Live content creation (LCC) programs are relatively new to the sports landscape. With a huge increase in preference for digital engagement from fans, we’re seeing LCC programs being rapidly introduced by sports leagues and sporting events around the world.
Major sports leagues and teams have become media powerhouses on TV. Now that fans are spending more time on social platforms, they’re not watching as many live games, but social media engagement has moved to the forefront of every sports league. Social media has eliminated the geographic constraints of broadcast rights, and enables fans to feel closer to their favorite sport, team or player — no matter where they are in the world. Leagues know that close ties and deep fan engagement spur more loyalty and revenue from sports fans.
Now, leagues and teams can evolve media partnerships for the digital age. Some are already producing millions of their own photos, videos and original content at every game through live content creators. This media is captured with the specific objective of sharing on social media. Not just through the league’s official accounts, but rather from the accounts of athletes, sponsors, broadcasters and other partners. That requires a of original and authentic content. But by leveraging this digital media inventory and providing it to their partners, leagues can reach more fans and drive more engagement than ever before.
But with 20 to 30 teams and the same number of venues, it’s hard for the digital team or social media team at a league to be everywhere at once. The growing demand from other departments – and external partners – for authentic, intimate content fueled by Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram stories means that leagues can’t simply rely on the Associated Press and similar media producers to feed their channels. Fans demand more.
For social media teams, managing this media is like holding a firehose backward. It can seem like an insurmountable obstacle. To take on these challenges and build social media engagement faster, many sports leagues have turned to live content correspondents, or live content creators, to capture candid media around each game.
Every League Should Have a Live Game Day Content Capture Program
Sports organizations are continuing to build out their native digital marketing and media production capabilities to keep up with the demands of social media. There is always a desire for more media, more authentic photos, and more unedited raw video to create more of those personal moments that make fans feel like they’re part of the action on game day. Fans want an exclusive glimpse, a behind-the-scenes experience, and LCC programs deliver just that. The German Football League, the Bundesliga, produced their own video showcasing the work of their live content creators.
There are more followers to engage, more video views to earn, and more fan interactions to build. The success of every live correspondent program is dependent on technology infrastructure to ensure that content can be captured, collected, curated and delivered.
For social teams, it’s like managing a firehose with thousands of media assets, and it can seem like a massive challenge. In addition to the benefits of fan engagement, LCC programs also make everybody in the league feel like they’re playing for the same team (pun intended). It gets internal league staff and departments working together, better, as well as the teams themselves. It requires everyone to be connected, and on the same page — and can result in more belief in the brand as it grows internally and externally.
The leagues that are able to share the most authentic content will continue to thrive in a world of increasing competition for fan attention. A live content creator program can be an integral piece of winning that competition, with the right infrastructure and technology in place. Greenfly can be the secret weapon making your live content correspondent or RTC program a success.
