By Jacob Feldman
Sports Business Reporter
There has been a dramatic shift in the way social media works over recent years, with personality-follower relationships largely being replaced by platform algorithms that recommend the most engaging pieces of content they can find. That has significant ramifications for sports.
Whereas users used to flock to player accounts to feel closer to the action, it’s now the more faceless brands serving up the best content that win out over time. Cristiano Ronaldo has the biggest Instagram account (except for literal @Instagram), but on TikTok, it’s ESPN that stands above all other names in sports. There’s a new opportunity, then, for organizations that own intellectual property even if they can’t lay claim to diehard fans’ hearts. On Tuesday, digital sports media company Wave Sports + Entertainment announced a new division, Wave Media Agency, to help global sports properties get the most out of their online accounts.
Founded in 2017 to provide sports-related videos for Gen Z social media users, Wave now boasts 130 million engaged followers, with an expanded portfolio that includes digital series such as New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce. Its owned channels include Jukes, Haymakers and Buckets.
“That’s made our team, some of the most—call it highly sought-after experts—when it comes to short form video programming and community building,” Wave CEO Brian Verne said. “We always believed that short form video is paramount when it comes to cultivating and building fandom.”
Wave Media Agency’s day one roster includes the Los Angeles Clippers, CONCACAF, Serie A USA, and Combate Global as well as media properties such as FIBA Next Gen Hoops and Tennis Channel. Wave has been supporting third-party accounts on a more informal basis previously; the company claims to have helped generate 1 billion views across social media for league partners.
The companies coming to Wave are looking to acquire new fans, strengthen relationships with existing followers, and—notably—generate revenue as social moves from being a marketing-focused engagement platform to a money-driving distribution tool. The content Wave intends to create and publish on a variety of digital sites such as YouTube and Snapchat stretches from short-form behind-the-scenes and archival clips to multi-episode digital docuseries.
“It’s marrying our production and distribution expertise to ultimately help the top leagues, rightsholders and sports properties reach, engage and—equally as important—to monetize this next generation of fans,” Verne said. “It’s something that’s been a culmination of the last seven years.”
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