Sports Content Strategy with MrRichardClarke: Exploring sports content, journalism, digital and social media

TOPICS

How far away is the Premier League from the vision he put forward in his part of the original blueprint

Why he is unhappy to be called the Spiritual Godfather of the Premier League

His original structure

Basing the Premier League on ‘events’ not run-of-the-mill games

The importance of smaller divisions creating interest

Why there had to be free-to-air games

Why the recommendations that made the money were taken and the ones that grew the game were ignored

The relatively modest size of the first Sky deal

The ways Sky have changed the game

The three key drivers for satellite TV

The value of the television spectacular

Have we reached a saturation point?

Why Alex feels big clubs deserve more of the TV revenue

The crucial differences between the German and Premier League

Limiting squad and guaranteeing English squad members

The struggle to appoint a CEO for the Premier League

Is there a Premier League bubble?

His original thoughts on a European Super League

Why “they were wrong then and they are wrong now”

The problems with group stages

Why it is time for a European League

How a new European League might work and the issues surrounding it

The stumbling block of reducing the size of the Premier League

Finding enough room in the schedule

‘FFP has failed and it is never going to work’

The possibility of fans turning against football

LINKS

Alex Fynn on Twitter

Alex’s talk on his European League proposal in London on February 28

Alex Fynn’s books on Amazon

Article: The birth of the Champions League

TOPICS

How he got started

The logic behind his approach

“You can't run a sports club, just like a business. But you shouldn't run it just like a passion project where there is no sound business acumen to it.”

His experiences at Dundalk and Swansea. Assessing the change in the business model after relegation

If you have chosen a league, how do you choose a club?

Selling the vision to the community and supporters

Is Europe a real pull given the insular nature of the other main US sports?

The MLS system v the European system for youth development

The emphasis on getting the environment right

The advantage of not having to sell to Barcelona at the moment

Moving beyond Moneyball

The comparisons with Man City’s global approach

“We're looking at players that are very young, coming in on mostly free transfers a. and a small enough scale where we can kind of get players, I don't want to say that are under the radar, but a different profiles player than, let's say, a large European club is looking at.”

Why the UK is not the most attractive league for this idea

Why “clubs don’t really try to achieve a sustainable model”

“I think the problem with the way so much of the revenue is skewed towards television, it does not incentivise the club's to innovate when it comes to other revenue streams”

The importance of communicating the philosophy

“A lot of clubs and owners aren't out there in terms of communicating exactly what the philosophy is, in terms of, ‘are we spending money? and ‘what are we spending money on?’

Why he is already looking at his next club

His thoughts on his next target country

TOPICS

The start of the idea - 15 Go-Pros, streaming Cricket on Ice and getting 110,000 live viewers, getting senior members of TEAM marketing on board, 23m cricket fans in mainland Europe

How cricket became the fast-growing sport in Germany and Germany became the fastest growing country for cricket

The broadcast strategy of the first tournament

The standard of the play and nationalities playing the sport

The 25-year process for a Germany team that was born in Germany

Taking lessons from Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket in the 1970s

Why the are now 370 cricket teams in Germany

Taking on a T10 format

Competing with football

The business model for the European Cricket League

Getting over the perception of the pristine cricketing environment

Where do Scotland, Wales and Ireland fit in?

The life of a Germany cricket international

What are the future plans for the European Cricket League

What is the definition of success in Year One

* For contacts to Daniel and ECL go to http://bit.ly/MrRCWeston

The trends he has seen on the major social media platforms

Did last year’s prediction around Facebook/Instagram come true

Where is Snapchat stand?

Mario’s #1 trend – Players becoming more entertainment/media-centric

Dugout/OTRO/Players Tribune/Brooklyn Nets ‘Juventus night”

The social media impact from the transfers of Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar

Mario’s #2 trend – Media departments in middle-ranking clubs start to take on an ‘agency’ role

The demise of the classical sports journalist in club media departments

Mario’s #3 trend – data centralized and used across all departments

The myth of ‘big, bad clubs’ organising a new league out of their own greed.

