How Dan Does Footy is winning the attention game
In a world where attention increasingly lives on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and podcasts, creators are becoming the new media channels
Today’s newsletter is presented by Victory Lap
If you like what you read in the below and want to hear more, you can watch & listen to Dan Gorringe speak on stage at Victory Lap, Australia’s premier sports marketing and creative summit.
Event details:
Date: 7–8 July 2026
Location: Brisbane Powerhouse
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Visit victorylap.com.au and use promo code NOTICE to redeem. The code is valid until 11:59PM, Wednesday 10 June 2026 or until sold out.
Football Australia announced that M.J. Bale has extended its partnership, continuing as the Official Tailor of the CommBank Socceroos - the leading Australian menswear brand will play a central role in presenting the team with a premium, unified and distinctly Australian look across travel, matchdays and official appearances
Hawthorn FC and Trilogy Funds confirmed an extension of their partnership for a further 3 seasons - The Official Finance and Investment Partner will continue to feature across AFL match‑day signage and player appearances
St Kilda FC welcomed live-stream shopping platform Whatnot as its Official Exclusive Live Shopping Partner through to the end of 2026 - As part of the new partnership, fans will have the opportunity to join and interact live on the platform with Saints players and fan favourite Ollie Geale, across several livestreams this season
Essendon FC inked a new deal with Broadscope which became its Official Cleaning Partner - it will service both the AFL and AFLW programs and join as an EFC Network Business Member
North Melbourne FC welcomed Mimosa Homes which joined the club as the Official Residential Home Building Partner across its AFL, AFLW, VFL and VFLW programs
Fremantle Dockers expanded its partnership with Kleenheat, with the WA-based energy retailer extending its support to the Club’s AFLW program
AFL and Elite Eleven launched a new collaboration - the Australian-owned activewear brand has created 3 AFL merchandise pieces for each club
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs welcomed CBS Complete Building Solutions as a Corporate Partner for the 2026 season, and intelligent automation platform, Celigo, as a Presenting Partner of the Bulldogs in Business program
Dolphins announced a new 2-year partnership with Nomadic Off-Road Campers which will play an integral role in the club’s The 100 Club membership initiative, offering a pop-top camper as the major prize for one member who attends every home game throughout the season
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles unveiled Element Live Productions as its Official Events Solutions Partner
Perth Wildcats announced a new partnership with the WA Government (administered by Defence West) that will strengthen community engagement with basketball, healthy and active lifestyles, as well as WA’s defence industry and the career pathways and economic benefits it provides
Sydney FC signed a new 3-year partnership with GAC Australia which will see the global automotive manufacturer’s branding feature prominently across Sydney FC’s A-League Men’s, A-League Women’s and Academy playing and training kits
Boost Mobile AUSX Supercross Championship presented by Monster Energy unveiled its 2026 schedule, with Boost Mobile Australia reaffirming its commitment to the rapidly growing series as Naming Rights Partner for the upcoming season
VB announced a competition which will see it fly two lucky fans on a fully branded private jet to NRL State of Origin Game Two - the ‘Thirst Class’ PR campaign was created in partnership with TGI Wildcard and celebrates VB’s new 3.5% Mid Strength beer
Tim Cahill invested in Australian sports technology platform Nardo (founded by Geedup Co co-founder Beau Catley), joining the business as an investor and strategic partner as the company secures a $1 million pre-seed raise
Football Australia revealed video footage of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Base Camp for the CommBank Socceroos which is located at The Oakland Roots/Soul Training Facility in the San Francisco Bay Area
Marvel Stadium announced a free live site at Stadium Square delivering two months of non-stop sport, featuring every game of the NBA Finals, all Australian FIFA World Cup 2026™ group matches, and select FIFA World Cup 2026™ finals matches
Wellington Phoenix’s Tim Payne saw his Instagram following explode from 5,000 to 4,600,000+ after Argentine influencer Valen Scarsini (elscarso) made a video declaring his mission to champion the 'least-known footballer' at the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup
