more than 1.6million users, while all three of the official Russian Nike profiles have around a third of that amount in total.
The unofficial groups are often used to share content that is interesting to its community and not content controlled by the brand. For example, the biggest VK group called ‘Nike’ is often dominated by game trailers or funny pictures, most unrelated to sports products. This throws up interesting questions about how you might connect with these groups, and influencers could play a vital role here.
The official Nike profiles tend to make use of numerous sets of VK tools to promote the Nike brand, including built-in e-commerce and sponsored content.
For other brands wanting to enter VK, don’t worry as the tools are already there for all to use, ready to help boost the visibility of your brand. Here at Tellyo, our cloud-based video production platform also integrates with VK, enabling you to easily publish video content to the social network.
Other brands on VK
Among other big sports brands present on VK, you can find FC Bayern Munich and Manchester City, but also the NBA, UEFA and dozens of video game titles. There are also many global fashion and beauty brands fighting for the attention of a Russian audience. If there is no official account of a global brand, there will be at least one or two groups dedicated to them.
What’s in it for you?
VK users are very receptive towards big, international brands. Brands can benefit remarkably from being present and active on this Russian social media network, where online communities play a huge role. So, if you’re thinking about developing a greater presence in Russia, then being on VK is a must and key to potential fans and customers noticing your content and brand. And we’re here to help, as our Tellyo platform integrates seamlessly with VK, meaning you can reach audiences on this social channel with real-time video content.
If you’d like to find our more, drop a message to contact@tellyo.com.
4 social media platforms for sports video content in 2018
Within the sports industry, everyone from rights holders to broadcasters and sponsors is focusing attention on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Justifiably so, as the big three are market leading social media platforms attracting huge audiences, and natural places to find the best streaming and hosting features.
But there’s life beyond these three platforms. Why not consider a different social channel as an ace up your sleeve? Before we delve in to which channels you might choose, let’s explore some background.
The rise of new channels and video
While traditional television has been at the fore of mass sports coverage for years, the world continues to change drastically. The flexibility of the internet has caused havoc in the stiff world of linear TV in recent years. Social media has only deepened a sense of impending crisis.
You may also be interested in the essential read if you’ve ever wondered how to make traditional TV cool again!
One of the latest trends on social media has been the shift towards short, clipped videos – a major point of difference when compared to traditional TV’s long-form formats. It all started with Snapchat, then Instagram and their stories. Nowadays, each social platform favours video – it’s the most engaging and most consumed[1] type of content. So, even if TV is not now number one, video definitely is!
Let’s see what social media platforms are worth checking and considering as a home for your sports video content and more.
Snap that authenticity!
Yes, yes! We all know that Snapchat is extremely popular and that it’s a medium mostly for Gen Zers. While not every brand needs to be there, you should consider it as an option if you’re looking to reach younger audiences.
Snapchat is remarkably well suited to sports. Short, dynamic and unedited sports clips are perfect for this platform that favours ephemeral video content. Short video clips give Snapchat a feeling of freshness and authenticity, which might be easily killed off by the perfect-looking, over-produced clips that you see on Facebook or Twitter.
If you want to try something really cool, check Snapchat Spectacles – digital glasses that can record videos for Snapchat, but also publish them on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. How cool is that! Check it out yourself:
Insta-everything
You may view Instagram as a place for food and holiday photos and that’s… correct! But this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to bring some of your cool sports videos over to the platform. Especially when Instagram is able to attract a greater mix of audiences that you might want to connect with.
Another positive aspect to Instagram is its own Snapchat-like feature – Instagram Stories – that heavily involves video. While it is Snapchat that brought the video-story format to life, it’s Instagram’s Stories that get better results. Why? Because while Snapchat has die-hard fans that are using the platform for better or worse; Instagram has a couple of huge advantages in a bigger user base and Facebook integration under the hood.
Furthermore, Instagram Stories and its features present videos very professionally, making them look slicker (if that’s what you want). Alongside Stories, you can also publish a varied mix of pictures, raw and spontaneous videos, and professionally produced clips. It’s your call!
