Genius Sports and Pixellot join live data with AI-automated video for 100 sports competitions

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Genius Sports, a sports data expert, and Pixellot, a provider of AI video technology, have expanded their partnership to provide automated live video and data services to more than 100 competition worldwide. These two formidable forces have previously collaborated, including with the AFA and the IBA, but this current collaboration goes considerably further. According to the terms of the deal, Genius Sports will have the exclusive right to market Pixellot’s products to various basketball, soccer, volleyball, ice hockey, and baseball organisations and federations.

More on Pixellot

Pixellot takes live video and converts it into shareable data that can be fed into video and data analytics programmes in real-time. With this technology, coaches may watch complete games or highlights while collecting detailed stats. Coaches may now employ analysis tools like shot charts and heatmaps thanks to this technology.

Over 18,000 Pixellot systems have been installed throughout the world by broadcasters, federations, and sporting teams. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona have all used these systems. To expand its reach, the company created the Pixellot Air, a portable, low-cost device.

Learn more about AI in the football world including Bundesliga’s latest AI-driven metrics set to help fans, broadcasters, and clubs.

Genius Sports data collection technologies combined with the ability to automatically make TV-quality broadcasts and highlights, will expand income prospects. Not only that, but it has the potential to boost performance, which benefits fans, coaches, advertisers, betting companies, and media partners.

The cooperation between Genius Sports and Pixellot will grow, allowing new sports to manage their streaming strategy. They will collaborate to boost the profile of sports leagues worldwide, reaching out to new and existing fans and sponsors. This exciting new partnership with Genius Sporting offers new monetisation options for sporting organisations, resulting in new long-term revenue streams.

Genius Sports recently declared a 78.7% increase in revenue to US$84 million for the fourth quarter of 2021. All of this occurred in the same year that it was named the National Football League’s exclusive data partner. More good news is on the way, as revenues are likely to surpass US$440 million by 2023.

TikTok releases brand new NHL content partnership

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TikTok has announced a new partnership with another major sports league! This time, it’s the National Hockey League (NHL) and the NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA). As part of this arrangement, the NHL will deliver original material and unique experiences on the app, which will assist TikTok’s larger content initiative.

Learn the latest in TikTok sponsorship including TikTok signing on as the Women’s Six Nations’ first-ever title partner.

Trick shots, behind-the-scenes, off-the-ice activities, and anything and everything related to sports and pets are what really make the NHL community tick. As part of this new deal, the NHL will post more than just highlights. More player interviews and other content aimed at capitalising on TikTok trends and engaging its in-app audience should be expected.

What’s in it for TikTok? 

TikTok can look forward to new promotional incentives like in-ice branding and the launch of a new ‘TikTok Tailgate Stage’ for upcoming outdoor NHL games. Furthermore, NHL will work with TikTok on music tie-ins and partnerships for its upcoming events.

This announcement comes as TikTok tries to expand its content offerings and provide additional incentives for producers to contribute to the app. It is challenging to effectively monetize this type of short-form video content. TikTok’s response has been the creation of the Creator Fund as well as working on in-app tipping and other monetization. However, several of TikTok’s top creators are unhappy with the platform’s attitude and income distribution. As a result, creators may shift their focus to Instagram and YouTube Shorts.

Click here to learn more about Samba’s 4 Content Pillars for your TikTok Marketing Strategy in 2022.

If TikTok can provide more direct posting incentives, such as new relationships with major brands like the NHL, it may be able to connect creators into these collaborations in another way. Not only that, but they open up new avenues for audience expansion and revenue.

TikTok also has exclusive content collaborations with Vogue and GQ as part of this strategy. With these new offerings, they are focusing on another important area of interest for TikTok consumers. Not only that, but TikTok will seek to cultivate instant contact while also giving its celebs more opportunities. TikTok will continue to be a destination for creators who want to go where the audience appears to be the most active. However, if rumours about income sharing continue, more of them may decide to post elsewhere, and their viewers will follow.

