News & Insight
Posted on October 11, 2024
By Moe Hamdhaidari
By Ben Bamwood, Joe Gallagher and Moe Hamdhaidari.
And breathe.
For sports organisations, the usual battle for attention has been hotter than ever through the northern hemisphere’s summer months, and it shows no sign of slowing down as we enter the winter season. But nowadays, rights holders and rights owners are not just competing with one another for eyeballs when it comes to attracting new and younger fans into their sports.
We all know the size and scale of Gen Alpha, and the potential rewards for those who get it right with this audience. But we also know what they’re up against.
In a world of endless, personalised choices for new audiences, sports more than ever are being challenged to create more experiences that speak to younger fans in meaningful ways, where and when they consume their content.
So, here’s a recap of what the industry has been up to in the world of Future Fans.
Original Productions
Ahead of a packed English summer, Lancashire County Cricket Club launched the animated series Lanky and Friends back in May. The three-part series on YouTube Kids, starring ‘Bumble’ Lloyd as a voice actor, hopes to bring new fans into cricket, by “capturing the imagination of young people and igniting a passion for the sport”.
May also saw the return of Juventus FC’s Team Jay, with 11 more episodes and 12 new shorts released for the show’s second season across the brand’s suite of language channels. Head of Product Marketing Daniele Lunazzi said: “Juventus is aware of its social role and this is the reason why, through fun and team adventure, we convey key messages and tips that help kids better understand and win the emotional challenges they face in every day life”.
Wimbledon’s Blade and Bounce, who have their own animated series on YouTube, returned to social feeds ahead of the Championships, providing child-friendly explainers for some of the quirks around grass court tennis, qualifying, the rules of tennis and more.
The All England Club also piloted a new content format during the 2024 Championships, with the Youngest Reporter taking to media weekend to quiz the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Aryna Sabalenka, Ons Jabeur, Carlos Alcaraz and more.
The Race to Roblox
What do FIFA, ICC, NASCAR, Olympics, all four tennis Grand Slams, NHL, NFL, and countless more have in common? They’ve all seen the potential of the metaverse… namely Roblox.
With over 300 million monthly active users, Roblox is fast becoming a must-have for any sports organisation serious about engaging Future Fans.
Sports brands have increasingly been flocking to the platform with all of the above launching, evolving or refreshing their universes on Roblox this year. Some have even leveraged the platform to reveal their new kits.
Back in May, FIFA launched FIFA World 2.0, an ‘always-on’ expansion of their award winning Roblox experience which allows member states such as U.S. Soccer and the German DFB to create bespoke, integrated experiences for their market. With over 21 million visits to date, FIFA boasts one of the most successful sports worlds in Roblox history.
Ahead of the men’s T20 World Cup in the United States and West Indies, the ICC launched three new Roblox fan zones hosted by their mascots Blaze and Tonk. That month, the NHL’s Blast experience became the number one sports game on the platform, overtaking the Australian Open’s AO Adventure — which has since returned serve with an update of its own in partnership with Wimbledon and the US Open.
NASCAR joined the always-on party with the launch of NASCAR Tycoon in July. The experience provides an immersive racing experience and is the brand’s third activation on Roblox. Nick Rend, VP of interactive and emerging platforms said: “this initiative is about more than reaching new audiences. It’s about deepening our connection on a platform where we see tremendous potential”.
The USOPC and NBC further blurred the lines between real life and the metaverse with the launch of Team USA Ultimate Obby, which saw 20 American athletes added into Roblox as avatars and emotes — the first of their kind — in a world where players can take part in an obstacle course, wear Team USA merch and watch highlights in a dedicated fan zone.
Paris 2024 also had its own dedicated home on Roblox, with Olympic World launching in July. The activation is the first Roblox environment to feature Olympic and Paralympic IP, and consists of mini-games, an Olympic Shop, and a dedicated learning hub for the history of the Games. It wasn’t all that the Olympics were up to to attract younger fans…
Let The Games Begin
“C’est la Phryge!!”
The lovable, official mascot for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics has likely been a fixture on a FYP near you for the last month. Whether cruising on the Tahitian ocean, waiting at the finish line of a mass marathon, or just roaming the streets of Paris, Phryge has now only spawned a community of megafans but has emerged as an effective tool to engage younger audiences — especially on TikTok.
We’ve seen the mascot jump on trends, feature in creator collabs and host animated explainers for a variety of sports. The Paris 2024 official Instagram has an augmented reality filter for Phryge, and if you’re interested, there are no fewer than two pages of official merch too.
In June, the IOC also launched its own mobile game, Olympics Go! ahead of Paris 2024, which has 12 playable arcade-style mini-games. Deputy Managing Director of TV and Marketing Elisabeth Allaman said: “the game reflects the Olympics’ commitment to promoting diversity and modernity while inspiring excellence and camaraderie.”
The Future Fans mission has extended into the Olympics’ broadcast partners. An innovative content partnership by Warner Bros Discovery has seen Bugs Bunny present explainers in the six-part Sports Made Simple series, as well as conduct interviews with celebrity guests from a Parisian rooftop for Eurosport.
Across the Atlantic, NBC’s coverage of the Games also starred familiar kids IP with Sesame Street joining the fun. Characters starred on both The Today Show as well as in interview formats with Team USA athletes in Paris.
Additionally, until August 11, Looney Tunes characters will feature within a sports-themed revamp of the Cartoon Network Game On world within — you guessed it, Roblox.