How AS Roma, with 8.8m Facebook fans, generated over 70m video views in five days

by Paul Rogers (Head of Digital and Social Media, AS Roma)

When it was announced that Francesco Totti would play his final game for AS Roma after 25 years, we began to work on a content plan that we hoped would pay a fitting tribute to the player himself, engage the club’s supporters and also allow fans of other clubs to join the conversation.

The content we released broke every single digital record we measure – on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram, on Snapchat, on YouTube and on our website.

On Facebook, our Totti videos generated over 70m videos views in just over a week.

These videos were shared over 850,000 times and inspired over 170,000 comments.

Our Facebook Live coverage of the farewell ceremony after the match lasted 48 minutes – and has generated 12.4m views, 225,000 shares, 615,000 Likes and a reach of 41m.

On Sunday, May 28, the day of his final appearance for Roma, the Facebook videos we made clocked up 44.5m views – and were shared 644,330 times – with 147,000 comments.

In the same 24 hours, we racked up 1.5m videos views on Instagram, 4.3m views of our dedicated Instagram Story – plus 1.3m video views on Twitter and 817,000 views on Snapchat.

One of our Gifs, hosted on Giphy, was viewed a record 65 million times in a single day.

Roma doesn’t boast as big a social following as many of our rivals – we have 8.8m Facebook followers – some way short of the 102m followers that both Real Madrid and Barcelona can claim as the biggest two clubs on Facebook and still a long way off Manchester United, the third biggest team, with 73m followers.

However, for one month at least, Roma out-performed every team in the world in terms of Facebook videos.

Despite not winning a title or trophy, Roma was the only club to break 10m views for a video on Facebook in May.

In actual fact, we broke the 10m views mark four times in the final four days of May.

15.3m views for a montage of players and fans crying

12.4m views for the Facebook Live farewell ceremony

11.8m views for an emotional montage of Totti’s career

11.6m views for a top 10 goals video

For a club with less than 9 million followers, these are great numbers – and are a clear testament to how well respected Totti is by the football community.

From an editorial perspective, we did three things in particular which we think helped drive such metrics:

  1. We scheduled content like a TV channel – with a whole week of multi-media content planned out – allowing us to be able to push out scheduled content, whilst also being able to be flexible and reactive with opportunities that presented themselves throughout the day and week. We knew on Monday exactly which video we would post at 4pm on Sunday – two hours before kick-off – as we believed that was the prime time to capture fans’ attention. That video ended up generating 11.8m views and 322,000 Likes.
  2. We took a social-first approach – and involved fans throughout the content producing process. Interestingly enough, despite refusing to use social media as a broadcast tool just to drive fans back to our website unnecessarily; we recorded our biggest ever month on the website in terms of both unique users and page impressions.
  3. All of our content was designed to be emotive – we set out to make people feel something – to provoke a feeling of pride or even nostalgia for the football and footballers we grew up with. We set out to make people smile or make them cry. It’s no secret that people are more likely to share emotive content – and as numbers above illustrate, people shared our content like never before – over 850,000 times in fact. More than Likes or Views, its Shares that we wanted – to amplify our content to the biggest possible audience.

All in all, we feel that the small but dedicated team’s hard work paid off. We hopefully delivered a week of content that both Francesco Totti and our fans were proud of and we also engaged fans of other clubs in an open and inviting way.

About the contributor:

Paul is the Head of Digital and Social Media at AS Roma. He’s responsible for developing the club’s digital media strategy – helping the club to communicate with new and existing supporters all over the world.

Formerly Head of International Development at Liverpool FC, where he worked for 14 years, he has experience in creating content and marketing strategies, brand building, strategic planning, social media, digital journalism, TV production, rights negotiations and generating new revenue streams through content.

https://www.facebook.com/officialasroma/videos/1399428543451289/

iSportconnect Announce esports Masterclass

iSportconnect is delighted to announce our Industry esports Masterclass on 29th June 2017, at Lewis Silkin, capitalising on the booming gaming sector in sports business.