INTERVIEW: Pedro Caffa, Social Media Manager & Coordinator, tells us everything we need to know about his role at Samba Digital

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With Samba’s recent success and big milestones, it was a great opportunity to discover more about the individuals behind the logo and their many clients. This is the first of a series of articles in which we will interview a member of the Samba Digital team and feature their unique perspectives. This series of articles will answer some of the most burning questions that are involved when dealing with large clients and their most compelling case studies.

To kick off this series, we’ll meet Pedro Caffa, Samba’s Latin America and Spain Social Media Manager and Coordinator.

What is your role at Samba? 

I am the Social Media Manager and Coordinator for Latin America and Spain at Samba Digital. Within this key role, I am responsible for the strategy of clients (clubs, federations, and betting companies) in those territories. I am fortunate in that I have a fantastic team of experts that make work more enjoyable and manageable, including community managers, content creators, and PR managers.

As part of this fascinating work, we develop and implement online and offline strategies to bring clients from all over the world closer to Latin American fans in an organic approach that ensures solid engagement and growth.

What is your vision?

I joined Samba Digital 5 years ago in September 2016 and have witnessed the company’s rapid, steady, and tremendous growth, which has allowed me to work and reside in Argentina, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Spain, where I am presently soaking up the sun. I have evolved professionally and personally in Samba as a result of my position, and I am glad to be a member of this team.

I, like the company’s vision, would like to see Samba Digital become a world leader in the development of strategies as well as the monetization of fan bases in the sector of sport and entertainment in the very near future. I believe Samba is a highly valuable, proactive, and full of hardworking professionals from all over the world who give that extra quality to be able to reach this aim.

What are your best case studies?

Fortunately, there have been a number of incredible success stories in the LatAm and Spain teams in the past, and there will be more in the future. The coverage in Paris for Leo Messi’s presentation at PSG is maybe the most resonant that comes to mind. The Samba team was fortunate enough to spend a week there with Tomás Marcó del Pont and Tomás De Micheli. This was a fantastic chance as the team, including myself, was able to put together a fantastic activation with prominent Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos. Thanks to this activation it was possible to have the very first Messi interview on Twitch in history.

Discover all about Samba’s work with PSG, including its activation with Ibai Llanos and Messi.

Of course, there are many more success stories to share, including a few from the difficult year of 2020. Fortunately, the pandemic had little effect on the Samba team’s excellent performance. For example, as soon as the global lockdown began, the team organized the First Virtual Club World Cup on Twitter in collaboration with the influencer Juez Central.

All of Samba Digital’s work with Juez Central to establish the First Virtual Club World Cup on Twitter can be found here.

This thrilling action involved all the clubs we work with at Samba in Spanish and other big LatAm and US teams.

This isn’t the end of the list of triumphs. The world of football mourned the death of Diego Armando Maradona in 2020, and Samba was up to the task of assisting Napoli in honoring the Argentine star with high-quality content in real-time. Samba had very good practices with Everton FC as well: When James Rodriguez’s appointment was revealed in September 2020, they devised an online and offline plan that featured blue lighting of Colombia’s tallest building.

This is not all, during the Toffees’ triumph over Liverpool in the Merseyside derby in February 2021, they planned the inaugural Watch Along exclusively for Latin Americans.

I emphasize the two-and-a-half years in London, where I worked closely with Tottenham Hotspur, a special club in my career. I have had several memorable moments with Spurs, including the team’s journey to the 2019 UEFA Champions League final and the opening of the new stadium.

How do you see the evolution of the market?

I believe we are in the midst of a historic moment, one in which the game is shifting. The way people consume sports is changing, as evidenced by the fact that today’s youth no longer watch football games solely on television. New platforms like Twitch provide a different perspective and storytelling for athletic events that appeal to younger generations. A prominent example of this is Ibai Llanos’ Copa América or Ligue 1 broadcasts this year in collaboration with Kosmos, Gerard Piqué’s company. Many artists and athletes now choose to communicate with streamers rather than journalists, signaling a shift in both the creation and consumption of content.

Social media first debuted as a “second screen” for sporting and cultural events a few years ago. Today, that second screen is not optional: it is required. Fans have progressed from being merely consumers of content to having the ability to create their own content as they see fit, and the opportunities available throughout the world are limitless. As a result, I believe that Samba, by using the fan as the axis of their marketing strategy, has a very significant asset in terms of being able to grow clients.