Giphy, because we all love GIFs
Not exactly a social network, Giphy is an online database and search engine for animated GIFs. It’s used in one of two ways: users can search for cool animations in an online library, or through third party apps like Facebook Messenger for example.
Giphy is going from strength to strength, recently signing partnerships with big brands to promote content. These partnerships mean that users can now find and use animated GIFs created by Calvin Klein, Disney, General Electric, NASA or Paramount Pictures. As part of the deal, companies get their own profiles on Giphy, which users can search to look for the best GIFs.
Giphy will soon start rolling out sponsored GIFs. According to Techcrunch[5], brands will have the chance to buy a presence in Giphy’s top search results with their branded animations. If you’re a sports brand or broadcaster, this sounds pretty tempting, right?
Tumblr for the brave
The truth is that not every brand fits Tumblr and its spirit. Some say that this pretty well-worn platform is not a good place for brands to be. The reality is complex.
However, Tumblr can be great if your brand has a young audience made up of people who don’t take things too seriously, have a quirky sense of humour and are really open minded.
One of the advantages of Tumblr is how it can be used in many different ways. It’s a good for pictures, GIFs and videos, while you can also use it as an effective microblogging platform too. However, most brands keep it strictly for visual content, which can work really well for sports. Check out Vans for compelling extreme sports shots.
Explore lesser known territories
While it’s important to maintain your presence on mainstream social media networks, you should also pay attention to other platforms. Lesser known platforms can offer something different and deliver good gains, such as better visibility when targeting younger demographic groups, like Gen Zers through Snapchat for example.
Besides, with the popularity of short video clips and animated GIFs at a colossal level, it seems a good time to take advantage of the social platforms where these formats are heavily consumed.
Improve your social media stream with different content types
Remember when you had to buy an actual newspaper to see TV schedules? The good old days! Today’s world is completely the opposite, however: TV series, entertainment shows and sports events tempt you from each corner of the internet to watch them.
For broadcasters, this means you cannot simply wait for the viewer to come, because they have too much to choose from and too many other distractions. This leaves many broadcasters struggling for attention – a battle that’s impossible to win unless there is a willingness to adapt and offer more than traditional broadcasting.
Why adapt and offer something different? Let’s take a look.
The shift in attention
The data is ruthless: Gen Zers are rejecting traditional TV in favour of digital media[1]. There’s no doubt, change is in the air and there seems to be no way to reverse it.
But it’s not all doom and gloom – broadcasters just need to be prepared to try different mediums, but also to confront the demands of a different, more picky audience. The truth is that losing a viewer on the web is extremely easy, with potential viewers literally a click away from opening a new tab and moving their attention to a different place.
Broadcasters, especially those with experience in linear TV, are having to deal with this new shift, as well as learn new tools to manage the situation.
Social streaming is a great new tool in the box, but is it enough to grab attention for sustained periods of time? Especially when Gen Zers are notoriously less focused and easily distracted. The great news about Gen Zers though is that they are excellent at multitasking[3], which means they can watch a live stream, write comments and read articles at the same time!
So, if you decide to adapt to this new generation and the shift in attention, what are you going to offer? We already know that a social broadcast shouldn’t be a singular event. But what else should be part of the social broadcasting ecosystem? Next, let’s take a look at the essential ingredients.
The essential ingredients for successful social broadcasting
Clipping
This seems like a no-brainer, but it’s worth repeating. When streaming to a social media channel such as Facebook, keep creating and sharing bit-sized clips for those unable to watch the live stream itself. This is great for a number of reasons, as clips will help you to:
- Gain brand visibility inside and outside of your fan base.
- Increase all vital KPIs – views, reach, number of fans etc.
- Develop a rich bank of content you can upload to services like YouTube, Facebook or your own on-demand platform.
- Meet the demands of second screeners – who might be watching your live stream and catching/commenting on your clips, too.
Don’t avoid second screens – provide one!
