How Live Content Drives Sponsorship Dollars

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

One effective way to create a sponsored content series names is by combining jargon from a specific sport with a term relevant to your brand partner.

I recently found a free resource for this on my TikTok feed. Carlo Jimenez, the radio announcer for the Los Angeles Clippers, shared SayTheDamnScore.com, a site by sports broadcaster Logan Anderson. It’s packed with a list of terms Logan uses in his football and basketball broadcasts.

For example, you could use “pedal to the floor” in the auto category to highlight speed in football, or “let it fly” in the airline category for three-point plays in basketball.

I’ve used generative AI and Google searches in the past to brainstorm sponsored content series names, but this is definitely a tool I’ll be turning to from now on.

In Today’s Edition:

• Unlock Revenue with Live Streaming ⏺️ 

• Tip Your Cap To MLB x New Era Sponcon 🧢 

• Browns x DUDE Wipes Aim to Stop the Streak 💩 

🏊️ DEEP DIVE
The Secret to Monetizing Live Streams

Are sports rightsholders leaving money on the table by ignoring live streaming?

I reviewed every YouTube page for teams in the U.S.'s big four sports, and as of 8/26, the average time since their last livestream was 8.7 months.

The averages exclude teams that have never gone live and adjust for outliers.

Overall, teams are rarely tapping into live streaming, missing out on significant monetization and fan engagement opportunities.

To explore this further, I spoke with Ed Abis, CEO of Dizplai, a company that helps you build live content that engages audiences and drives revenue. They work with broadcasters, rights holders, and creators like Manchester City Football Club, Sky Sports, The United Stand, and more.

In our conversation, Ed shared actionable insights on everything from the importance of authenticity to effective sponsorship strategies and the minimal tech needed to get started.

Note: Questions and answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

ALEX: Can you briefly describe what Dizplai is and what you do for the company?

ED: I'm the CEO of Dizplai, and we're a media experience company. Our whole existence for living is to turn dormant or passive audiences into engaged communities to get people to lean into content and feel that they can impact and be part of the content that they're consuming.

ALEX: Why should teams add live streams into their media mix?

ED: We understand that lots of people can find live scary, but it gives a real opportunity for whoever the creator is, whether that's one person, a team, or a league to have that direct communication.

People love to consume that kind of content because it is the unknown. You don't know what's going to happen. There is a jeopardy there to what might occur. But the biggest reason is your opportunity to go direct to consumer.

It's your opportunity to own the narrative. By encapsulating everything you are, and everything you want to be to that audience, and involving them in helping to drive the narrative of the content, it makes that content sticky.

Then you get the supplementary opportunity that you can do sponsorship with it. You can do advertising with it. You can do retail promotions. There's so many things that you can do with it. And the types of content are endless.

People always talk about watch along, because that's the obvious thing to go to, but there are so many content moments in any sport organization's weekly life cycle, even to the point of going behind the scenes with the kit person and seeing how they set up the changing room. But we're going to do it live. We're going to do a Q&A with that.

It brings a critical mass to people. People share these things together. It creates community.

ALEX: What do you need at minimum to make an impact with live content?

ED: I think before you even think about any kit, you can film on your iPhone. It’s 4K. It's got enough quality.

You need someone who is going to front this who's authentic, who's got a personality. People buy into people. You might hate that person, but as long as it's a personality, that's fine, too.

A global league or team are probably not going to go down the road that a content creator is going to go.

We work with Mark Goldbridge of The United Stand, the biggest football fan channel in the world. He has very strong views and lots of United fans love him. Lots of United fans hate him. Lots of other fans watch him as well to see what he's going to say and what he's going to do.

But from a club's and a league's perspective, what they have that maybe Mark doesn't is access. They can go wherever they want whenever they want. And ultimately, they do have a captive audience generally right from the start.

You need video and you need graphics because video without graphics is not a broadcast. It's just a dumb video feed. The graphics are the thing as part of that production that actually engages the audience.

It's the visuals that engage the audience, maintain the audience, and keep the audience there longer. You can use them to deliver the supplementary message you want to deliver that the presenter is perhaps not delivering.

