How Did a 10-Week-Old Sport Land Sponsors?

👋 Welcome back to Sponcon Sports, a weekly newsletter dedicated to sponsored content strategy in the sports industry!

I almost shared this post last week, and I’m so glad I waited.

RobertAnthony Cruz (@coach.rac) and five of his Savannah Bananas teammates took on the Break The Egg Challenge, attempting to crack an egg on a tee by hitting a baseball into it.

The concept is simple—perfect for social media:

• Strong visual hook

• Tough but attainable challenge for their skill level

• Instantly understandable

• Satisfying payoff (cue the egg explosion)

• Easy to produce and scale into multiple parts

The first video delivered 5.9M views, nearly 100K engagements, and $33,456 in social value.

My initial instinct? Integrate a sponsor—maybe a branded sticker on the egg, a logo on the tee, or even digital signage if done in the right venue.

Then I saw Dude Perfect take it further.

Garrett Hilbert did a golf version to promote HEYDUDE’s new golf show collab with Pins and Aces. The key message was seamlessly woven into the challenge:

"This is a trick shot I can do all day. They’re that comfortable."

So yes, set branding is a great option—but the Break The Egg Challenge is also ripe for equipment and apparel sponsorships across baseball, golf, hockey, and beyond.

In Today’s Edition:

• It’s Time To Play Bolf 🏌️

• Liverpool’s Storybook Surprise 📖

• Arsenal Has Nothing To Hide 🏆️

🏊️ DEEP DIVE
How Basebolf Became a Sponsorship Magnet

What if I told you the real-life version of BASEketball has a lot to teach the sports industry about sponsorship?

Enter Basebolf—a mashup of baseball and golf played in Jake Paul’s Betr Warehouse.

The sport was created by @back.9.boys, the golf-focused arm of @handshakebets, the Bet On Anything brand run by James Dvorak, Patrick Murtagh, and Tyler Kozub. Handshake Bets was acquired by Jake Paul’s Betr in 2023, where the trio continues to create content.

Basebolf is just 10 weeks old, but it's already highlighting why a Built to Sell approach to digital inventory can be incredibly valuable.

Phase 1: The Test

On December 29, 2024, @back.9.boys dropped their first Basebolf video, dubbing it the next great American sport. It was an instant hit.

The post racked up 6.4M views and 165.2K engagements across Instagram (37.5K followers), TikTok (57.1K followers), and YouTube Shorts (8.2K subscribers). They kept the momentum going, sharing full game in clips as the sport evolved. Less than a week in, they added a new rule: hit the ball into a Bucket Golf bucket in “centerfield,” and the game is over.

In just 10 days, the series more than doubled its launch results, ending “version one” with 13.4M views, 301.8K engagements, and $238.7K in social value.

Phase 2: Basebolf Officially Becomes A Series

After a week-long break, Basebolf returned in a big way.

@back.9.boys launched their first-ever Basebolf tournament as a three-part YouTube series (Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3). With that came a fresh look: Betr logos were added to the back wall for triples and to a white flag in the doubles area. That branding now appears across all social channels.

Meanwhile, the Betr Picks-branded announcers’ booth and Celsius signage were exclusive to YouTube’s longform content.

The tournament secured sponsorships from BucketGolf (which supplied the club, ball, and game-winning bucket) and Waggle Golf (which outfits the group across their golf content). Fans could use code “B9B” for 10% off BucketGolf orders.

The tournament doubled Basebolf content output (58 posts vs. 27) and generated 4.8M views, 189.4K engagements, and $140.0K in social value.

Phase 3: Basebolf Evolves

Early success proved there's an audience for Basebolf, but that doesn’t mean it should stop evolving—more testing could bring more sponsorship opportunities.

Version three ran from February 28 to March 4, introducing small but meaningful updates:

• The first-ever 2v2 match

• A new rule: hit the ball into the basketball hoop in “right field,” and it’s an automatic four runs

• Celsius signage on YouTube was replaced by Day One sparkling CBD water

Despite half as many posts as phase two, this round still delivered 3.1M views (65% of phase two), 94.9K engagements (50.1% of phase two), and $23.1K in social value.

@back.9.boys are just scratching the surface of Basebolf’s potential. I could see bigger tournaments, new formats, leagues, and even other creators joining in. Since it’s their IP, I wouldn’t be surprised if Basebolf was sold online and in stores.

The Takeaway

I said it last August, and I’ll say it again: if your digital partnership inventory is mostly Built If Sold opportunities, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Built If Sold concepts lack the historical data brands need to confidently invest. They also require a high level of trust from current partners to bet on something unproven. To some brands, these opportunities signal that even your team isn’t fully bought in.

The better path? A Built to Sell approach—testing the idea in-market first. The goal is to answer three key questions:

1. Does it perform well? (reach, views, engagement)

2. Is it well-received? (sentiment, shares)

3. Is it feasible? (bandwidth, production costs)

But once the test is complete, it’s not as simple as “if you build it, they will come.” Use the data to craft a stronger pitch and share it immediately with new and existing brand partners.

🔍️ SPONCONSPIRATION
Steal These Ideas

[Social Value: $11,116] Did you know 6 in 10 girls fear playing sports due to period leaks? Arsenal and Persil tackled the taboo by challenging women’s team players to share their biggest accomplishments while on their period—proving that every stain is part of the game.

[Social Value: $51,843] The NHL and FanDuel used a tried-and-true data visualization to show how trade deadline moves impacted Stanley Cup odds. This technique is usually reserved for season recaps, but applying it at key moments—like the trade deadline, free agency, or midseason checkpoints—creates ongoing value for sportsbook partners. A great concept for rights holders at the league level!

[Social Value: $74,813] Liverpool and Kodansha made World Book Day unforgettable for their U9 academy team—with a little help from Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Andy Robertson.

[Social Value: $2,004] RFK Racing gave fans a step-by-step look at how their race shop transformed a 1/24 scale Consumer Cellular die-cast into a replica convertible.

[Social Value: $36,477] Rolling Stone is the latest media brand to go longform on YouTube. Cards On The Table, presented by Allbirds and hosted by Stanley Tucci, brings unexpected dinner guests together for real conversations. The premiere episode features Tan France, Carlos Sainz, and Melanie C.

*Social value is defined as the full equivalent media value of this social post based on applicable impressions, video views, and engagements.

🚨 ICYMI
What To Watch For

Must Listen: Tom Halls, SVP of Social at SailGP, spoke with Neil Horowtiz on the Digital and Social Media Sports Podcast in an insight-packed conversation about the emerging sport’s fan development and content strategy.

Beyond Points, Beyond Games: Sports loyalty programs are evolving fast—ditching points for personalized, year-round fan engagement that drives revenue. Bret McCormick breaks down how AI, data, and smarter sponsorships are changing the game [via Sports Business Journal].

What Is Branded Content: Jordan Rogers dives into what branded content is and the crucial role it plays in the marketing funnel.

Lights, Camera, Sponsorship: Christopher M Weiner explores what the sports sponsorship industry can learn from Netflix’s new show, Running Point.

Creator Partnerships For Shorts Ads: Google is testing a new feature in Google Ads that lets advertisers find and promote high-quality YouTube Shorts featuring their brand. This could be a great way for your brand partners to extend the life of sponsored content on the platform.