When athletes turn creators it’s a whole new ball game for brands
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Professional golfer and two time US Open Winner Bryson DeChambeau was in conversation with YouTube chief business officer Mary Ellen Coe yesterday afternoon on the Debussy stage to discuss marketing in the new era of sports.
More than 40 billion hours of sports are watched on YouTube per year, a figure that incudes live games, clips, highlights, the analysis before the game and the stories behind the athletes. And increasingly it’s the athletes themselves are becoming the creators.
“65% of viewers say: ‘I want to watch sports through the eyes of the creators that I love.’ And what better creators to watch with than athletes? The athletes that they love,” Coe said.
“Brand partnerships and sponsorships with athletes have been around for years."
"But now, because athletes as creators are connecting directly with their fans, it’s a perfect opportunity for marketers to partner directly with them and tap into the authentic and
the direct relationships they have.” DeChambeau has a following of over three million fans on YouTube and is reimagining the game of golf, bringing it to new and younger fans.
“There’s people all the time that comment, ‘I’ve never played golf, but I love watching your content’,” he said.
Choosing the right brand partnership comes down to authenticity, he said, “and connecting with a brand that aligns with your passions, and your loves, and your wants and desires for what you want to give to the public.”
He added that creators will also be held accountable to that authenticity as well, “because your fans and the people that view your content are going to see right through that if it’s
not authentic. So it’s got to be the right partner. It’s got to be the right brand. It’s got to be the right connection.”
Comments