News broke that the Melbourne Renegades is set to be sold to a private investor, with Cricket Victoria to also rename the Melbourne Stars - the move is subject to approval by Cricket Australia
It was reported that Suncorp Group exited as the Naming Rights Partner of Super Netball after the 2026 season
Foxtel reportedly proposed $4 billion to secure exclusive control of all NRL broadcast rights from 2028, and is seeking an alliance with Seven or Ten to block Nine
Viva Leisure, Australia’s second-largest fitness network, launched a new low-cost gym brand Zoo Fit which is set to open its first two locations in WA in late July
Disney+ greenlit a new premium docuseries which is set to follow SailGP’s BONDS Flying Roos from Australia and world-famous co-owners Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds - it will be produced by Maximum Effort (co-owned by Ryan Reynolds), Eureka Productions and with ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ executive producer Rob Mac
Wimbledon announced that it’s installing a pop-up grass court in New York’s Central Park from 26-29 June 2026, with an exhibition doubles match, public play slots and a live screening of Wimbledon’s opening day
Stephen Curry signed a significant 10-year endorsement contract with Chinese company Li-Ning reportedly worth $400M, this follows his recent departure from Under Armour
How Dan Does Footy is winning the attention game
In a world where attention increasingly lives on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and podcasts, creators are becoming the new media channels, and DDF is leading the charge in Australia
For decades, sports media operated through a relatively simple model.
Broadcasters owned the rights, newspapers controlled the headlines, and radio shaped much of the daily conversation around sport.
Today, however, the sports media landscape looks very different.
Related: Is free-to-air coverage still the North Star of sport media strategy?
Attention is increasingly shifting towards digital platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and podcasts. Younger audiences are discovering, consuming and discussing sport in feeds rather than on front pages, and through creators rather than traditional media personalities.
As a result, individuals are increasingly becoming media platforms in their own right.
No Australian sports creator is leveraging the ‘new media’ better than Dan Gorringe via Dan Does Footy (DDF).
DDF has managed to build a significant audience online
Dan Gorringe Instagram - 373k followers
DDF Instagram - 571k followers
DDF TikTok: 286k followers
DDF YouTube: 40k subscribers
DDF Podcast - 5m downloads in 2025
Related: The rise of the athlete creator
What’s his formula for his success?
1. Doing things different
DDF has become a trailblazer in the Australian sports creator economy.
One of the biggest challenges in today’s creator economy is that content creation has become accessible to everyone.
Anyone can, start a newsletter. launch a podcast, create a YouTube channel, publish content daily.
As a result, content itself is increasingly becoming commoditised.
Differentiation is important in both marketing and the creator economy because attention is scarce, competition is abundant, and audiences need a reason to choose you over countless alternatives.
Whether via humour, big public bets, experimentation, strong opinions or unconventional ideas, he has consistently been willing to do things differently.
As Dan’s Manager, Edward Deal, Founder and Head of Talent at The Gifted Group, recently noted:
“Each decision we make is underpinned by the question, ‘is it different?’ with a constant focus on innovation.”
DDF’s content strategy appears to embody this philosophy.
2. An always-on approach
Algorithm-driven platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube reward consistency.
The more regularly creators publish relevant content, the more opportunities they have to appear in feeds, generate engagement and build audience loyalty.
DDF’s always-on content engine often centred around the topics sports fans care about most, such as:
Carlton’s latest result
A controversial AFL decision
A trending player storyline
A fan debate gaining momentum online
His discipline and consistency has led to April 2026 being the biggest month in Dan Does Footy history, with the podcast reaching the #1 Sports Show position nationally.
DDF’s always-on strategy ensures Gorringe remains part of the daily sports conversation.
In many respects, the approach mirrors the ‘old media’ model of daily YV, newspapers and radio shows, the difference is that distribution is now being handled by algorithms rather than editors.
3. Creating moments the Internet can’t ignore
Consistency keeps audiences engaged and drives steady growth.
Moments turbo-charge growth.
One of the most fascinating aspects of DDF’s rise is Gorringe’s ability to manufacture attention-grabbing moments that travel well across social platforms.