The esports market is on track to generate more than $1bn annually before the end of the decade, so now is the perfect time to join us for what is sure to be a scintillating discussion on how to make the most of this exciting growth.The content will include panel discussions focusing on marketing strategies, targeting the youth market, and the multitude of opportunities available in esports over the coming years.

The content will include panel discussions focusing on marketing strategies, targeting the youth market, and the multitude of opportunities available in esports over the coming years.

As the event covers such a broad topic, we welcome all areas of the sports business industry to request to attend.

As all iSportconnect events, the esports Masterclass is free of charge.

If you would like to attend and receive more information, please contact: adi@isportconnect.com

Designing the Perfect Rugby Stadium

Rugby legends discuss the rugby stadium of the future with HOK

HOK, a leading sports architecture firm, gathered four world-class rugby players to discuss what they would like to see in rugby stadiums of the future. John Rhodes, a director of HOK’s Sports + Recreation + Entertainment practice, met with Jamie Roberts (Wales), Tim Visser(Scotland), James Horwill (Australia) and Danny Care (England) to capture their ideas, both as players and fans.

From the impact of fans on the game itself to the frustrations of rival changing rooms, the players offered key insights while Rhodes shared innovative design solutions, including fibre-optic turf and glass roof seating, that could soon be commonplace in stadia.

HOK has just released the conversation and findings in a new video that includes images of the rugby stadium of tomorrow.

“Any modern, iconic sports ground must provide an exceptional experience for fans,” said Rhodes. “The unique passion of fans is fundamental to the sport and, as architects, we need to design stadiums that maximise this energy. Rugby fans are especially unique. They are sophisticated fans who know and have experienced a variety of venues, which elevates the standards for a rugby stadium.”

Rhodes’ project experience spans venues, F1 circuits, race tracks, high-performance training facilities and conference and exhibition centres including Silverstone, the Dubai World Expo and a confidential arena in the Middle East. He is currently leading the design of the New Palau Blaugrana arena for FC Barcelona.

“The players gave us exceptional insight into what affects elite athletes,” added Rhodes. “As avid fans, they also provided an invaluable perspective. This has improved our understanding of how to design the best stadiums for both rugby fans and players.”

“Having played at most of the iconic rugby grounds around the world, it was great to speak with HOK about what made each special—or especially challenging,” said Jamie Roberts, Wales and British & Irish Lions player, “What motivates you at your home ground is different from what inspires you when you play away. However, I don’t just play rugby. I’m an avid spectator and the considerations for the fan experience are equally important. Some of the ideas we discussed would transform the game-day experience. I look forward to seeing how our conversation impacts where I play or spectate in the future.”

HOK’s Sports + Recreation + Entertainment practice has expertise in the design of stadiums, arenas, ballparks, training facilities and recreation centres.The group plans and designs world-class sports complexes that are the centrepieces of successful, vibrant entertainment districts.

Current and recent projects include FC Barcelona’s New Palau Blaugrana in Barcelona, Spain; the Dubai World Expo 2020 bid and concept masterplan; Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia; Avaya Stadium in San Jose, California; Rogers Place and the ICE District in Edmonton, Alberta; the Detroit Events Center in Detroit, Michigan; a proposed NBA and NHL arena in Seattle, Washington; the AT&T Center renovation in San Antonio, Texas; the renovation of Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Florida; and Shell Place in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

KFC Sponsorship of 2017 Rugby League World Cup Leaves a Bad Taste For Experts

By Christian Radnedge

The announcement of fast-food chain KFC as the latest sponsor for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup has been met with widespread condemnation from public health experts.

This week it was revealed that KFC will be the official quick-service restaurant at the tournament which is to be held in Australia, New Zealand and Papa New Guinea between October and December this year.

The partnership also includes a number of marketing rights, such as on-pitch advertising and branding on the video referee board during try referrals.

However, the deal has not gone down well with public health officials who claim the sponsorship is negative step in the fight against obesity.

