More Formats, More Fans: Building a Richer Content Menu

When Arsenal FC introduced its new app, The Arsenal, it made a point of stating that the platform was, first and foremost, a dedicated digital content platform.

“Our app is truly content-led,” said Luke Matthews, editorial lead at Arsenal FC, “bringing together brand new original documentaries and shows, the very best social-first content, audio formats, interactive content, as well as plenty of new formats you would not expect to see from a football club.”

Launched in March, The Arsenal is indicative of a trend in sports, in which organizations are becoming full-blown media companies. What’s notable about this trend is that teams, leagues, and other sports properties are not only expanding their creative capabilities; they are also taking a page from the world’s biggest media companies, especially when it comes to diversifying their offerings.

Take YouTube, for example. “A key USP of YouTube is that it’s multiple formats,” said Jonny Keogh, head of UK sports at YouTube. “VOD, shorts, multiview, podcasts, live. You can do your storytelling in many different ways. The thing that runs throughout is that there are multiple types of fans in the world, and they all expect different things from rights holders.”

What Fans Want Next

The latest edition of FutureOfTV.Live, a quarterly survey published by product marketing agency Ring Digital, offers a window into what fans expect from rights holders. Drawing on the insights of 686 fans, the survey poses several questions on highlight consumption. Perhaps the most interesting one is: After watching a great highlight clip, what would you like to see next? 

The answers reveal much about the zeitgeist:

• A short recap (4-7 minutes) that tells the story of the game – 26%
• More key moments from the game (2-3 minutes) – 23%
• Nothing – that clip was enough – 18%
• A condensed version (20-40 minutes) of the full game –  12%
• The full game replay – 12%
• Another great play from the game (under 1 minute) – 8%

“Some fans want a snack. Some want a sampler. Some want the full meal. Some are really full,” said Brian Ring, president of Ring Digital. “There’s no magical algorithmic chef coming out with exactly what they want on their personalized plate. It’s more about the ability to create a beautiful, simple-to-navigate buffet: the best viewing option based on appetite, context, time, device, and fan intensity.”

This approach is gaining traction. Game 5 between the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA’s Eastern Conference semifinals last season was a good illustration of this: ESPN published a one-minute highlight from the game, a five-minute recap of the overtime finish, and a 16-minute analysis by Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley from Inside the NBA. 

“We’re trying to hit as many formats as possible and as many content lengths as possible,” said Jeremy Fitch, senior director for YouTube and studio show social at ESPN. “We challenge ourselves every single day to have that depth – if you’re only going to watch ESPN for 60 seconds, what is that experience? If you’re only going to watch for 10-15 minutes, what’s that experience?”

The Power of Format Depth

Another organization that’s committed to format depth is the NBA. Like in many other properties, that commitment evolved over time. Up until the 2015-16 season, the league’s content buffet was pretty limited – a combination of highlight packages, game recaps and player profiles. “Basically, it was one-size-fits-all,” said Bob Carney, the NBA’s senior vice president of digital & social content. “It was like, ‘here’s the menu and this is what you get.‘”

The strategy changed when the league embraced AI-powered content creation, in what Carney called an “aha moment.” The technology enabled the NBA to produce an infinite amount of content and, just as important, significantly expand its content offering. “We’re trying to focus on the net-new,” said Carney, “creating a lot of new programming that couldn’t possibly have existed before.”

One example of this is archive-based long-form content. In an algorithm-driven world, industry experts say, this type of programming can be extremely valuable. According to Jeff Nathenson, formerly the managing director of media company Team Whistle, who worked with the Premier League to bring its archive to life, long-form videos are among the highest-performing videos on the league’s YouTube channel.

“Far too often, rights holders are trying too hard to create gimmicky, viral videos when it’s just mostly about meat and potatoes,” said Nathenson. “When we were doing the Premier League, we were putting together long-form compilations – just great, edited mashups. They were getting better viewership on the archival compilations than they were from current content.”

Scaling Content Variety

Building a modern content offering is no longer about choosing the right format but about offering fans the right mix of formats. The reason is simple: different audiences want different experiences depending on their time, interests, and level of fandom. The challenge, then, is creating a content menu broad enough to satisfy every type of fan, from casual browsers to devoted supporters.

AI-powered content creation platforms enable rights holders to maintain this variety. By instantly creating and distributing highlights, recaps, long-form compilations, and platform-specific assets at scale, they allow rights holders to build a truly diverse content offering and, as Arsenal’s new app demonstrates, give every fan a reason to stay at the table.