Sports rights owners are embracing YouTube creators as their next media partners

"And at this year's U.S. Open, the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) granted official credentials to more than 50 creators - from fashion influencers to food vloggers - allowing them to roam the grounds, create content courtside, and document the tournament in real time. The result? Over 2.3 billion digital impressions and a media footprint that extended far beyond match highlights."

"Though broadcasters fund sports leagues, shifting media consumption habits mean they're not the only way of recruiting the lifelong fans that keep them going for decades to come. Some rights-owners - like France's soccer Ligue 1, which launched a streaming service of its own last year (and which has now gained 1 million subscribers) have gone their own way. Others have realized that creators, particularly those using YouTube as their central distribution pillar, can be an effective way to market their leagues, recruit new fans - and in turn maintain and grow the value of their properties when it comes to negotiating new rights deals with broadcasters and streamers."

""The next generation of fans don't watch sports in the same way as the generations before them," said Jas Dhami, vp of sport at We Are Social. "That shift makes creators a natural and essential distribution channel for leagues to reach younger audiences and keep fandom growing outside of traditional broadcasts.""

Sports rights owners are increasingly partnering with digital creators and credentialing social-media personalities to distribute live matches, create courtside content, and reach younger audiences. Examples include the Bundesliga awarding live U.K. match rights to YouTube personalities, YouTube featuring creator Deestroying as a sideline host for an NFL game in Brazil, and the USTA issuing credentials to over 50 creators at the U.S. Open, generating more than 2.3 billion digital impressions. Rights-holders view creators as marketing channels that recruit new fans, expand media footprints beyond traditional broadcasts, and help preserve or grow property value ahead of rights negotiations. Some leagues also pursue direct streaming services.

Read at Digiday