Consumer NZ chief executive Sue Chetwin said the advertising would be particularly harmful to children.

“[KFC] is doing it because they want to build up a life-long addiction to their food,” she said.

“Rugby League as a game is largely supported by Maori and Pacific Islanders and these children are the children suffering most already.”

Her comments were backed by obesity expert Dr Robyn Toomath, who argued that fast food chains were jumping on the positive atmosphere surrounding big sporting events.

She said: “When you advertise something that is inherently bad with something that is recognised as inherently good, you get the ‘halo effect’.

“The bad thing gets elevated into an arena where people think it is a terrific thing.”

Ministry of Health figures show that New Zealand has the third highest obesity rate in the OECD with one in three people older than 15 obese, and one in 10 children.

However, New Zealand’s Minister of Health Jonathan Coleman defended the deal in the wake of the criticism and insisted that this type of sponsorship was needed.

“You’ve got to look at do the benefits outweigh the potential costs,” Coleman said.

“The fact is a lot of sport in New Zealand, right down to the community level, wouldn’t take place without this type of sponsorship.”

The 2017 Rugby League World Cup will be the 15th edition of the tournament, with 14 teams competing for the top prize – last won by Australia in 2013.

British Olympic Association Extends Partnership With Deloitte Up Until Tokyo 2020

The British Olympic Association (BOA) has announced its continued partnership with Deloitte UK up to and including the Tokyo 2020 Games. This will extend the alliance that started in 2007 and has been integral to the planning, preparation and delivery of the BOA’s success through London 2012 and Rio 2016.

Deloitte will draw on its experience of delivering performance programmes, its global network and its position as a leading advisor in the sports business industry. Services will be provided through a combination of consultancy projects and Deloitte secondees embedded within the BOA’s core team.

Deloitte is already working with the BOA in its advanced planning and readiness preparations for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as well as providing strategic advice to support the BOA to create and implement a long-term digital strategy.

Deloitte enjoys a strong history with Olympic Sport, having been at the heart of the operations for London 2012, which set a new benchmark in hosting Olympic Games. The success of the London Games acted as the launchpad for the BOA partnership and cemented Deloitte’s place as a vital part of the team that propelled Team GB to historic success in Rio; where, against a backdrop of challenges, it finished second in the medals table, as the first nation to ever win more medals at a Games following a home Games and with gold medals in more sports than any other nation.

It was acutely understood that the Rio 2016 Olympic Games would pose a series of complex problems in the build-up and during the execution of the Games themselves. The BOA’s planning and operations, developed in close partnership with Deloitte, were geared towards achieving the objective of having the best prepared, best performing and best supported team during the Games.

Deloitte will continue to bring innovative approaches to help the BOA strengthen its position as a financially sustainable business and competitive global brand. This builds on the firm-wide crowdsourcing initiative it ran in 2015, creating ideas to develop the Team GB brand and the BOA’s events strategy.

Bill Sweeney, British Olympic Association CEO, said: “Deloitte played a vital role in shaping and driving our programmes in the build-up to and during Rio 2016. There are a lot of independent and interactive components that deliver success on the field of play and Deloitte were key in helping us to manage this process. We share a long and successful relationship and it is therefore with great pride that we can look ahead to PyeongChang and Tokyo, putting in place innovative and bespoke solutions to help reach our ambitious targets.

“This extended partnership also takes us into a new strategic phase where we will review various initiatives which will allow the British Olympic Association to evolve and grow as a fully integrated and sustainable business model.”

David Sproul, Deloitte Chief Executive and Senior Partner, said: “Our Deloitte British Olympic Association secondees in Rio played critical roles in supporting Team GB athletes to deliver the best ‘away Games’ performance ever. Renewing this partnership will help us further the impact we have on the BOA as an organisation, whilst providing unique opportunities for our people and clients over the next four years.”

Manchester City Have Nothing To Celebrate, Says Chairman Al-Mubarak

Manchester City’s chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak has insisted that there is “nothing to celebrate” from the club’s 2016-17 campaign, the first under manager Pep Guardiola.

