We partnered with D.C. United to enhance the club’s live digital video strategy and deliver timely remote live fan experiences across social media during the absence of live soccer.

With live professional sports on hold in the United States and most people staying at home in isolation, Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs faced a new challenge of connecting with fans remotely and creating new sports content for supporters to enjoy.

D.C. United addressed this challenge by using our cloud video platform to produce and deliver new digital-first live broadcasts to Facebook, Periscope and Twitch. Our browser-based production tools enabled the club’s digital team to work safely and remotely from home while collaborating in real-time.

What a goal for @JulianGressel! Make sure to tune in on: https://t.co/Jzv7hCyRvL#VamosUnited pic.twitter.com/Hf8iJ1H9SZ

— dcunited (@dcunited) May 8, 2020

One of the founding clubs of MLS, D.C. United got creative with the live content it created. In December 2019, the club announced the signing of Mohamed “KingCJ0” Alioune Diop, who is streaming his FIFA 20 matches to D.C. United’s Twitch and Facebook pages from his own home. The world of eSports has rapidly increased in popularity with games publishers, sports federations and clubs hosting live, interactive eSports events that appeal to a cross-section of gaming and sports fans across the US.

D.C. United also leveraged the popularity of their players by hosting live Q&As and ‘Ask Me Anything’ (AMA) shows with the players at home. The club started a regular interview segment hosted by midfielder Julian Gressel, titled #GresselSpecial, as well as producing tailored content for its Spanish-speaking fans, including AMAs with midfielder Junior Moreno.

Our remote contribution features allow D.C. United’s hosts, players or staff to join a live broadcast using only a single browser link, from anywhere in the world. The guests only need is a connected device with a webcam and microphone. 

D.C. United uses Grabyo Producer, our advanced live production platform, to create, produce and deliver its remote live fan experiences to social, mobile and web platforms. 

Accessed through a web-browser, Producer allows digital teams to overlay graphics and run interactive elements such as polls on a broadcast. Production teams can collaborate to deliver a broadcast from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.

Our fans are the lifeblood of our club. Connecting with them authentically and providing content they can engage with and experience a sense of fulfillment is essential to our communications and digital efforts. Our partnership with Grabyo, which was formalized at the start of the season, quickly helped us achieve a deeper connection with our fans, and as the current COVID-19 situation has escalated, the service has proven even more valuable during these demanding content-driven times. “

Luis Gonzalez, Head of Digital for D.C. United