Distribution & D2F

The traditional form of broadcasting in football that we have been enjoying for decades has remained unchallenged and untouched - until now. We have been recently encountering fresh adaptations with new distribution channels that focus on co-streaming on platforms such as Twitch, TikTok and YouTube. This direct-to-fans innovation streams fast-paced, shorter-form football to cater to the preferences of the younger generation (Predominantly Gen Z & Alpha), who are consuming football and football media in novel ways - through Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts. From grassroots 5-a-side matches to innovative products like the Kings League and Baller League, the landscape has been and is still ripe for transformation.

With this evolution, what can sponsors and stakeholders learn from this boom in growth and development of the modern consumption of football and how are the biggest organisations in world football starting to capitalise on these new potential avenues?

Credit: Substack

Successful experimentation

The football scene is witnessing a proliferation of alternative formats beyond the conventional 11-a-side game. The Kings League, for instance, offers a dynamic twist with smaller 7-a-side teams competing in fast-paced matches - spearheaded by Barcelona legend Gerard Piqué and Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos. Broadcast live on Twitch and YouTube, it became the first professional football league to be streamed exclusively online, but earlier last year, the league struck a deal with linear broadcasters TV3 and Cuatro in Spain to showcase the matches on terrestrial channels. However, YouTube still remains their biggest platform. The league experienced rapid growth in 2023, gaining 800,000 subscribers and over 180M views (live streaming accounts for over 50% of that), but they also have quite a global audience outside of Spain, with 54% coming from LATAM and the USA.

Connected TV remains dominant for Kings League viewing, as 20M hours were watched last year on CTV apps - which is 42% of their total hours watched - and this example in particular is quite high for Gen Z-based audiences. The regular season averaged 450,000 viewers, with the most-watched match peaking at 1.68 million viewers with a 28 minute average watch time- in part due to Brazilian legend Ronaldinho’s debut - how’s that for a namedrop?

Gamification opportunities - including Spanish daily sports newspaper MARCA’s fantasy football partnership with the Kings League - keep fans interested long-term. The league has managed to amass over 10 million followers since its inception in November 2022, with over 47 million total hours watched worldwide. 

Elsewhere in Europe, the Baller League (set up by German professional footballers Mats Hummels and Lukas Podolski) has emerged as a platform for street footballers to showcase their flair and creativity. With many random special abilities during the match (called power-ups) and a unique indoor ruleset, it provides plenty of opportunities for sponsors to get their name out there on digital channels. For example, as an innovation partner, Samsung Deutschland sponsors their version of power-ups, which are called ‘Galaxy 1-on-1’, ‘Galaxy FastForward’ and ‘Galaxy Fairplay’. It adds another dimension to the gamification and modernisation of entertainment within the game, whilst providing potential stakeholders with the opportunity to get their brand name out there to a younger, more chronically online audience.

Credit: Samsung

It is also akin to that of Neymar Jr’s Five - the Brazilian superstar’s own competition. There are no goalkeepers and an opposing player is eliminated every time a team scores. Matches last for 10 minutes, or until one team loses all its players. The perfect amount of time to encapsulate a younger generation’s mind until it loses interest and scrolls onto the next viral video. The results? 250m+ worth of global reach, 42 years worth of content viewed in 2 years and almost 1m social media followers gained. Not bad.

The advent of digital platforms like YouTube (and their evolution of Shorts), Instagram and TikTok has revolutionised football consumption. Influencers and content creators host charity matches that not only entertain but also raise funds for noble causes. The collective group of YouTubers aptly named the Sidemen hosted their biggest football event yet in 2023, selling out the fourth-largest Premier League stadium in London. The livestream peaked at a whopping 2.7m live concurrent viewers (for reference, The Times suggests Sky Sports generates an average viewership of 1.78m per Premier League match), with over 35 million views on the video currently on YouTube. 

Credit: Sidemen

With all eyes on these new distribution channels, 5-a-side matches are gaining popularity due to their accessibility and inclusivity. More informal local games and meet-ups foster a kind of weekly camaraderie among young players and provide a platform for both young aspiring talent and casual ballers to hone their skills in a less pressurised environment. Also, they’re a great way to meet up with your friends and have a kick-about whilst being social outside - something that I think as a Gen Z myself I’ve definitely struggled with recently. 

How do we score?

Switching the focus to the big organisations; to remain relevant, football associations and organisations are focusing on the need to adapt to these shifting preferences. Embracing alternative formats and leveraging digital platforms and distribution channels that focus on direct-to-fan experiences can enhance engagement and broaden the sport's appeal among younger audiences. There is an urgent need to reinvent the classic offering with the increasing risk of losing relevance and viewership from Gen Z and Alpha audiences. 

Creating unique media rights offerings and rethinking the distribution model by introducing new channels and partnerships - such as Twitch, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube, alongside defining new content & storytelling approaches authentically engages with and widens communities. There’s a growing need to make football more accessible around the world, which is possible via these media channels, but also more engaging and bite-size, with short-form content currently leading the way in terms of growth among sports consumption. 

There’s also room for big organisations to take advantage of user-generated content. Social media outlets such as House of Highlights reported that 90 per cent of their content was from amateur UGC. Brands and organisations are having more and more success on social media channels by showing this kind of willingness to interact and authenticity, however, according to SportsPro, ‘there’s still a pretty big gap between what is actually perceived between consumers and brands about what content resonates as authentic.’

The evolution of football media and format also presents lucrative opportunities for sponsors. By aligning with innovative leagues, sponsors can reach a wider audience and associate their brand with the excitement and dynamism of modern football. Collaborating with influencers, sponsoring digital content, and hosting the kind of campaigns that pride themselves on interaction remain effective strategies to connect with Gen Z and Alpha audiences, fostering yet more brand loyalty, and aligning themselves with values of inclusivity, diversity, and youth empowerment through strategic investments. Big brands such as adidas, McDonald’s, and Spotify through the previously discussed Kings League, and XING and Samsung through the Baller League are already starting to reap the benefits.

Credit: Baller League

With football - the world’s most popular and biggest sport - still set to continue to evolve, embracing the new formats, leveraging these new digital distribution channels, and engaging with Gen Z and Alpha audiences are imperative for the sport's long-term success. More and more growth is coming through direct-to-fan engagement, and by diversifying offerings, football associations and sponsors can tap into emerging trends and cultivate a passionate fan base that transcends the sort of traditional boundaries that we’ve grown accustomed to in the past. The future of football - and in particular, its growing short-form content - lies in embracing change and embracing the evolving preferences of today's generation.