Al-Mubarak was speaking to City’s inhouse media following the end of the Premier League season in which the club finished third.

City also suffered upsets in the UEFA Champions League and FA Cup, losing to Monaco and Arsenal respectively.

But Al-Mubarak was confident that the club was heading in the right direction and promised to back Guardiola with significant funds to boost fortunes on and off the field next year.

“There’s nothing that annoys me more than people either calling me or sending me a message congratulating me on third place,” he said.

“My answer was pretty standard to everyone, ‘Don’t congratulate me on getting third, there’s nothing to congratulate, only congratulate me if we win the league’.

“So, this is not the ambition, not at all. There’s nothing to celebrate. I think it’s something which is important, it’s critical, and I know it requires a lot of hard work, particularly in this league, to be in the top four, but our ambition is to win the league. And if not winning it, to go as close as physically possible to winning the league. I think this year, in that area, we didn’t do that.

“In a normal circumstance ending the season without a trophy would be a very disappointing season but it’s not, it really isn’t.

Right Direction

“I think while I would say not winning the league and not being within close range of winning the title is no doubt a disappointment, not winning either the FA Cup or the League cup is also, I think, a disappointment. We are team now that expects to win every year at least one trophy. And then to go further every year in the Champions League.

“So from that perspective the season has been a disappointment but if you look at it from a different lens we are truly going in a direction that is positive. I am very excited about how we are developing as a team, how Pep has taken the squad and really started a process of going through that natural cycle of development.

“We’ve gone through several cycles over the last nine years and we’re in the middle of one now but you can see where we’re going. I have high confidence that we are going in the right direction. You’ve seen many glimpses of us playing a type of football that is very exciting and very entertaining that I think the fans will grow to love and the results will come, I have no doubts the results will come.”

City have already made a number of key investements ahead of the new season. In March, they announced a partnership with Nexen Tire to become the Premier League’s first official kit sleeve partner.

The club has also lavished funds on player recruitment, spending £43.6 million Bernardo Silva from Monaco and £34.7 million for Benfica goalkeeper Ederson.

iSportconnect Praised by Sports Business Leaders For ‘Valuable’ Wimbledon Masterclass

LONDON, 24 May 2017 – Sports business leaders praised iSportconnect for delivering a brilliant Digital Fan Engagement Masterclass, filled with high-profile attendees and “valuable” insights on the digital aspect of sports.

More than 100 people attended the event, hosted for the first time at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), home of The Championships, Wimbledon, on 23 May 2017.

The event featured three panels and two case studies, in which speakers discussed ideas and strategies to improve fan engagement and revenues. Also, two breakout sessions between panels gave the attendees the opportunity to sit down and engage in discussions on the changes in the digital environment in sports.

World-renown organisations, such as UCI, Wimbledon, Sky Sports, LaLiga, World Sailing, Jaguar & Land Rover, IBM, NEC Group, Thomson Reuters and Arsenal FC led the conversation, providing information on the perks of data-driven marketing or strategies for turning fans into paying customers.

Other prominent organisations in the sports industry attended the event, including AS Roma, ATP Media, Chelsea FC, Discovery Networks, Draft Kings, EFL, FC Barcelona, Formula-E, Inter Milan FC, Ironman, ITF, Liverpool FC, Manchester City FC, NBA, NFL, Sport England, The FA, The Premier League, UEFA, Williams Martini Racing, World Rugby and WWE.

Sebastien Gillot, UCI’s head of communication, said: “I want to thank iSportconnect for inviting the UCI today. It was a great experience and it allowed us to share challenges and find ideas to develop our strategies for the digital industry.”

Daniele Sano’, head of strategic alliances at AS Roma, said: “I found this event valuable for the level of the speakers and the content discussed. Also, there were many rightsholders from many sports and it was useful to share views and ideas in a relaxed environment.”

