Earlier in the week, the first Sport Industry Socials event of 2023, ‘The Rise of Original Content in Sport’ took place at Everyman Cinema, Kings Cross.
To kick off the 2023 series we invited Sport Industry Partners, Members, NextGen Leaders and special guests to a private screening of the very best original content being produced by the sports industry.
As the guests settled into the sofas at the luxurious Everyman cinema, we began the evening by warming up the audience with an interactive football game provided by Sport Industry Group partner, Piing.
After the game, the main event commenced with Sport Industry Group Managing Director, Dylan Pugh, introducing the first film of the evening.
With the FEVO Sport Industry Awards 2023 the big screen showcased some of the outstanding entries from this year’s Original Content Award, which included BBC’s Jamie Johnson, Premier League’s When Finlay Met Jack, BBC Sounds’ Moment of Truth, Premier League’s Fairytale Foxes, The R&A’s Live At The Range, The FA’s Our England and the DP World Tour and PGA Tour’s An Animated Journey Through Golf.
After getting a taste of some of the year’s greatest pieces of original content, the audience welcomed three experts in the field to discuss the evolution of content and delve into the inner workings of the creative process.
Laura Williamson, Deputy Editor of The Athletic UK took care of hosting duties, inviting NEO Studio’s Jimmy Rutherford and SVP Brand and Marketing at ATP and WTA, Dan Ginger to take on the discussion.
After previewing trailers of the respective content the pair had been involved in – NEO Studios The Giants and Netflix’s Break Point – Laura began by quizzing Ginger on how producers can prepare for the unpredictability of sports season, like Netflix had to in Break Point.
“We knew what athletes we wanted to feature and target in this series, but you don’t know what narrative will evolve. We would just go to all of the tournaments, film everything, and essentially just cast a net and see what narratives evolve. You can’t go into these projects and have a story in your head,” Ginger explained.
Ginger also highlighted the unrealistic expectation docuseries such has Drive To Survive has created as other rightsholders follow a similar route.
Ginger said, “People would say, ‘Great we’ve got a Netflix series, our numbers are just going to go through the roof’, but this takes time. Docuseries, particularly on Netflix, mean people don’t watch immediately. Consumers are watching Drive To Survive two years after it was released.”
“For us, it’s the long game. Yes, you want to see growth and more eyeballs. But this series is made to grow the profile of the next generation of athletes. That is the focus to create a sustainable future for tennis,” Ginger continued.
Rutherford, former Head of Content at Tottenham Hotspur, spoke about his experience working with a high-profile rightsholder on a similar series.
“We just had to ensure Amazon had as much opportunity to get everything as possible. So, the fixed ring always helps. For example, a fixed camera in Jose Mourinho’s office is always great to watch. You’re sometimes getting 10 hours of footage for 10 seconds of great footage.”
“In terms of getting buy in, it’s just honesty and explaining that you’re not just trying to throw anyone under the bus here. You’re just trying to find great content.”
The speakers continued to discuss a range of topics including their favourite sports documentaries on television at the moment, the importance of highlight ‘untold’ stories, and the growing desire for rights holders to focus on sustainability and purpose-driven topics.
The guests then headed to the bar for some drinks, food and networking opportunities to see off an engaging, entertaining and informative evening celebrating original content in sport.
Access to Sport Industry Socials is exclusive to Sport Industry Members. Sport Industry Members are able to attend SIG events, enjoy discounts to attend the FEVO Sport Industry Awards and receive free award entries every year.
Find out more here.
“In terms of getting buy in, it’s just honesty and explaining that you’re not just trying to throw anyone under the bus here. You’re just trying to find great content.”
JIMMY RUTHERFORD, NEO STUDIOS
“We would just go to all of the tournaments, film everything, and essentially just cast a net and see what narratives evolve. You can’t go into these projects and have a story in your head,”
DAN GINGER, ATP & WTA