To ‘second screen’ is to watch content on your TV and, at the same time, use a laptop or smartphone (the second screen) to check what’s going on in your social feeds, to message friends, use an app etc.
What’s in it for you? Out of 177 million second screeners in the US, 74% of viewers are interacting with unrelated content they see while watching a main event[4]. Your goal should be to make these people eager to see your content, instead of anything else.
Many second screeners are using Twitter to interact with their friends while watching a TV broadcast. They prefer to tweet, because the micro-blogging platform is quick and known for its promptness. Twitter has a 6% higher interaction rate for cross platform viewing among other social media platforms.[5]
The lesson to learn: While broadcasting, whether via a TV channel or a social stream, you should interact with your audience using other platforms. Use Twitter, Facebook or Snapchat and get involved with your audience. If you have your own mobile app, don’t hesitate to use push notifications to grab attention.
Mobile approach
Writing about the necessity of having a mobile app is soooo 2010, right? Well, it isn’t if you still don’t have one or you’re not using it properly. Mobile apps are a great marketing channel, especially if you have enough resources to keep it in good shape and your fan base is big enough to give you a good return on your investment.
How can you use a mobile app while being a broadcaster? You would use it just like any other marketing channel. But it has particular power if you treat it like an extra screen, content distribution tool and video streaming extension.
If you’re broadcasting whole TV programmes, include a calendar in the app, so your viewers can schedule reminders. If you’re streaming singular events, keep your fan base excited with news stories and premium video content available for app users only.
The NBA and NFL have both developed really good apps, providing live streams, video content, news and stats.
Stats and crucial details
Statistics and big data are extremely important, especially if you work in the sports broadcasting industry. Data is a gold mine for creating extra content for fans, such as stats, visualisations, comparisons, infographics etc… the list could go on.
Screen the data while broadcasting, but also create graphs, graphics and charts to publish on different social channels. Well prepared content will remain evergreen and live for a long time after its original use.
Collaborate with influencers
Collaborations with influencers in your space are a very modern solution. Essentially, by working with the movers and shakers in your environment, however big or niche they might be, will give you extra credibility and position your brand as an expert in your field.
You can collaborate with influencers in many ways: asking them for pre/post broadcast comments, involving them as expert panelists during streams, or by creating in-depth content in partnership. An influencer will provide expertise and give you a very specialised point of view.
Internet = social media
98% of people using the internet are social media users at the same time[6] – and there seems to be almost no life beyond Facebook, YouTube, Twitter or Weibo.
What this means is that your potential viewers are already on the web and probably on social media. As they’re already in these online spaces, you just need to reach them and spark interactions.
The good news is that potential viewers are likely to go where the good content is. So, alongside your awesome social broadcasts, share clips, create cool GIFs, publish polls, and ask your audience what they think and how they feel towards the content you’re sharing and what you’re saying – all the while encouraging conversations.
Go the extra mile!
Creating a wide range of versatile content can be time consuming and challenging. But, if done well, extremely rewarding at the same time. You might not have the budget and resources to cover all of the above solutions. But doing the social broadcast is surely the first step to take. Everything else is up to you!
[2] Nielsen Total Audience Report, Q1 2017. Daily time spent on TV, hr:min (Live+DVR/Time-Shifted): Generation Z, 2:18; Generation X, 4:38; Baby Boomers, 6:42
5 sports clubs keeping fans excited with creative video content
Sports fans are a unique bunch. They consist of people able to name an entire trophy-winning team from back in the 60’s, to the sort willing to go to another continent to see their team, sometimes in the knowledge they could get heavily beaten.
Thanks to the development of the web, the last 15 years have enabled the most popular clubs to get closer to many new fans – now only a click away. However, the majority of these new fans might never get a chance to see their favourite team in person. This situation is making club owners and marketing managers face a new challenge: how to maintain the interest of millions of fans who are living thousands of miles away? These fans are often unable to visit the stadium to see games or watch on TV, while just selling merchandise to them is far too short-sighted as a strategy.
