Bleacher Report’s, House of Highlights, with Turner Broadcasting’s acquired U.S rights to the Champions League, is aiming to spotlight European Soccer as a new market with which to drive U.S based engagement. The current model of the Instagram account is to supplement as the intersection between sports and culture. The Instagram account currently emphasizes the NBA but also touches on the NFL and MLB. House of Highlights does well in their ability bring relatable and culturally forward content to their audience; with more than 50 percent of their audience being under the age of 24, they have a unique platform from which to do so.
Having acquired new rights to European Soccer content, House of Highlights is going to soon have access to a Pandora’s box of potential content,
“Sport is all about storylines and narratives,[European] football is a big soap opera just like the NBA is, in terms of players moving teams, changing managers and celebrating on pitch in culturally relevant ways. We can help tell all that.” – James Grigg Dir. of Int’l Ops for Bleacher Report
House of Highlights is going to take their player-driven approach and translate it into the world of Soccer. Having an understanding of what content modern audiences prefer to consume, House of Highlights can draw on their current success and understandings to help drive European soccer to new markets in the United States. Currently, Bleacher Report’s “Football” account, which touches only on European Soccer, has 20 percent of their audience based in the United States.
Soccer in the United States has been steadily growing, and some of the internet’s top accounts are taking notice. With MLS finding its feet and European soccer continuing to inspire, the opportunities to market soccer to the United States continue to look better and better.
Categories: Digital Content, Soccer Marketing, Social Media, TV Rights