It's the opportunity to bring the fans’ content on screen, which could be text-based. Some of this could be, where are you going to watch the game today? And lots of images of people in their bedrooms or by the beach with their team shirts on.

But then you get to the point where we're working with some of the Premier League clubs where they’ll put a graphic around the manager's press conference.

The manager is talking and it's pretty much a fixed camera. But then they're bringing in sports data. They're doing fan questions. Then they start doing promotions around the unit and they're using logos of their sponsors.

One person is not difficult to do. But when they say, how do we start? Just start doing something like it.

People want to see authentic content. You can publish it as much as you want to publish it. But actually, access is what people want to see. As long as it's well put together, fixed camera is fine to start off.

But also, let the voices of the fans be heard. Bring them into the content in some way, shape, or form. They'll be telling you what they want. Listen to what they want, and then create the content accordingly.

ALEX: What is the service you're providing to help teams go live?

ED: We'll help with a strategy about how you do this. What is the best place to do it? What are the best channels for different types of content? What are the different content formats that you can create? What are the things that resonate with fans? What do they want to see?

Within that, we create graphics, we do integrations with sports data. Not only are you bringing in fan-generated content, but you're bringing in the official data as well, which ends up being an accompaniment to what your player, your manager, or your presenter is talking about.

You can give context to what's being said because there's only so much you can say verbally. You need to visually see these things too. We can gamify those experiences as well because we are also a free-to-play gaming business now.

So we can bring in the predictive element. We can bring in fantasy to that as well, which then creates content in its own right too.

When you're doing all of these things, you're creating advertising opportunities because brands want to be associated with them.

ALEX: Strategy-wise, which channels should rightsholders or creators use when they go live?

Because there are technologies that exist now that allow you to stream to multiple channels at the same time, cast broadly.

YouTube works best for these kinds of things. That's not to say that if you're going to stream on YouTube, why not stream on other platforms too? Because ultimately, one audience on YouTube is not the same audience on X is not the same audience on Twitch.

We found that YouTube is the lead for us in terms of the platform that we would always recommend. Often, clients that we speak with would just want to focus on one and we would always go YouTube first.

The CEO of YouTube [Neal Mohan] talked about this recently. I think it's something like 40% of people now are watching YouTube live streams on their TV in their living room or on their tablet or on their iPad.

That allows you to create the big screen production experience for those audiences, which allows you to create a completely different messaging tool than if you're doing it on X or Instagram because that content is more snackable.

YouTube allows you to go long form. I always come back to the monetization opportunities of that. Brands want to get involved with that because they know that content is going to give them more opportunities to get across their brand messaging.

ALEX: What is the opportunity for rights holders to drive revenue from live streams?

ED: When you go in live with video, you've got your pre-rolls, you've got your post-rolls, and you've also got your in-stream advertising that YouTube already does. You can bring mid-rolls into your content as well.

Something that we've seen is lots of our clients are using YouTube as a subscription model.

For example, some of the football clubs we work with will do the manager's press conference live and free. If you want to watch the youth games, they're behind the subscription wall.

Similarly, if you want to get your question on screen during the live stream or answered by the presenter, you make a donation in Superchats. We're able to look through those in our platform and see which ones are donated, and which ones are Superchats.

That's become a big monetization angle. To a certain degree, for the fans, it becomes pay to play. And we're seeing now that YouTube is now starting to go big with Shoppable as well.

Now, we've seen a lot of our clients so far, because YouTube didn't really have that, using QR codes as part of live streams to drive through a second screen experience. Sometimes that's for gamification.

We've seen this with Mark Goldbridge. He regularly promotes it with HelloFresh. And it'll show off his HelloFresh hamper. And then you'll see a QR code at the side of it. And it says, scan now to get 40% off your next HelloFresh delivery.

QR codes are a great way to actually drive people to a second screen. Because as I said earlier, 40% of the people who are watching this are watching it on a TV, a tablet, or a laptop.

So, you still got your phone available to be able to scan. And there were enough people who were doing those scans to be able to drive the revenue for those content creators. But the great thing, like I said, is that YouTube are now starting to, with some of their creators, it's starting to roll out now, actual clickable retail promotions in stream as well.