Interesting read: Reach new fans by going social
To nurture fans, and keep them engaged and committed, surely you need to give them something more? The answer for many clubs is to make all fans across the globe feel like part of a wider community. But how? This is when creative video content and social media come into play!
In this blog, I’ll walk you through the best examples of video content produced by some of the most popular sports team in the world. But, before we start, let’s find out…
…how are fans consuming sports content?
The stats tell us that 53% of global internet users watch sports coverage or highlights. That’s a tremendous amount of people – with 39% choosing PCs and laptops to see their favourite teams plays; while 36% watch on mobiles and 15% on tablets[1].
It’s pretty obvious that internet users worldwide are looking for sports content and using a range of devices to do so. So, it’s worth adjusting your content to fit different screen sizes, as well as the aspect ratio requirements of each social platform.
Right, let’s now look at some cool examples of unique content, created by popular sports clubs.
AS Roma (Italy, Serie A)
The Italian football club from Rome is well known around Europe. But their fan base is smaller than other, top-notch clubs like Real Madrid or Chelsea. However, their efforts to create a comprehensive club TV channel is impressive. It’s well worth a mention here.
AS Roma offer their own traditional TV channel, but it is also available through their website for fans outside of Italy. It provides info about daily life at the club – training updates, chats with guests, replays of historical games and a frequent look back at the club’s legendary players. Live broadcasts run from Monday to Saturday in the morning.
Roma also offer a paid, premium version – called Roma TV+. It includes live video content, national and international games, and an on-demand service featuring past games and highlights.
Overall, the club has put in a lot of effort to make their fans well informed about the club and everything going on around it. Even the youth section has its own, dedicated programme – Punto Giovani. You can see that content produced for Roma fans is top quality, with programme specials often involving players as hosts and guests.
New England Patriots (United States, NFL)
While the NFL is huge, its broadcasting deals are complicated. For example, not all games are broadcast nationally on TV. Usually, there’s only one game shown nationally in each set of games – on Thursday, Sunday and Monday nights. The rights to stream games in the current season have been signed by five linear TV channels. At the same time, these channels are streaming games through the internet thanks to their paid platforms. Because of these licenses, clubs don’t have ready-made match content to show to their fans and can find it extremely hard to keep fans updated as a result.
Despite the above, the New England Patriots have really upped their game. Through their official website and YouTube channel they show video content such as game highlights, press conferences, and interviews with players and coaches. Videos are largely produced by external broadcasters, not by the club itself. However, the club’s YouTube channel is its home for in-house produced content, with Patriots players often playing an important role.
Fans get to see many humorous and interesting programmes involving players, such as visits to hometowns or lessons in game tactics.
The Patriots is a great example of content produced on an in-house budget but with great production values and interesting stories to tell. Fans can meet their idols and learn about their interests. This way, the New England Patriots are keeping their fans engaged with the club and its players, not only during games.
FC Barcelona (Spain, La Liga)
FC Barcelona is probably the most popular club in the world (sorry Manchester United!). While this is great news for the club, it presents a challenge to keep global fans interested all the time.
Obviously Barcelona games are more accessible – such as La Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions League, abroad tours etc – all of which are more widely broadcasted by many TV stations and digital broadcasters. The club itself also produces tons of its own video content. What’s worth of mentioning is that this content is not only dedicated to the first team.
You can see women’s games in the Spanish and Champions League, second team training sessions and youth academy football via the La Masia complex. Also shown are Barca fans having fun during matches, interviews with players and lots of Lionel Messi!
Barca also use YouTube to broadcast various events, like games involving the Barca Legends (a joy to see Ronaldinho, Kluivert and Rivaldo playing together!), as well as club updates such as contract renewals by key players.
The YouTube channel is updated frequently and loaded with action. While it’s unable to stream premium content because of broadcasting deals, the Barca media team do an amazing job and still have plenty to show. And fans around the world love it!
Boston Celtics (United States, NBA)
The Boston Celtics are the most successful team in the history of the NBA, responsible for 24.3% of all championship titles[2]. While the Celtics are unable to stream games to its Facebook feed or YouTube channel – because the rights are reserved for premium, paid services – they still have a lot to show.