When it comes to the Latin American region, which is where Samba’s staff focuses most of its efforts, I believe there is still a lot to discover and do. True, it lacks the economic might of Asia or North America, but it does have two very important active assets: passion and creativity. As Latin American football players bring magic and dribbles to the European game, I feel that LatAm professionals, content creators, and fans can also contribute significantly to the digital game, which will be seen in the future years.

How do you bring added value to your clients?

My beliefs are apparent, particularly my opinion that the cultural diversity and skills of market professionals provide enormous value to Samba and, in my case, the LatAm team. They have highly skilled and innovative partners from Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Chile, Spain, and El Salvador on the LatAm team. As a result, Samba can provide clients with a comprehensive and detailed view of a market as diverse as Latin America. Knowing the audience and knowing how to communicate with them, whether it’s a football club, a federation, or a betting organization, I believe there is no better added value than that.

TikTok to develop its own AR Effects platform to broaden its Visual Tools

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As always, TikTok keeps its users up-to-date with new features and functions. To make the most of its current potential, this popular platform is currently increasing its toolkit. With these updates, they also aim to secure its status as one of the most popular social media platforms. With the use of tools in mind, the platform’s most recent development is their very own AR effects studio. This studio will follow in the footsteps of Facebook and Snapchat by allowing AR producers to create their own effects for the platform, adding to the site’s many interactive user possibilities.

Learn more about all of TikTok’s new features, including its venture into TikTok Stories.

This fascinating new studio has not yet been launched to the general public. This latest edition was available to a select few earlier this month but still remains in the testing stages. With patience, the Effects Studio, like Facebook’s Spark AR and Snapchat’s Lens Studio, will open its doors to all creators. This will provide consumers more freedom to create their own visual tools utilizing TikTok’s numerous AR functions. Not only that but these tools allow them to create entirely new user experiences within the app.

In-app engagement

By allowing more creators access to the studio, they have a better chance of discovering the next major global trend, which will attract even more users to the app. TikTok aims to provide a more inclusive platform for producers to monetize their content while also growing their reliance on the app, this is another critical step in creating strong links with consumers.

With Samba’s top 10 tips for a successful TikTok strategy, learn more about TikTok and how to increase engagement.

In-app engagement can be boosted by making it easier to create effects. More than 400,00 AR creators published over 1.2 million effects on Facebook and Instagram through Spark, resulting in over a billion views, according to Facebook. Snapchat responded with a similar AR platform, Snapchat Lens Studio, which saw over 200,000 creators publish 2 million additional lenses. These impressive figures show that as TikTok expands in the market, it will be able to capitalize on new opportunities to build new experiences and retain more users in-app for longer periods of time.

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To find out more about Samba Digital, get in touch with us via our Contacts Page.

TikTok explores ‘TikTok Stories’ to broaden the app’s creative prospects

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It all began with the development of Snapchat Stories, and as the platform’s popularity expanded, other social media sites quickly followed suit. Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn have all used a Stories format. Previously, a similar tool has been available on Twitter, but the platform recently suspended the feature. This feature is becoming increasingly popular. With this growing popularity in mind, TikTok has responded with its own TikTok Stories.

These stories are still in the works and have not yet been released to the public. TikTok Stories will disappear after 24 hours and appear in a collapsible left-hand side panel in the app’s main feed while in testing. Users would be able to see stories from the individuals and accounts they follow. They can also move about the Story frames, which are indicated by gray bars running along the bottom of the Story display.

From the Samba Digital team, learn more about TikTok, including how to establish an effective TikTok strategy.

More from this feature is to come

This isn’t all, as Stories will have its own camera and creative flow. This will also be located on the left side of the main screen. Therefore, making it easier to find and create Stories that can be shared within the app.

TikTok is on the verge of entering the next phase of its development, as the site continues to gain users. Analysts predict that by the end of this year, it will be the next billion-user social app. This feature would propel TikTok into the top five apps on the market, putting it on par with long-time rival Instagram. This would be a wonderful step for TikTok, especially given Facebook’s long-term dominance of the market.