The future broadcast model and why it could get cheaper

Mario’s #4 trend – greater digital commercialisation and ‘passion’ selling.

Mario’s #5 trend – the importance of change management in digital transformation

(Basically, start working together to get your digital house in order. If you don’t you will be in trouble)

“Digital means there are no silos. It's a constant evolution, constant change and adapting to the world around us.”

Dopamine and the continuing need to prioritise.

“As parents, we need to our children to prioritise and 90 per cent of the news or the updates that our kids get is noise which is not relevant.”

Mario’s #6 trend – Sports organisations becoming more ethical.

The change in journalism – from quality to click bait

Warm and fluffy v commercialism

The demise of Google+ and what might take its place… like Twitter, if it is sold

TOPICS

3.00 The concept of adopting sacred theory in service design

5.12. The sociological approach and the ‘sullied’ nature of modern football

8.28 Making it practical

11.41 Finding the ‘Grand Narrative’

12.34 The crucial ‘frictionless’ matchday experience

14.35 Making the players’ bus arrival a meaningful moment

17.06 Appealing to the senses

18.40 The call-up box

21.20 Rolling out the fanzone to the clubs.

23.12 How do you prove success?

25.01 The concept of a winning team, can its importance be minimised?

25.45 Understanding why Gen Z and Millennials gather in crowds.

27.20 Can or should this be commercialised?

29.45 Do you get push back from fans because they feel this is ‘their’ role?

33.34 The cost breakdown

35.30 How to work out financial success

37.50 The lessons for major clubs looking to develop a fanbase overseas

47.13 How stories are celebrated through rituals

50.40 The applicability to clubs

53.20 Ownership of culture and whether it can be transferred

55.23 Application to mass participation level

55.52 The possibility of having to deconstruct a story

57.34 The future for this model

1.01.15 The uniqueness of this approach

1.04.35 The problems of a lone approach

1.06.00 ‘Hard data only backs up your emotional decision’

The complex environment for South African sport and the growth potential of tennis

Where tennis ranks in the country and its immediate target.

Breaking out of the ‘blazer mentality’ that has hampered South African sport. Why Glover, in his 40s, was a different appointment

His two immediate targets.

Linking early partnerships to participation and grassroots. Ignoring calls to bring over big players for tournaments.

Appealing to the female market. Partnering BNP Paribas with a mentorship targeting to towards black coaches.

Knocking down the perception of tennis in South Africa being “white and elitist”.

The effect of the success of Kevin Anderson and his 'difficult relationship' with the Federation.

Why South African have three men in the top 100 and yet the women’s No1 barely breaks the top 300

The balancing act of being a CEO for a governing body of a national sport

Eating an elephant one spoon at a time.

Spoon 1, Spoon 2, Spoon 3.

The concept of beach tennis and its use in appealing to the young.

The organisation and resources at Tennis South Africa.

Their use of social media and why they are underperforming.

Their digital transformation and CRM solution.

Setting up a national tennis centre for elite players.

The tipping point in five or six years when South African tennis youngsters will start popping up.

The unselfishness of focusing on the “root but not the fruit”.

His frustrations being on the periphery in an agency and the influence he can exert on tennis.

His learnings from being Commercial Director for South African cricket especially the power of perception.

Davis Cup and its strategic importance. Exploiting the new format of the competition.

The gap that will be left when the leading men retire in the next few years.

Tennis as an instrument for social change in South Africa.

The tipping point of creating a champion from the black population in South Africa.

LINKS

Richard Glover on LinkedIN

Tennis South Africa: website, Twitter

Kevin Anderson

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Rob Walk

Football Fan Channels have made a huge leap forward over the last few years. The likes of Arsenal Fan TV and United Stand have started to become essential viewing whether you supporter the club involved or not.

Brett Lotriet Best

Now, the movement is evolving. Or, more specifically, organising, professionalising and monetising. We are seeing better videos by better presenters on a wider variety of platforms.

They have even moved to our television screens.

