Create Share Engage: Authenticity, creative storytelling and targeted content dominate the discussions By Jo Ruddock
Thursday, May 4, 2023 - 11:05
Print This Story
Melissa Lawton, chief content officer at SailGP, speaks to SVG Europe's George Bevir
Bringing together those at the forefront of creating and monetising new and engaging viewing opportunities and experiences within sports, SVG Europe's Create Share Engage event (Wednesday 3 May, London) delivered a whole host of insight into everything from content authenticity and ad etch in live sport to best practice when creating digital content for multiple platforms.
After an introduction from Steve Wind-Mozley, CMO at title sponsor LiveU, the inaugural event began with an opening keynote featuring FIBA Media managing director Andrew Ryan and Gauthier Rakotonirina, head of third-party marketing. The pair revealed how the international basketball federation captures and shares content to drive engagement among viewers and create commercial opportunities.
Delivering relevant and local content is central to the success of FIBA's approach. We really do try to invest in the creation and development of content assets for each specific country, so you'll have high-quality content assets made available to our broadcaster in the US just as much as you will our broadcaster in smaller countries such as South Sudan, and it'll be content that is useful to them, not just generic content which won't gain a huge amount of traction in their market, said Ryan.
Our production philosophy is to put the viewer not just in the best seat in the house, but the best seat anywhere, he added.
This will be helped at the upcoming Men's Basketball World Cup, which starts in August, by the potential addition of a vertical drop camera, which is currently being trialled. The plan is to drop it down just before tip off to make viewers feel like they're almost in the circle. The camera will then rise so you get the feel of the athletes jumping, Ryan revealed.
Rakotonirina went on to explain how utilising athletes' social media reach is also helping FIBA to expand its appeal. We have to think about what athletes want on their channels while also giving value to rightsholders. Within a game we produce a huge amount of content that we share with athletes.
The priority is to get those viewers to the live broadcasts. Seeing moments is one thing, but seeing the entire game is the full experience, he added.
Continuing with the content creation theme, Sunset+Vine head of digital Raj Mannick shared his thoughts on how to produce effective sports content for digital platforms.
He said: The best sports content is anything that reminds fans why they love sport. Any content that can capture that hairs on the back of the neck' feeling will be popular, along with content that shows the dedication and sacrifice of athletes. But that's the extreme and there's everything in between so there's lots of opportunities.
Sunset+Vine head of digital Raj Mannick
The key, he said, is not just to deliver content that is authentic, but that is also relevant to the platform, as what works on Facebook won't perform so well on TikTok, for example. An added challenge is that measures of success are often changeable.
Success is constantly evolving because this is a space that moves quickly. Revenue is obviously a key one, but engagement rate, for us, is a big, big measure of success. I think previously lots of people looked at views or reach, but the way that's measured isn't consistent across platforms, whereas with engagement rate someone has to physically interact with your content and that means you're communicating with them.
While the sheer number of platforms and the frequent changes they implement may seem daunting, Mannick concluded by saying: As long as you're not putting all your eggs in one basket - I think that's a sensible approach to take. I also think if at the core you have your own values and principles and follow them, that's the only way you're going to build long-term trust with your audience.
Melissa Lawton, chief content officer at SailGP, picked up on the issue of authenticity in a session entitled Racing Ahead with SailGP. You've got to be yourself on each platform and each one of those platforms is looking for a slightly different version of you, she expanded.
SailGP has a seven-platform strategy encompassing broadcast, OTT and social media. We deliver content to the Facebook audience in a way that makes sense on Facebook. We have a YouTube channel, but within YouTube now there's also those different levels - so the subscribers or core fans, the casual fans who are discovering us for the first time, and then there's curious fans who come to us through new initiatives like shorts. TikTok is key for us to engage an audience that probably wouldn't turn on the TV to watch us.
The main aim of SailGP's digital content strategy is to raise awareness. We're a start-up league, we're in our third season and we want to be on as many platforms in as many formats as possible and in front of the largest audience possible.
Data is already providing key information on the type of content that works, how much viewers are engaging, when they drop off and what doesn't work, and this has led to changes in SailGP's strategy. While initially broadcasts focused on in-depth informative content, now we know people like to see boats on water, so we get to that action as quickly as possible . For season 4, expect more content focused around the technology on board as this has proved popular. It'll be used in different formats across all platforms, she revealed.
After a networking break, the audience at Kings Place in London were treated t
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
Create Share Engage: Authenticity, creative storytelling and targeted content dominate the discussions By Jo Ruddock 
