Manchester United have agreed to launch a channel on YouTube, becoming the last Premier League football club to have an official presence on the platform. The club hopes that the channel will allow them to reach a new demographic and target an audience which is currently not being served by its existing media activities. The club is not expected to monetise its content through advertising or brand partnerships at launch, but it is understood that Manchester United has prepared a substantial amount of content to post on the platform including archive material, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with prominent current and former players.
Manchester United becomes final Premier League brand to launch on YouTube https://t.co/2MKqAN7I7V pic.twitter.com/5Lyv0lMesq
— Campaign (@Campaignmag) February 23, 2018
SN&CK Media (Snack), the leading independent sports addressable audience business & content producer, has expanded their network of 300 sports websites by bringing Vital Football (Vital) into the group. Snack Media is working to bring long-term site partnerships to the business and redevelop the network with the help of the company’s founders. Over the last three year, Snack has been working with Vital Football but will expand their work to deliver their deep fan engagement, site monetisation and content solutions to Vital’s eight million visitors per year via full technology stack.
Delighted to announce further growth at Snack with our @VitalVilla strategic partnership https://t.co/SnfTEDxD6M
— Snack Media (@snackmedia) February 22, 2018
When an event like an Olympic Games comes around, innovation often takes over. The revolutionary new technology that is taking over this year is Eurosport’s The Cube. This immersive studio has a changeable background so all the walls and the floor can be used to display video so the host can interact with it all around them to create a better viewing experience. The tech was fully put to use in a segment where former Olympic gold medalist Bode Miller spoke to his prediction that Mikaela Shiffrin would win gold and demonstrated his reasoning using the video screens to show the technical aspects of his argument.
Every Olympic Games is the birthplace of one new tech innovation: this year's big breakthrough might just be @Eurosport's 'The Cube'. https://t.co/Wa6WlUI2l2#sportstech #sportsbiz #PyecongChang2018
— Digital Sport (@DigitalSportUK) February 20, 2018
This week Arsenal FC announced a record five-year extension with Emirates, their shirt partners. As part of the Largest Sponsorship deal ever, Emirates branding will feature on the shirts and training kit of all teams until the end of the 2023/2024 season. There has been rampant speculation that Arsenal has been searching for a new shirt sponsor, but this announcement puts all conjecture to rest, with the Emirates being invested into the club for the next 5 years.
#Arsenal announce record 5-year extension with shirt partners Emirates https://t.co/drzoi5L3Ks pic.twitter.com/AsPuPvrD6u
— The Drum (@TheDrum) February 20, 2018
The 2018 World Cup will be the most digitally focused World Cup yet. There is a multitude of viewership options that allow sponsors and sports digital publishers to work across all platforms. As the tournament draws nearer, many broadcasters will work in a partnership between social media platforms and themselves to stream live coverage and match-day highlights to connect with fans, following the example of Fox Sports and their coverage of the event for viewers in the United States.
Will the @FIFAWorldCup be the most digitally focused tournament yet? What's your view? #WorldCup2018https://t.co/PWWVNL63Hp
— Snack Media (@snackmedia) February 20, 2018
More and more sports organisations are developing custom activations through social media to create increased fan engagement with creativity and interactive fan contributions. The point of these features allows the fans to make decisions and feel as if they are directly getting to participate with the content and brands. They have decided the entire experience of a specific fan getting to the game from transportation to music. It keeps the fans engaged all day voting and lets them feel like they have taken over the social media.
How sports clubs on social media are becoming more interactive | @DigitalSportUK https://t.co/00LWhcsIds
— Snack Media (@snackmedia) February 20, 2018