Ultimate Football Fan are at the vanguard of this development. I spoke to Managing Partner, Brett Lotriet Best and Rob Walk, from parent company DIG, about this maturing area of content.

1:47 What is UFF and how did it start?

3:02 The 14 clubs involved right now.

3:30 The place where UFF started to targeting and why they changed. The move towards professionalisation

4:30 The origins of Arsenal Fan TV, now AFTV

5:46 The relationship between UFF and DIG

7:06 The need for fans’ content against a world of punditry. The problem of authenticity

8:58 Distribution channels for UFF. The shows they produce. The major strategic partnership with Amazon

10:45 The need for a different narrative. ‘Rant TV’ is not the future

12:10 How much the lead the presenters and how they are led

13:25 How Robbie at AFTV changed his story

14:56 The distribution on Tencent and in Africa

15:51 The strategy of going from YouTube to a fully-fledged TV show on Channel 4

16:56 The tricky question of monetisation. What about the accusations of ‘selling out’

18:40 Demographics. “The YouTube audience is 97% male, when our first Channel 4 show went out the audience was over 60% female.”

19:10 Their approach to commercial deals and the potential fro backlash

21:30 Who is full-time in the Fan Channels?

22:20 Coping with the personal abuse and managing their profiles

24:07 How they get 50-55 million views per month with AFTV being around 27m

25:20 The geographic spread - why there is a big African influence

26:24 Why the sent reporters to the World Cup

27:35 Why they are “avoiding having rights” as their empire was built without it

28:05 The importance of collaborations to helping new people cut through

29:50 The criteria for choosing their influencers

31:01 Influencers: the personality cults vs the storytelling for the club

32:26 The overseas ambitions - USA etc – other Leagues and other sports

34:20 Are all these channels viable? Is a contraction necessary at any stage?

37:01 The way UFF are approaching their messaging and content on different platform

40:25 Are they in profitability? Why brand deals > advertising for these channels. Having the right relationship with the brands

43:13 How the audiences are so different on different platforms?

44:06 Specifics on the Amazon Fire deal

44:51 Going very long-form. The prospect documentaries on Netflix or Amazon Prime

45:40 What have the taken off the table? The infighting between the influencers and being “the adults in the room”

46:45 The production of their vlogs, the influence of UFF

47:25 Being forced to change the name from Arsenal Fan TV to AFTV

50:20 The relationship between the clubs and the fan channels

Rob Walk on LinkedIN

Brett Lotriet Best on LinkedIN

UFF

AFTV

UnitedStand

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TOPICS

2:00 Whether journalism and commentary was the plan for his post playing career

4:01 Developing the key skill of spotting stories and angles

5:07 The process of writing his book

6.20 The discipline he required to write it

7.42 The problem of trusting your memory when writing a biography

9:35 His only booking and his it happened

10:42 Transitioning from player to journalist. The moment he was able to separate the two

13:15 How social media has reframed the way journalists articulate their opinions

15.20 Why he wished he had have had ‘the edge’ of Mark Hughes as a player

16:45 The importance of controlling your emotions both as a sports journalist and on the pitch

18:20 How he manage to move into co-commentary when at first his response was “they don’t want to listen to my whining Brummie drawl”

21:20 How he’ll prepare for a game

22:30 The US model for access. Getting behind the information like in the US and how the Man C documentary might changes

24: 20 The ways Sky Sports have changed in the way they broadcast a game - stats, 3D, 4K

25:32 Is it needless to ‘reinvent the wheel’ in football coverage

26:25 Has he been ever being asked to changing his accent. Lifting his voice and injecting urgency

“The right words in the right tone. You want to reflect them moment the right way”

28.20 What you learn from listening back to yourself

29:01 How his pairing Martin Tyler developed

29:58 The need of a good personal relationship to make a commentary team work

30:53 The addition of FIFA to his career

“It has given me a bit of kudos among 10-15 year-olds, people who have never seen me as a player”

31:20 Fans taking FIFA too seriously

32:40 The process of recording it each year

34:23 The prevalence of English. Being the voice of the Premier League of Fifa in the US and beyond

36: 10 Opening him up to a new audience and Fifa being a window to soccer for young soccer fans

37:34 On whether his career would be possible now for an ex-footballer.