The Celtics host video content on their official website, YouTube channel and Facebook page. Even though there are no live games, you can find a lot of action, highlights and interviews with players, straight from the pitch. However, this is what most teams are doing, so what Celtics content really stands out?
Specifically, the Celtics offer a lot of videos to promote their activity amongst its community of supporters. They help veteran soldiers, and promote health and fitness among its youngest fans. This is a great way to show that the NBA team is not only about money, contracts and breaking records, but it has strong community links built around the club.
However, my favourite type of Celtic’s video is the one called ‘Bad jokes’. It’s a simple format that shows paired players telling each other bad jokes! It’s completely silly, but at the same time just nice and refreshing to see professional sportsmen having fun. Priceless!
Canadiens de Montréal (Canada, NHL)
Because the NHL’s streaming rights – just like the NFL or NBA – are usually reserved for the biggest players in broadcasting, the league’s clubs tend not to produce content of their own. Most videos from popular NHL teams are just interviews or highlights – which is cool. But Canadiens de Montréal are different!
Someone in the Canadien’s video production team obviously has a lot of great ideas on how to involve players and bring some quality to their content. Despite the lack of game action and highlights, their YouTube channel is an extremely engaging place. They’re using multiple and diverse formats to reach their fans, and it’s working – they have the biggest number of YouTube subscribers amongst all NHL teams.
So, what’s so good about the Canadien’s video content?
If something seems crazy but it’s working – it’s not so crazy!
Sports video content is not only about the games!
There’s no doubt fans watch games for the thrill and emotion of live action – the scoring of a goal or winning a game. But there’s still a lot to show outside of the games. Digital platforms like YouTube or Facebook are perfect to show content aside to a club’s more formal digital roadmap.
A richer array of content can help larger clubs to build a positive PR image, increase reach, monetise viewership independently from major broadcasting contracts and keep the community up to date with club life.
Similarly, content produced by smaller clubs can draw in new fans, nurture an existing fan base and monetise digital content. Perhaps this sort of content will be a first in their history for many smaller clubs.
No matter how big your club or organisation, having this kind of video content will offer an amazing addition to current live broadcasting arrangements and existing marketing activities. Simply take look around your environment and explore interesting things going on. I bet there’s a lot of cool content you can learn from and begin to show yourself!
5 convincing reasons you should stream esports
If you were to ask someone – what’s your favourite sport? – the answer would likely be one of the following: football, basketball or cricket. However, this status quo is changing even as I write this blog. That’s because we have a new player in town: esports!
Esports (electronic sports) is best described as competitive, multi-player video gaming. Puzzled? Not really convinced by this whole gaming thing? Here are five reasons to change your mind. By the end of this article you’ll be considering your options!
#1 Gaming is mainstream
Believe it or not, gaming is mainstream. No longer a hobby of geeky teenagers (if it ever was), it is one of the most popular ways to spend leisure time – next to watching TV, reading books or actively taking part in sports.
According to research, 67% of US households own a device that is used to play video games.[1] To compare – 58% of American households has one or two televisions, and 39% three TV sets or more[2] (obviously with some overlap between these two figures).
If you also look at the above device ownership stats, these point to changing trends in the tech used for leisure and entertainment. Traditional TV is also on the out as the cord cutting trend continues.
Gaming is part of these wider trends – an obvious example being a TV set used for gaming rather than for watching prescribed TV stations.
All around us we can see how gaming itself is more and more visible in media and culture. Think movies (Resident Evil, TRON, Warcraft, Wreck-It Ralph), magazines (thousands of titles around the world), TV series (frequent video games references in Futurama, South Park, Stranger Things, The Big Bang Theory) and even the advertising world. Game developers are not only buying adverts in digital media, nowadays you can see their ads on mainstream TV as well. The list could go on and on.
To cut a long story short – gaming is everywhere and it’s only just beginning!