Possible limitations

TikTok’s expanding potential, on the other hand, might be limited. This constraint comes in the shape of successful monetization and a clear way for its top users to make the most money from their app submissions. There are less revenue opportunities on TikTok because you can’t place pre-roll or mid-roll ads like you can on Facebook or YouTube.

Apart from putting promos between user clips, there are fewer alternatives for efficient ad placement in the main TikTok feed. As a result, the revenue potential of TikTok is limited. This is why, at this point in its evolution, TikTok is focusing on expanding its content capabilities in order to optimize engagement and ad space.

TikTok is always evolving, most recently raising the maximum duration of TikToks from 60 seconds to 3 minutes. According to reports, TikTok is working on live stream commerce and other revenue alternatives for streaming creators. This update, in conjunction with Stories, will increase the platform’s revenue potential. It will also offer a broader range of content than its current short video offerings.

More features will allow creators to build their communities without having to rely on similar engagement surfaces in other apps. Currently, there is no information on the scope of TikTok’s experiment, including the regions and users who will have access. However, we do know that if this upgrade becomes publicly recognized, it might open up a whole new world of possibilities for a user’s TikTok strategy.

Learn more about TikTok’s efforts to expand its user base, including its collaboration with Extreme E.

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To find out more about Samba Digital, get in touch with us via our Contacts Page.

10 tips for a successful strategy in Brazil

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Brazil is well-known for its passion for sports, particularly football. Because of its potential, market size, and cultural richness, this country of more than 200 million people is gaining the attention of international companies and investors. With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of ten crucial factors to consider when entering the Brazilian market.

1. Consider the economic opportunities

Currency: For a long time, Brazil has struggled with monetary instability. 1 euro was worth 2.20 Reais in 2011. The euro is now trading for around 6 reais. As a result, now is a great moment to get into this industry and start planning your strategy. Money tends to rise in the post-covid period.

Esports: In the field of electronic sports, Brazil ranks third in the world. Most of the major teams have an esports team that is supported by sponsors and commercial partners. Freefire, League of Legends, and Counter Strike are the most popular games in Brazil. Alexandre Gaules, a Brazilian, is the world’s second-most-watched gamer on Twitch, with 128 million hours seen in 2020.

More on esports, including details on the biggest trends in the esports industry for 2021.

Women’s sport: every team in the first division now has a professional women’s team. For the growth of women’s sports, the federal government and states provide funding.

Sports betting: Sports betting has been legal in Brazil since the end of 2019, but it is not regulated. The majority of major football clubs currently have a betting sponsor, and on-site marketing spending is constantly expanding. By next year, the restrictions should be in place.

2. Identify the risks and constraints

Currency instability: as previously stated, currency risks should be considered before embarking on Brazil. We advocate arranging your commercial agreements in dollars or euros to avoid any risk associated with Reais fluctuations.

Customs barriers: Have you ever tried sending a jersey or a product to Brazil? In addition to being pricey, it is an obstacle course. For any commodity worth more than $30, the tariff in customs fees/taxes on the products must be at least doubled. Furthermore, if you fail to clear customs on cargo, the sender will be responsible for the fees!

Low purchasing power: Prices given by multinational sports e-commerce enterprises are out of reach for Brazilian consumers. For your knowledge, an official jersey costs 300 reais ($50) in Brazil.

Inflation: Brazil’s inflation rate averages 10% each year!

Bank transfers and payments: The “boleto,” a barcode document redeemable for cash at a tobacconist, is one of the most common payment methods in Pelé’s homeland. By default, debit and credit cards can only be used on national territory, so bid farewell to purchases made on your site based in the United Kingdom or the United States!

3. Locate your content

Brazil is not the same as Portugal! The Portuguese spoken in Brazil differs from the Portuguese spoken elsewhere in terms of style, tone, and unique expressions. Working with Brazilians who are familiar with Brazilian sports jargon is vital. The tone should be appropriate for the target demographic and the style should be current and casual.