“You always have someone snapping at your heels”

39:51 How the reporting has created an entirely different environment for a player

41:24 How Arsenal’s old drinking culture would have been reported today

42:45 Being in the ‘Tuesday Club’

43:49 His media ambitions

45:00 The reinventions of footballer and waiting for the tap on the shoulder

46:33 The honesty of the book

ALAN SMITH LINKS

Alan Smith on Twitter

Heads up on Amazon

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2:23 John’s show on Fox Sports Asia

4:27 The way Asians have been patronised by European football. The two stereotypes that persist – hysterical idol-worshiper or shirt-buyer

7:00 The effect of tours on the fandom of those clubs

11:00 Whether different leagues and clubs appeal to different Asian countries

13:01 Why it is so hard to compete with Premier League

13:52 Why the visceral product makes it so different

15.10 Players v clubs – what is more attractive to Asian fans

15:51 Why the Premier League club affiliation is so strong in Asia fans won’t move when major players move clubs like Ronaldo to Juventus

17:58 Using Skype as a broadcast tool

20:37 How John specifically uses journalists as pundits

22:45 The importance of emails from Asian fans

25:10 The angles he uses and does not use for Asian fans

27:49 Which clubs are working hardest to entice Asian fans

30:22 Is China still the hardest market to crack for any sports team?

“I am still not convinced anyone is winning”

33:05 The Indian market for football. Has it made a major shift?

35.56 Where Asian football outperforms the European game.

36.45 “Indonesian fans supporting their local league is so much bigger than their passion for Europe clubs”

37:45 Is it important for Asian players to make it in Europe?

39:40 The Premier League fan parties run for Asian fans. Do they work?

41:14 The approach of the Bundesliga and La Liga to Asia in comparison to the Premier League

43:20 The Premier League TV rights renegotiation suggests overseas revenue are more important to clubs – is this good for Asia?

45:18 The benefit of staging a competitive Premier League (39th) game in Asia in the future

47:04 John’s advice to the Premier League to grow as Asian audience

JOHN DYKES

Twitter

The John Dykes Show on Fox Sports Asia

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TOPICS

3.30 Misha’s reasons for criticising the state of branded content and entertainment

“Most of the companies I see in the space lack ambition and imagination… they fail to elevate themselves and tell a story”

“There is a sense that if you win the impressions game you’ll win hearts and minds. That is just not the case.”

6.20 The definitions of branded content

7.45 Why brands end up producing similar type of content

9.05 Why the Nike advert at the World Cup 98 broke the mould before the term “branded content” existed

12.10 The elements that have to be present in order for content to succeed

12.30 The thorny issue of bravery for sports teams

14.38 Which right-holders are ‘doing in right’

“People expect a different level of access. They want something raw and real. They want to feel the heartbeat of the club”

18.02 Is this so important that it could affect a sport’s future?

19.15 Why all rights-holder are now targeting an “always-on” story

21.15 Where rights-holder need to put their energy and resources

24.05 The trend of setting up rights-holders as media owners and how that transition can be made

25.30 The importance of globalization. How do make someone connected to your club so the difference is not a factor?

27.54 Why VR and AR could be a ‘game-changer for advertisers’

30.25 The platforms – what is working, what is important

34.25 “What happens when you can’t really buy an audience anymore?” The change of the OTT platforms like DAZN and Amazon etc

37.30 Lessons in branded content from the World Cup this summer

40.34 The threat of YouTube channels to mainstream media platforms

42.20 The fascinating success story of Red Bull. The importance of a clear vision

45.00 Why the Red Bull model has not been replicated

48.12 The impending problem of making content for Gen Z

51.30 Misha’s key piece of advice for sports rights-holders – positively exploit your unique position and make the experience great at every touchpoint

53.45 Is winning still the most important quality for a sports team?

MISHA SHER LINKS

LinkedIN

Twitter

Article: Why sport is ‘asleep at the wheel’

Mediacom

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