So we're going to see some growth with that.

ALEX: As rightsholders start leaning into live streams, what content formats should they start with?

ED: The obvious ones for me are always going to be press conferences because they happen every week without fail.

Don't just put them up as a post-produced video afterward. It's not the same. Fans want to see it as it's happening. When you finish a press conference with the media, extend it another 15 minutes and let the fans ask some questions as well.

You can moderate all those questions that are coming in. So the press officer can then see those questions, and ask the manager. But for the fans to have 10, or 15 minutes at the end to be able to have their questions answered too is huge.

You’ve then got an hours-long live broadcast once a week that you know is going to happen that you can wrap with graphics with branding for your sponsor.

People then go to pre-match, and post-match. Pre-match will always go the side of the game field. Let people feel the atmosphere. Speak to some of the fans. Go outside the stadium.

Post-match, that's your obvious, let's try and do it as some kind of phone-in. What did you think of the game?

But it always comes back to you. If the game was bad, let the fans get across the point that the game was bad because the fans see if you're trying to squeeze the narrative and pretend that the game wasn't bad. Fans see straight through it and people will not get behind the content. They won't watch it. It's got to be authentic.

Man City is amazing at doing that. They don't often have bad games, to be fair, but if it's been a bad game, they'll say it's been a bad game, but you don't have to be derogatory in that way, right? You can be constructive in the way you tell the story.

ALEX: How are you measuring success in live streams?

ED: How many people are commenting on the content? If you are doing QR codes, how many people are scanning those QR codes? How many of those scans are actually going through to the end goal, whether that is data generation, playing games, or buying products?

Also, the length of time that people are watching content. There's this misnomer that young people don't have long attention spans, which is totally not true.

Impressions are always important because CEOs love to see big numbers, but the rate of engagement on those impressions, like how much are people engaging with it? How long are people sticking around?

Then you can be really good and convert that into data generation and actual purchases as well. That's the holy grail.

ALEX: What campaigns of yours have stood out as good case studies for rightsholders interested in live content?

ED: More and more pro teams in clubs now are starting to understand the power of doing this. We've started to show them how to do it based on what we've seen content creators that we work with doing.

The fact is they are giving something to fans that perhaps the clubs are not already doing but also it's not to say that the fans will stop watching the creator if their club does something too because it's different perspectives.

One thing doesn't cannibalize the other.

Mark Goldridge has his Man United fan channel but he also has his generic fan channel, That’s Football, which means that if Man United is not playing he can go into his generic channel and talk about the Champions League game between Tottenham and Benfica for argument's sake. Fans will still go on and watch that even though they know he's a United fan because he's just talking about football as the game's going on.

We also like to think about how we gamify the approach.

We've been working with Sky Sports for a number of years now and we've created an interactive boxing scorecard for them where while you're watching the live boxing you can score the fight round by round.

Now obviously we didn't invent scoring, but these fans were doing that anyway in WhatsApp groups between friends and it was the opportunity to bring people together.

Producers had access to how the fans were scoring the fight so now during the fight Sky will bring into the box what they call the Viewer's Verdict (fan scorecard) during the fight and they'll have regular touch points during that fight to see how the fans are scoring it.

What's been really interesting is that the experts think the fans score it better than the actual boxing judges.

Now that's not a massive surprise when it comes to boxing, but the fact that the pundits think that the fans score it just as well as the experts themselves goes to show that when you create something in the right format the fans are doing anyway, they will get on board with it.

It gives Sky lots of interesting data points because now they know how people are using their app during live sports which they didn't really know before so it's given them lots of insights.

ALEX: How important is engaging and acknowledging the comments section?

ED: Massively important, otherwise you're just broadcasting.

You cannot answer every single question that comes through, but you can get a sense of the different topics that people are talking about. It creates a sense of community and as humans, we want to be together with other humans That's just the reality.

So, by engaging that audience who are watching your content, you're making them part of that content. If they also see that how they engage with your content is shaping and directing your editorial narrative, they feel like they're part of the experience. So, they'll keep coming back

We believe in it fundamentally that if you ask people to be involved, you've got to acknowledge what they're asking you to do.