For newcomers, Carnival is the most well-known event, but Samba Digital’s finest social media engagement results have come from Big Brother!. In Brazil, reality television has a cultural significance. An excellent technique is to combine sports with entertainment.

4. Use the right channels to communicate well

Brazil is a country with a large social media presence. They are ranked fifth in the world due to their widespread use of social media. It is one of the most connected countries in the world, with an average daily use of 3 hours 30 minutes per person. According to a recent study by We Are Social/Hootsuite, 88 percent of the population uses social media.  In Brazil, Instagram performs up to 7 times better than Facebook and 6 times better than Twitter in the sporting industry.

Youtube (96.4 percent), WhatsApp (91.7 percent), Facebook (89.8%), Instagram (86.3 percent), Facebook Messenger (68.5 percent), Twitter (51.6 percent), TikTok (47.9%), Pinterest (47.1 percent), LinkedIn (42.6 percent), and Telegram (29.4 percent ) are the top ten most popular social media platforms in Brazil.

5. Develop a partnership strategy

Don’t be disappointed if your club or business doesn’t have a Brazilian ambassador; Brazil offers a variety of partnership opportunities that will allow you to have development drivers there.

We can look at the Brazilian football or basketball teams, for example, which have enormous and active fan bases on social media. Cruzeiro and AS Monaco are one of Samba Digital’s many partnerships. As long as it provides value to the target audience, a well-structured CSR plan can pay off.

Finally, Brazil is a creative country with a thriving startup scene. A technological partnership can assist you in reaching out to a highly qualified audience as well as institutional audiences.

6. Identify monetization opportunities

You have a few options for monetizing your audience. On a digital level, you may quickly enable the monetization elements of social networks like Youtube, Twitter Amplify, or Facebook, depending on the size of your fans. While CPMs in Brazil are smaller than in Europe or the United States, they can nevertheless offer you an idea of how relevant your content is to the local market.

Brazilian advertisers are accustomed to working on a pay-per-click basis. This is an excellent way to test your localized audience while also forming long-term profitable connections.

Last but not least, Netshoes is Latin America’s largest e-commerce site. Major businesses can work with their own store to create a customized landing page. Centauro is well-positioned for “physical” retailers, especially in shopping malls.

7. Consider an E-commerce strategy

Brazil is Latin America’s largest and most developed e-commerce market, ranking 10th in the world for online sales. People spent $ 16.8 billion on things marketed online in 2019. In Brazil, the Covid issue has spurred the growth of electronic commerce.

According to Nielsen, the sector would rise by 26% in 2021, with a total turnover of 110 billion Reais. The demand for sporting products grew by 104% during the pandemic, just in the field of sports. The most popular sports-related E-Commerce sites in Brazil are Netshoes (owned by the large magazine Luiza), Centauro, and Futfanatics. The most generalists are Americanas, Amazon, Mercado Livre, or Kanui.

Brazilians prefer to pay in installments rather than paying all at once. Consumers’ purchasing power is increased as a result of this payment option, and the average transaction value per customer rises. Three-quarters of customers regularly pay in installments, with an average of six payments per purchase, and one-third of customers will not make a purchase if the store does not offer installment payments.

8. Forge solid connections with broadcasters and media

At the level of television networks in Brazil, TV Globo, a public broadcasting group, holds a leadership position. It features several sports channels, including “SportTV,” which is available on cable. Globo also owns the largest sports website in Brazil, globoesporte.com. ESPN Brasil has the rights to broadcast the Premier League, La Liga, and Copa America.

  • SporTV has the rights to broadcast the Brazilian National Championship, Brazilian Cup, and Eurocup.

Here’s more on broadcasters, including HBO Max’s purchase of UEFA and Champions League rights in Brazil and Mexico.

9. Influencers, on-site growth drivers

Influence swiftly established itself in the vast Brazilian market, where customer confidence and “education” have become critical factors in brand selection.

Influencers in Brazil have big fan bases and high levels of interaction. Samba Digital will be able to provide you with a variety of sports-related options, owing to its new platform.

We advocate incorporating influencers from other areas, such as lifestyle, entertainment, esports, or even celebrities, for sports brands looking to improve their visibility in Brazil.