#2 Esports stats are BIG
Esports events attract colossal amounts of people – both offline and online. Fans include a large proportion of millennials and Gen Zers, both demographics often difficult to access
Esports events attract colossal amounts of people – both offline and online. Fans include a large proportion of millennials and Gen Zers, both demographics often difficult to access. But research also highlights more surprising fan stats – they are often high earners, 38% are women and 58% of fans over 25 have children of their own.[3].
There are multiple leagues and tournaments focused around the most popular online games, like Dota 2, Hearthstone or FIFA and the PES series. Thanks to sponsors, esports players and teams are competing in big venues to massive audiences (both at the venue and online) and for serious money. Figures from SuperData Research suggest that $662million of sponsorship money was injected into esports during 2016[4].
In 2017, at the annual International Dota 2 Championships event in Seattle, players won prizes totalling… $24,687,919! [5]
One of the most recognisable esports events in the world – the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) – engages thousands at the actual event and millions more during digital broadcasts. Held in 2017 in Katowice, Poland, organisers claim that the event was the world’s biggest esports event in history[6].
Here are some stats from the IEM event, which was mainly focused around League of Legends (LoL), Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and Starcraft II.
Just for comparison: Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration was watched by 30.6million TV viewers, so 10 million more viewers watched IEM’s esports event.[7]
#3 Natively digital and hugely dynamic
With all the action taking place online, esports are natively digital – a natural environment for gaming and related content.
The biggest digital space in the esports streaming world is Twitch.tv – a digital broadcasting platform that specialises in showing content produced by gamers, for gamers. Bought by Amazon in 2014, Twitch is the first choice for players who want to stream their gameplays and even earn money from donations from fellow players. It is undoubtedly the most popular among players, but sometimes more suited to experienced insiders already familiar with the gaming world.
Linear TV stations are increasingly seeking a piece of the action. ESPN, BBC, SkySports and Poland’s Polsat are amongst the traditional broadcasters investing in the dynamic esports market in some way: streaming events or distributing related content online. These linear broadcasters are proving savvy in the way they’re using digital platforms, such as dedicated web pages and social media, to support their efforts and engage the esports audience. They understand that esports are digitally native and any supporting content must be digital as well. It’s as simple as that.
#4 Video content is integral
Digital streaming platforms like Twitch are undoubtedly spearheading the popularity of esports. What’s also really interesting is that gamers like to watch other gamers; while fan audiences are on the rise due to the exciting content on offer. Watching can be a roller coaster of emotions, just like every other sport, and the passion of fans is obvious.
Video is integral to this and YouTube is an extremely popular place for both gamers and fans to watch esports video content. Here are some interesting insights from Google:
#5 A growing and engaging market
The value of the global video game market reached over $101billion in 2016 and will hit $128billion+ by 2020[8]. These staggering figures include PC, console and mobile games and point to one thing – people are simply crazy about games! More and more people are spending time and money to play them.
This isn’t a passive market though. Esports fans and players are highly engaged, keenly watching what’s going on in esports, following their own favourite players and teams. Esports are also very interactive – when playing and watching people chat, comment and interact, becoming part of a community of like-minded fans.
So, while they are interested in the most popular Triple-A titles and online games, fans will also be watching esports in their feeds, or practicing their own skills to develop as a gamer, or publishing their own gaming videos as a YouTuber.
The ball is in your court
Beyond doubt, esports is a hot topic. It involves millions of people playing, streaming and watching. The numbers are often staggering and, in many cases, the popularity of this kind of digital entertainment has already exceeded the popularity of ‘analogue’ sports. This represents a huge opportunity for sports broadcasters to get involved in this nascent market, while it’s still fresh and there’s still time.
[1] Source 1 , [2] Source 2, [3] Source 3, [4] Source 4, [5] Source 5, [6] Source 6, [7] Source 7, [8] Source 8
8 common live streaming mistakes that will create a horror show
Let’s face it, Halloween is a lot of fun. But only because it represents horrors that are not real. However, in the broadcasting industry real nightmares can happen, especially when live streaming to social media.
(By the way, have you seen the new Tellyo already?)