You can't do it all, but as long as you're doing some of it, they understand, and they'll keep going back for more.

ALEX: Any parting advice for readers who want to get started with live content?

ED: You can try and get some of these things as polished as you want. Just start doing it.

Start somewhere. Start building it. You can always build on it more and more over time. And actually, often it's nice for new things to come along as you're doing it rather than trying to do everything all in one go.

It's not difficult. It is possible. Your audience is there. And you're probably not activating them. So do something.

We always talked about bringing in fan content as part of the experience. I'm totally against putting comments on screen during live productions that are comments about the content but are not actively being acknowledged by the people who are creating the content.

It's pointless doing it because that's not engaging. I think if you're going to start bringing in fan content, it needs to be part of the editorial narrative. It needs to be that the presenters and the guests are actively engaging with the content you're bringing in.

💼 CASE STUDY
Sponsored Content of the Week

The key to knowing whether your brand should hop on a trending content style is if you can join the conversation authentically.

In that regard, MLB and New Era Cap knocked it out of the park with their "Name That Player" series on Instagram Stories.

Over the past year, we’ve seen various rights holders create content where talent guesses a player based on their career path, displayed using team logos.

Examples include:

• Real Madrid - March 2023

• England Football Team - September 2023

• NBA Player Path - December 2023

• Aston Villa - February 2024

• Bundesliga x 433 x EA Sports - March 2024

• Detroit Lions - July 2024

MLB took this concept and tailored it perfectly for their partner, integrating the product naturally by using New Era hats that feature team logos.

They also gamified the experience by letting fans guess via question stickers on each of the four frames (only three shown above) before revealing the results.

I’m a big believer in the power of engagement stickers on IG Stories, having seen up to 4x more submissions using them compared to comments or votes on in-feed posts (across platforms).

With simple execution, high engagement potential, and seamless product integration, this concept is perfectly fitted to be a winner.

🔍 SPONCONSPIRATION
Steal These Ideas

What a pun! DUDE Wipes and the Cleveland Browns delivered again with their latest trigger promotion, "Stop The Streak." If the Browns return a kickoff for a TD this season (first time since 2009), one lucky fan wins $100K.

Loving "Rollin’ with the Tide," a new series from Alabama Football and Mercedes Tuscaloosa. Fans get to reconnect with Bama legends as they’re driven back to campus in a Mercedes and interviewed on the ride.

Shoutout to Spurs Women for nailing their player arrivals sponsorship with new partner, Drip Water—talk about perfect branding!

Ohio State Athletics and Weber Grills came up with a clever idea—having wide receiver Emeka Egbuka catch passes with grill gloves on. There’s definitely potential to expand this into more content, like a reception challenge or even a merch collab where the inside of the gloves forms the Buckeyes logo, just like real receiver gloves.

Mercedes F1 brought back the popular WhatsApp emoji car in a fun track preview at Zandvoort, designed just for kids.

🚨 ICYMI
What To Watch For

Collab Strategy: We finally have an answer to whether it matters who the original poster is versus the invited account when using Instagram's Collabs feature [h/t Lindsey Gamble].

It’s a Match: Bumble has announced a new partnership with the New York Liberty for the remainder of the 2024 season, becoming the team’s first official dating app partner. The collab will include a sponcon series with dating advice and Bumble profile tips from Liberty players and fan-favorite mascot Ellie the Elephant.

Stat of the Week: More than two in five F1 fans (43%) and over a third of motorsport fans (34%) pay attention to who sponsors the events they watch—much more than the general public (27%) [via YouGov].

Crypto Concept: The Kraken Kit Exchange truck stopped by Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to kick off their new partnership with the club. Nearly 1,000 fan shirts were swapped for brand-new Spurs home shirts, with 1,000 shirts donated to the community via the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation.

Virtual Etihad: Manchester City launched the ‘Man City Virtual Etihad Stadium,’ an interactive fan experience delivered by Sony. This makes them the first sports brand to use Sony’s new FavoriteSpace™ service [h/t Katie McIntyre].