10. Follow the evolution of sports betting, a booming industry!

Since November 2018, betting on sports has been legal in Brazil. By the end of the year, legislation should be in place. Large worldwide companies continue to spend exorbitant sums on marketing and sponsorship despite the uncertainty regarding future laws. There are currently around 400 sports betting sites available in Portuguese that are free to visit from Brazil.

The most active brands on the market right now are sportsbet.io (Flamengo sponsor), Betano (Fluminense and Atletico Mineiro), Sportingbet, and even Rivalo, who recently signed Cafu as an ambassador.

Read here for more on sports betting, including Samba Digital’s assessment of the social media presence and performance of betting houses.

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To find out more about Samba Digital, get in touch with us via our Contacts Page.

Reels, TikTok’s competitor, becomes more appealing thanks to new Instagram Insights

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Instagram Shop and Shopping in Reels are two new features that have been added to the platform. Both of these tools were created within the last year to help independent creators make a living. With this in mind, Instagram has added additional Reels and Lives insights to its Professional Dashboard. These new metrics will aid businesses and content creators in better understanding how far their work reaches. All of these tools will help Reels catch up to TikTok, which already offers users thorough analytics. With Instagram and TikTok constantly competing, it can only be good for influencers and small companies who rely on these networks to boost their income.

Previously, Instagram creators could only access data on a Reel that was publicly visible, such as views, likes, or comments. They will now be able to see more about their Reels, such as the number of accounts they have reached, saves, and shares. Instagram will also show how many Peak Concurrent Viewers are watching their live streams. Not only that, but the Instagram app’s account metrics section will have breakdowns that show users which accounts they’re visiting and which content formats are generating the most engagement.

The game as we know it might not alter as a result of these analytics. However, it will certainly make it easier for entrepreneurs and content creators whose firms rely on social commerce to play. Shopping in Reels makes in-app purchases more convenient. Until now, there was little data available to assist firms in customizing their Reels to reach out to potential clients.

TikTok’s competition

The inventors of these Instagram insights can’t celebrate just yet. This is thanks to TikTok’s analytics, which has long provided creators with information on average watch time, traffic sources, and geographic performance. Earlier this month, TikTok said that it would test in-app sales with a few stores, including Hype streetwear. This will give it an advantage on Instagram, though it is unclear when the feature will be made public. As a result, the combination of Instagram’s insights with in-app commerce could be the perfect storm for content creators looking to reach and ensure the monetization of their target audiences.

This function couldn’t have come at a better time, as insights will certainly be important in the future. Currently, determining the true effective reach of your films is tough, and seeing insights means getting more feedback to help enhance content.

Influencers can use these metrics to work with brands on sponsored content. Brands have been asking creators to make videos for Reels since Instagram updated its interfaces to put short videos in the premium position.

Instagram analytics are already available, and the social media platform plans to roll out more tools to help creators monitor engagement in the coming months, as well as provide insights on desktop.

Learn more about TikTok’s most recent endeavours, including its expansion into live sports

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To find out more about Samba Digital, get in touch with us via our Contacts Page.

Esports and the path to monetization

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Over the past decade, we have seen a rapid and exponential growth in esports globally. From sports simulation games like FIFA and NBA 2K, to mainstream titles such as League of Legends and Free Fire.

According to the PwC Sports Survey in 2019, esports remains significantly under-monetized compared to traditional sports. A survey by Newzoo showed that the average revenue per fan is expected to reach $2.47 in 2023. So, the average monetization is going to be about 4.7% which is lower than the growth of esports revenue, which is about 15%. According to Deloitte’s Consumer Report, 26% of total views are paid for esports content.

All these stats reveal a single question: how can esports be better monetized?

Streaming

According to Twitch, last year the highest-paid streamer earned $2 million and the top 20 streamers each earned more than $1 million. Most of this revenue comes from subscriptions (80%), ads (16%) and donations (4%). The highest female streamer “Pokimane” earns around half a million dollars per year.

