Here are Grabyo’s favorite content production ideas and digital news from around the sports and broadcast industry over the past weeks.
From Bernie’s mittens to McGregor’s two-round fight, there has been a lot of innovative content produced over the past month. The X Games moved their fan festival online to create the virtual X Fest. UFC sold over 1.6 million pay-per-view passes for the McGregor and Poirier match, which despite technical issues, was shown to a global audience. Bernie Sanders won inauguration day, with his meme sweeping the internet across the world and IKEA launching a marketing campaign in reaction to it. Super Bowl preparations are underway, with some brands choosing to donate their usual marketing spend towards COVID relief charities.
X Games X Fest
The X Games is the extreme games, hosted by ESPN. Over the past few weeks it’s been taking place in Aspen, Colorado. The event would usually draw large crowds to watch a series of extreme sports competitions including ski big air and snowboarding big air. This year, to engage fans the popular X Fest has been moved online. X Fest is a fan festival that is held at the same time as the sports competition. This year’s virtual area allows fans to engage with the competition, through music, games and interactive competitions.
Did you sign up for Virtual X Fest yet?
— X Games (@XGames) January 27, 2021
Be ahead of the game and pre-register today before X Fest goes live tomorrow at https://t.co/XoLkOGJz1F! pic.twitter.com/WJDmbedfDx
UFC Pay Per View
The UFC headline fight between McGregor and Poirier was expected to drive high pay-per-view ticket sales from fans. The fight surpassed all expectations, and reached a global audience, selling over 1.6 million passes. As pay-per-view passes are on the rise for big fights, this would place the fight as the second-highest number of passes bought. This is becoming a key commercial channel, especially in the absence of fans.
The main event is in the house! 💎🇮🇪
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) January 24, 2021
CAN’T WAIT! 🔥
Click here to buy #UFC257 ➡️ https://t.co/z8cH3CwHdF pic.twitter.com/qMzwbkB8F7
Bernie’s gloves
The inauguration of Joe Biden was headline news across the globe. However alongside this, a Bernie Sanders’ meme swept the internet. An unintentional piece of content that came from inauguration day, showing a picture of Bernie Sanders sat on a foldable chair. The meme is now being used to raise money for charity close to his home as well as companies creating reactive marketing campaigns, like IKEA’s foldable chair advert, called Bernie.
Sen. Bernie Sanders reacts to his inauguration moment that went viral in the form of a meme: “It turns out actually to be a good thing and not only a fun thing.” He’s turning the moment into a charitable effort for Meals on Wheels in Vermont. https://t.co/GVWaWXLxP3 #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/UfA7sOsczr
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 24, 2021
Super Bowl preparation
As the Super Bowl fast approaches at the start of February, NFL fans have been preparing for the big day. However, as expected this year will look slightly different. There will be a reduced capacity crowd but viewers from home will also notice the advertising will be affected too. Budweiser has booked a slot during the Super Bowl for the last 36 years, but this year, the company will be donating the large advertising fee to charity, supporting the COVID crisis.
NEWS: Budweiser will not be running a commercial during the Super Bowl for the first time in 37 years.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) January 25, 2021
Instead, the brand is using its marketing dollars to support Covid-19 vaccine awareness and access. pic.twitter.com/SWlzbvquVN
To learn more about Grabyo and how we are helping global broadcasters, rights holders and media companies overcome these challenges with our cloud-based video production and editing platform – get in touch today.