Over the past few years, he has become known for developing stunts, bets, challenges and experiences specifically designed to spark conversation, sharing and earned media.
Some examples worth noticing:
Hosting an ‘Ultra Goal-kicking Challenge Challenge at Marvel Stadium, Live on YouTube which saw Dan Gorringe attempt to kick 1,000 consecutive goals across a continuous 48-hour livestream here
Teaming up with Gatorade, and being an ambassador for its inaugural ‘Run the Track’ fun run around Albert Park in the lead up to the Formula 1 Grand Prix
Changing his name to “Richmond Gorringe” after losing a bet, following Richmond defeating Carlton here
Getting a Nick Daicos tattoo on his ankle after losing a bet, following Carlton’s loss to Collingwood here
Locking himself inside a glass box outside of the MCG for 48 hours here
Hosting a first of its kind AFL Finals watchalong on YouTube here
AFL Gather Gather Round Survivor Bus Challenge here
Collaborating with the NFL’s LA Rams and Seattle Seahawks
Appearing, and owning a signficant presence at last years AFL Legends Game
Going live online with guests with Cody Weightman painting, Changkuoth Jiath DJing, Cam Zurhaar cooking live here
At first glance, these moments appear to be little more than entertainment.
In reality, they reveal a sophisticated understanding of how attention works on modern media platforms - Algorithms reward engagement, conversation and content that people feel compelled to share.
DDF PR stunts generate significant cut-through and online performance
Some performance metrics worth noticing:
Ultra Goal Kicking Challenge:
Locking himself inside a box outside of MCG:
Even the ‘Old Man Media’ which Gorringe has waged a war against, cover his stories - For example, his Ultra Goal Kicking Challenge was covered for 4 minutes on 10 News+.
4. Extending beyond online, into the real life
Another notable feature of the creator economy is the growing convergence between content and experiences.
The strongest creator brands are no longer confined to digital platforms.
They’re building communities online and offline.
Through live watch parties, appearances, fan experiences and events, DDF has created opportunities for audiences to engage with the brand beyond a podcast feed or social media platform.
Examples include:
On-stage show at ‘Next Door hosted by Hard Rated’ at AFL Gather Round here
AFL Grand Final breakfast
Selling out his 2025 live podcast show at Adelaide Oval Live Show in 48 hours here
New event: Dan Does Footy at Margaret Court Arena
The live momentum is set to continue - On AFL Grand Final Public Holiday Eve, DDF is taking over Margaret Court Arena for the biggest live podcast event in Australian and New Zealand history.
In partnership with Pepsi and Jameson, DDF Live will feature special guests, huge moments, fan interaction, surprise acts and arena-scale production designed to turn Grand Final weekend into a full-blown festival of footy.
5. An integrated approach to sports media
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Dan Does Footy model is how each channel works together.
The podcast creates long-form content
The long-form content becomes short-form clips
The clips drive social media growth
Social media and podcasts promote live events
The events create new content
The content attracts new fans, drives audience growth
…The cycle repeats.
Rather than operating as separate channels, each platform contributes to a broader media ecosystem designed to maximise audience growth and engagement.
Every channel extension widens the funnel.
Every piece of new content strengthens the flywheel.
Brands are paying attention
Attention is one of the most valuable assets in modern media.
Generally speaking, the more attention a creator can generate, the more opportunities exist to commercialise that audience through sponsorships, partnerships, events and experiences.
It’s therefore no surprise that Dan Does Footy has attracted an impressive roster of commercial partners, including:
Gatorade
DoorDash
Koala
Nike
Youi
Isuzu
Jameson
Sportsbet
Pepsi
McDonald’s
Asahi / Hard Rated
Dan Gorringe has built a sports media business that’s appropriately designed for the algorithm era
Ultimately, DDF’s rise reflects a broader shift in sports media.
Attention is moving towards creator-led platforms, algorithms are replacing traditional gatekeepers, and individuals are becoming media brands in their own right.
The creators who can consistently earn attention will be among the biggest winners.
Related: How Dan Does Footy is shaping the future of Australian sports media
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