Twich report

With more than 8 million streamers making live content every month, most of them are what you’d call ‘micro streamers’ – those who have approximately an average of 150 views per session. For streaming platforms such as Twitch and YouTube, their allocation of revenues depends on the generated content, hours streamed and the number of views.

For esports, this is one of the ways in which we see more players (talent) getting involved as they look beyond media rights and prize pools. Players streaming in between tournaments can potentially be a large income stream for them and their team.

Brand involvement

Until a few years ago, esports advertising was focused on brands that have a relation with technology such as Samsung, Intel, Razer and a few others. The interest from outside started to peak when Mastercard signed a sponsorship with League of Legends in 2018. And one of the most interesting recently is the Spotify partnership with the same title.

Many people consider the esports environment complicated with few regulations around sponsorship or media rights, all of which creates barriers for brands. However after some brand starts tapping on this opportunity, realizing that they can target Millennials and Gen Z through this new avenue.

We have seen a brand like Burger King, Gucci and Bumble to engage with esports and also, we have seen a rapid growth of companies offering solutions like Stream Hero.

Casual viewer monetization

We need to understand that the difference between traditional sports and esports is the audience. Although in traditional sports we know that fans follow a specific team for example, an esports audience splits between the gaming enthusiasts and the casual viewers. Professional are those dedicated in a game or two, while casual will follow a variety of streamers. Newzoo estimates that in 2020 viewership is 495 million, and it will grow to 646 million by 2023 with 55% being casual and 45% being enthusiasts. Monetization focuses on enthusiasts mainly but it is estimated that casual viewers may unseal an extra $2 billion over the next 5 years.

Fan engagement monetization

People are shifting from PC and consoles to mobile as increased internet coverage and better connectivity have created a more connected and engaged fan. Next year this will go to another level as engagement tactics include quizzes and rewards to expand the revenue to give to consumers to participate. The “predictions” feature launched by Twitch, allowing viewers to bet against the outcome of the game is one example. The winner wins channel points, unlocking potential rewards available from streamers. Solutions like Sport Buff allow for the tapping into this eCommerce side of revenues. Like traditional sports, esports fan engagement is a key driver that will bring long-term success.

The growth of esports looks promising in the next few years. Although there are still complexities and barriers in regards to regulations and rights there is no reason why sports businesses should not consider them. The key for monetization is the alignment of brand values with streamers and continuous fan engagement.

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To find out more about Samba Digital, get in touch with us via our Contact Page.

The 5 Pillars of a Successful Localized Strategy

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Sport is a global business with fans coming from all corners of the world. Many organizations struggle to engage with them fully as they are based within their home market and are focussed on those within it, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

Below are what we consider to be the five key pillars to localized strategy success, and these will help you in the development of your own internationalization efforts;

1. Digital & Social Presence

You need to communicate with fans using not only the correct language, but the nuances and tone of voice that fits the culture of your desired territory. For example Spain & Argentina or Brazil & Portugal speak the same languages respectively, but they communicate and consume content very differently.

So it’s not just a case of straight translations of your content but taking a much more nuanced approach and appreciating the people you’re speaking to. This affects both your Community Management and Web Management strategies.

2. ‘In-Region’ Activations

Get your brand and partners on the ground and in the market. This enables you to engage with fans and interact with them through key calendar events and cultural dates through Activation Campaigns.

3. PR Support

Remember to promote your content through local media outlets. Having that understanding of the local media market enables you develop and utilize both Broadcaster and Key Media relationships, helping to broaden your campaign reach.

4. Monetization goals

Capitalize on the commercial value created through qualified fan data.

This then enables you to create an opportunity for regional partnerships once a proven affinity with a local fan base has been established. Opening up opportunities for International Membership Programmes and International E-Commerce Support.

5. Creative

It’s important to avoid going down the road of generic translated roll outs. Produce storytelling that has cultural relevance and resonates with the audience in that particular market. This can be through;

In our next blog post we will reveal the process that we go through – enabling you to build a localized audience, engage and interact effectively with that new audience, and capitalize on the commercial value created.

If you would like to speak to us about your own international strategy then get in touch via our Contact Page. Samba Digital is an international sports marketing agency with presence in Brazil and Latin America since 2011