Insights From Yahoo Sports' MrBeast Partnership

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

The NFL’s annual My Cause My Cleats campaign is back with a fresh twist in its 8th year.

This season, AWS teamed up with the league, empowering stars like DK Metcalf, Josh Allen, and Maxx Crosby to design their own cleats supporting their causes—using generative AI.

Each player shared their #MyCauseMyCleats story through video content:

• DK Metcalf – Seattle Seahawks WR

• Josh Allen – Buffalo Bills QB

• Maxx Crosby – Las Vegas Raiders DE

The standout? Josh Allen and the Bills.

Instead of simply sharing AWS’s original video, the Bills created their own version—and it resonated deeply with fans. Why? The focus was on Josh’s story, seamlessly integrating AWS rather than the other way around.

The result? It better highlighted the heartfelt connection to Allen’s cause, the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital, and produced stronger performance across the board: 3.97M impressions and 104.3K engagements.

Even though it wasn’t as brand-forward as the AWS video, this approach made the message more authentic—turning AWS into a winner by association.

Bonus highlight: Fans can design their own cleats using AWS generative AI. I do, however, wish these designs could be purchased with proceeds supporting the players’ causes).

On that front, Josh took fan engagement to the next level with a social sweepstakes on Instagram, encouraging fans to design their own cleats.

His two posts—a selfie video and a branded video—outperformed the team’s content:

• 4.40M views (+11% vs. team)

• 87.8K engagements (just 16% less than the team’s 104.3K).

This campaign shows that when you tailor sponsored content to match the expectations of your audience, the team, the brand, and the fans come out on top.

In Today’s Edition:

• Yahoo x MrBeast Breakdown 🃏

• Madden Meets NFL Reality 💯 

• Liverpool’s Backyard Dreams 🌿

🏊️ DEEP DIVE
Insights From Yahoo Sports' MrBeast Partnership

Yahoo Sports went all-in on a creator-led approach to announce their new game, Daily Draw, launching on their mobile app on December 20th.

They teamed up with MrBeast, who shared the news in his latest video, “Beat Ronaldo, Win $1,000,000”. The video featured five sports stars—Tom Brady, Bryson DeChambeau, Bryce Harper, Noah Lyles, and Cristiano Ronaldo—competing against everyday people (and high-profile creators like IShowSpeed and The Rizzler) for cash prizes ranging from $100K to $1M.

The result? A viral hit. The video became YouTube’s #1 trending video within 24 hours, amassing 107M views and 5.7M engagements by December 4th—an impressive 5.3% engagement rate (considering the reach).

And let’s not discount the results because MrBeast has 335M subscribers. These results are above his benchmarks, with the 107M views tracking 33.8% to 100.7% higher than his average at the same point in time.

So why share this? I know some of you are thinking, “it must be nice to have so much budget”.

It’s because there are strategic insights from this activation that you can adapt—even with a smaller spend. Let’s dive into what makes this work so well.

Let Him Cook

Yes, MrBeast is one of the top YouTubers in the world, but what stands out here is how Yahoo let him fully own the creative process.

This video feels 100% like MrBeast—no forced branding in the thumbnail, title, or early messaging. Yahoo simply funded his vision, and it paid off.

In terms of awareness, this activation was spot-on. Publishing the video three weeks before Daily Draw's launch suggests awareness was the primary KPI. A mid-to-lower funnel approach would have likely launched closer to the release date.

But here’s the thing: this wasn’t just an awareness play. There’s more strategy behind it—stay tuned.

Setting Expectations: Title & Thumbnail

If you’ve studied how to grow a successful YouTube channel, you already know this: the title and thumbnail are make-or-break elements. They’re your first impression, and they must grab attention while setting up a promise that the content delivers on.

Here’s how that strategy played out here:

Yahoo’s integration doesn’t appear until the 13-minute mark—nearly 60% of the way into the video. At first glance, you might think the sponsorship was buried. But that’s not the case. It’s strategically placed before the highly anticipated Ronaldo segment.

Why does this matter? The title and thumbnail clearly tease Ronaldo as the main event, so it’s safe to assume viewers stayed engaged at least up to, and through, Yahoo’s feature. For a campaign like this, the average time watched will be a crucial metric to highlight during reporting, as it underscores the percentage of MrBeast’s audience that is likely more aware of Daily Draw.

Active Integration

Timing wasn’t the only reason Yahoo’s integration worked—it was all about how it was delivered.

MrBeast used a strategy we heard from Dude Perfect’s Chief Brand Officer, Chad Coleman, earlier this year: blending the ad seamlessly into the action.