As all iSportconnect events, the Digital Fan Engagement Masterclass operated under Chatham House rule to encourage a free exchange of ideas and views.

For more information and to register your interest in future event, please contact our Event Manager at adi@isportconnect.com

England Netball Appoint Sport Collective to Support Commercial Strategy

The National Governing Body for England’s biggest female sport has appointed sports rights and marketing agency Sport Collective to support England Netball’s strategic business plan and forward commercial operations.

England Netball has overseen unprecedented growth in the sport with circa 1 million women and girls regularly playing netball each week. The continued expansion of the

Vitality Netball Superleague and Netball World Cup taking place in Liverpool in 2019 provides the perfect timing for England Netball to utilise the commercial experience of the team at Sport Collective.

Sport Collective will be working closely with England Netball to develop and implement new strategies to increase return from participation and coaching pathways, membership and engagement and traditional commercial revenue streams.

Joanna Adams, CEO of England Netball said: “We’re delighted to be working with Sport Collective to utilise their fantastic experience and insight in creating commercial strategies in sport. They have already demonstrated their creative approach to business planning with our participation programmes and we look forward to working with them across other areas of the business.”

Sean McAuliffe, Director of Sport Collective said: “England Netball has done an incredible job in growing the sport and this is an exciting time to be working in Netball. We have vast experience of executing winning strategies for NGBs and we’re excited about the new initiatives we’ll be putting in place as we support the ongoing commercial programme.”

Sahara Force India Announce Partnership with SPORTbible

Sahara Force India announced a new partnership with SPORTbible.

Part of the popular LADbible Group, SPORTbible will bring to life a busy activation programme aimed at showcasing the excitement of Formula One to a young audience – very much in line with the sport’s desire to open up access to new generations.

Starting at the Monaco Grand Prix and throughout the 2017 season, SPORTbible branding will be featured on the nosecone of the VJM10.

Vijay Mallya, Team Principal of Sahara Force India: “It’s great to begin working closely with SPORTbible. They are an exciting brand, reaching out to engage a dynamic group of young fans who are going to shape the future of our sport. This partnership is a testament to the growing appeal of our team with the younger generations, who identify with our can-do approach and our friendly, yet professional attitude.”

Paul Rayner, Publisher of SPORTbible: “We’re excited and incredibly proud to be partnering with Sahara Force India. There’s a great deal in common between our two businesses – they are young, focused and delivering results in a competitive environment, just like us. Together, we’ll be collaborating to deliver a unique angle on the world of F1 for the smartphone-first generation. “

ATP Extends Season-Ending Tournament in London Through 2020 With New Title Sponsor

The ATP announced today that its season-ending tournament will continue its stay in London a further two years through to 2020, under a new title sponsorship with one of Japan’s leading innovation companies, the Nitto Denko Corporation.

The tournament, first staged in London in 2009, will now be renamed the Nitto ATP Finals.

“We’re delighted to extend our stay in London and to have Nitto come on board as title sponsor over the next four years,” said Chris Kermode, ATP Executive Chairman & President.

“It’s fantastic news to have such an ambitious and innovative company partner with our season-ending showcase in what is unquestionably one of the most exciting times in men’s professional tennis in recent memory. We look forward to a successful partnership and to the continued growth of our season finale in London,” added Kermode.

Kermode was joined for the announcement, held at The View from The Shard in London, by special guests including the likes of Boris Becker, a three-time former champion.

Nitto is Japan’s leading materials manufacturer offering over 13,500 diversified materials to more than 70 business fields such as electronics, automobiles, ecology and life science.

In 2018, the company will celebrate its 100-year anniversary and the Nitto ATP Finals will form an integral part of their strategic initiatives for increased business and brand value to their next century.

Hideo Takasaki, Nitto President, CEO & COO, said: “We are very proud to become the title sponsor of the ATP Finals. Featuring the world’s top men’s professional tennis players, the ATP Finals fits very well with Nitto’s philosophy, where we challenge ourselves to gain top share by utilising our unique technology both locally and on a global level.”