In this post, I’m going to run through the most common mistakes that will ruin your stream and scare off your audience.
Mistake #1: Being unprepared for technical difficulties
No matter how cool your event is, there are dozens of ways technical issues can wreck your stream. You can’t avoid equipment failure, nor repair an unpredictable internet outage. But you can think about providing alternative streams for users who are unable watch on Facebook or YouTube, for whatever reason. The same goes with streams at different qualities – depending on bandwidth, some users may want to skip 1080p and use 480p instead.
Think of alternatives to ensure your audience receives a broadcast one way or another.
Mistake #2: Not planning for when social becomes unsocial
When streaming content to platforms like YouTube, Twitter or Facebook you probably want to have as many viewers as possible, right? If so, the more people you attract, the more likely it is you’re going to draw the attention of people not always behaving properly or nicely. Trolls will be trolls, spammers will be spammers – but you must not let them take charge in a public chat or in your comments section. Put in place a moderator who can keep your broadcast free of these kinds of ‘users’.
The web is full of terrors trolls. Protect your audience from them.
Mistake #3: Failing to fill the gaps
For every single digital broadcaster who’s streaming live sports – remember half time!
People will be watching your content for entertainment. When nothing is happening during the breaks, show them something. Think along the lines of previously prepared highlights, bloopers, statistics or interviews with players. Otherwise your audience will open a new tab to scroll their Facebook feed or to watch a music video on YouTube. Simply put – you’ll lose them.
[bctt tweet=”You can’t afford to bore your audience, so provide them with entertainment!” username=”TellyoTV”]
Mistake #4: Forgetting to chop and cut… content
While live streaming, don’t forget about the people not able to follow your live stream, but who might be interested in what’s going on. Independent from your live broadcast, you should always clip and share highlights – such as goals, dunks and epic fails. This way, fans unable to catch the live stream can stay updated on what’s going on, and you can gain some extra views and reach.
Don’t stop creating content – the more clips you share, the bigger your audience will be.
Mistake #5: Not sending the memo!
No one will show up to your stream if you:
- Forget to post announcements before the actual event
- Plan the announcements too early or too late
- Spam your audience with waaaay too many announcements
You must remember to remind your users that you have a planned event, and make sure they are well informed about it.
Did you know that using Tellyo you can create Facebook announcement posts? These allow users to set reminders for events. How cool is that?
Mistake #6: Falling short when the end is nigh
The live broadcast shouldn’t be a singular event. It should be always preceded by announcement posts before the stream begins and not only on your chosen broadcast platform. During your broadcast, it’s also extremely important to produce short clips with highlights and replays, which will help drive new viewers to the live stream. Finally, after the broadcast, it’s your time to shine again – create highlights with summaries, clip compilations, top 5 plays etc.
Doing so, you will extend the broadcast from a one-off event to a longer, richer series of events focused on your main stream. Guess which one will attract more attention and viewers?
Tired of those scary horrors already? Try a love story instead!
Mistake #7: Being a silent (and creepy) administrator!
This is the face of someone who is streaming content to social media, but doing nothing more. He’s not taking part in discussions in comments section, he’s not answering questions, he’s not producing valuable content in the meantime and he’s definitely not a good example to follow.
Don’t be this guy!
Mistake #8: Missing your Frankenstein moment
Don’t forget to be like Frankenstein and bring your old stream alive again. To do so, simply make the video content available to watch after the live event. Remember to choose the platform wisely – on Facebook and Twitter, your videos will almost be unsearchable and lost after only a couple of hours or days.
YouTube seems to offer the best solution in this respect, but you could go further and create your own video library for your viewers to watch on demand. You could even start with a simple landing page and videos embedded from the Tellyo player, helping you to increase web traffic or even monetise videos if the demand for your content is high enough.
Make content available in many forms after a live stream. Get more attention, and gain viewers and traffic with your ‘post-mortem’ content.
Wrapping up (like a Halloween Mummy!)
Don’t be the one to broadcast a horror show! For your own, and your audience’s sake, don’t make the above mistakes. And not only during Halloween!