Here’s how it played out: the ad read happened while the competition continued in the background, with the video cutting back and forth between the action and the brand messaging. This approach keeps viewers hooked—if they skip ahead, they risk missing part of the story.

And let’s not overlook the finishing touch: on-screen animations throughout the 90-second segment added an extra layer of polish.

Lower Funnel Potential

While awareness was the main goal, Yahoo built in smart moments to drive lower-funnel activity.

• A QR code appeared on-screen, encouraging viewers to download the Yahoo Sports app. MrBeast teased that one Daily Draw player per day could win $10,000 by finding a special golden MrBeast card—for a total of $100K over 10 days.

• Then came the best part: Yahoo used MrBeast himself as the prize. Fans who signed up for launch reminders were entered to win a chance to meet him.

Since the announcement dropped three weeks before Daily Draw’s launch, these tactics kept the momentum rolling. By leveraging MrBeast’s massive fandom to incentivize sign-ups, Yahoo increased the likelihood of conversions by collecting valuable fan information early.

This is how you bridge the gap between awareness and action—and it’s a strategy worth borrowing.

Smart Use of IP on Owned Channels

Yahoo made a savvy move by securing IP usage rights as part of their partnership. They used MrBeast’s logos and branding in-app to create ads that encouraged more reminder signups.

This strategy worked as a safety net: if someone missed the video or downloaded the app without setting a reminder, these in-app ads served as an effective way to retarget them.

What’s Next?

With two weeks until the game’s official launch, it’ll be interesting to see if this partnership gets reactivated when fans can actually play Daily Draw.

If there’s budget left, a launch-day post on MrBeast’s highly engaged YouTube community page could be a game-changer. Linking directly to the game there could drive significant gameplay—his posts regularly pull in millions of likes and tens of thousands of comments.

The Takeaway

Yahoo Sports scored big by partnering with MrBeast for the launch of Daily Draw, leveraging his creative freedom and audience loyalty to generate over 107M views and 5.7M engagements on YouTube in just days.

The partnership showcases how seamless integrations, smart timing, and fan-first incentives can bridge awareness with action—even on a smaller budget. This playbook is packed with ideas you can adapt for your next campaign.

🔍 SPONCONSPIRATION
Steal These Ideas

This NFL and EA Sports collab was so fun to watch! They showed players’ highlights from the previous week and how those moments impacted their new Madden NFL 25 skill ratings.

Need inspiration for the lawn care category? Check out Liverpool FC’s new series with Husqvarna, Backyard Dreams. It’s a heartfelt look at how players grew up, all through the lens of soccer.

Fanatics nailed it with this one! For Thanksgiving, they teamed up with the Washington Commanders and rookie QB Jayden Daniels to surprise fans—thanking them for buying his jersey this year.

Still torn on my favorite moment from the Brooklyn Nets' SLAM Night: players striking a pose for their "covers" or rocking different SLAM cover shirts during their tunnel walks.

The Pittsburgh Penguins gave their S&T Bank Announcer Cam a creative upgrade with a 360-degree camera. The result? A unique and dynamic perspective as Sidney Crosby scored his 600th career goal.

This Detroit Lions concept was so close to perfection! Showing the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan logo to the stadium giveaway bracelet would’ve sealed the deal.

Missed the WNBA schedule release? Adeline Nicholson has you covered with a complete thread highlighting every team’s activation.

🚨 ICYMI
What To Watch For

In-Person Creator Watch Along: Ed Abis, CEO of Dizplai, explains why the English Football League should host creators for live watch-alongs regularly. Check out this case study featuring Mark Goldbridge’s appearance at the Charlton vs. Wrexham match—it’s a must-read for all sports leagues.

Stat Of The Week: According to STN Digital’s WNBA Social Media Performance Report, 10 of the top 12 social posts weren’t about game footage—they focused on player personalities instead. It’s a striking difference from most sports, which lean heavily on game highlights.

F1 Fashion: Data insights from Trendalytics look at the top-performing Formula 1 fashion partnerships for 2024 on social media [by Kanika Talwar, WWD].

Future Of Football Media: Take a behind-the-scenes look at Tottenham Hotspur’s new media facility, The Clubhouse. Featuring three studios, a gallery, editing suites, and production offices, it’s setting a new standard for football media [by Hannah Bowler, The Drum].

Title Sponsorship Value: Looking to maximize the impact of a title sponsorship? Discover how brands can boost visibility and engagement by aligning strategically with sporting events [via SPORTFIVE].

Broadcast Channel Updates: Instagram Broadcast Channels are no longer only for one-way conversations after adding interactive options like replies and prompts. Plus they are also providing more assistance through insights and best practices [by Andrew Hutchinson, Social Media Today].