The rise of the sports creator economy
The rise of the sports creator economy
Not yet a subscriber? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.
Volkswagen and Sydney Swans extended their partnership for another 5 years across the men’s & women’s teams and QBE Sydney Swans Academy
Toyota Australia and North Queensland Cowboys renewed their Principal Partnership for another 3 x years which will extend the term to 25 years
Medibank announced a 3-year partnership with the AFLW at Marvel Stadium where 20 junior girls were joined by Erin Phillips and Moana Hope to participate in a footy clinic
Medibank-owned ahm Health Insurance also became an official sponsor of the National Pickleball League Australia
Mountain Goat extended their partnership of the South East Melbourne Phoenix for 2 x years
Qantas transported the Australian Olympic Team home in a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner sporting ‘Go Australia’ and welcomed them back with an event inside a Sydney Hangar in front of media and a massive crowd that included family, friends & supporters such as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
Essendon FC players Zach Merrett and Jayden Laverde launched a streetwear label called “Dryp”
The NRL is reportedly planning to stage a “mini-Olympics” on grand final day that includes a sprint race between the league’s fastest players
The Sydney Roosters announced an inaugural ‘Emergency Services’ themed NRL Event to be held each year to highlight the commitment and selflessness of emergency service personnel
Foxtel (which is two-thirds owned by News Corp and one-third by Telstra) is up for sale
Nine reported that its Paris Olympics coverage had a national total TV reach of 19.5m across Channel 9, 9Gem, and 9Now
ESPN retained their rights to the NBA and WNBA in Australia and New Zealand as part of an 11-year extension from season 2025-26 to the 2035-36 season
Kevin Durant became a minority owner of Paris Saint-Germain
The creator economy is changing the landscape of Australian sports media and creating new opportunities for sports to connect with fans
How fans engage with sports has shifted dramatically thanks to the growth of non-traditional digital media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and podcasts, and this has given rise to the ‘creator economy’ that sits among Australian sports media.
The new creators within are delivering sports-themed content in a new and relatable way that often involves comedic sketches, relatable community-themed stories, nostalgic moments and tips & tricks.
Who are they?
The list is never-ending but below are some (predominantly AFL-centric) high-profile examples of talent who’ve built their 'influencer' profiles online and/or launched new sports media brands that have massive audiences.
Sports fans / non-professional athletes:
Archie & Miles Shepherd (Shepmates)
Srey & Checkers (Marmalade Aus)
Tom Baulch (Prime Train)
Josh Garlepp, Harry Fitzgerald Giorgio Savini (Kick it Forward)
Caden MacDonald, Aaron Grocs, Will Taylor
Etc.
Current / ex-athletes:
Dylan Buckley (Clubby Sports)
Denan Kemp (Bloke in a Bar)
Dan Gorringe (Dan Does Footy)
Will Schofield (BackChat)
Tommy Sheridan (Ausmerican Aces)
Tom Mitchell, Josh Giddey, Patty Cripps, Lachie Neale, Erin Phillips (Ball Magnets)
Etc.
In addition...
Creators from other non-sport categories are extending into sport e.g. The Inspired Unemployed partnered with Swisse to create content at the Paris Olympics
Sports teams & leagues and traditional media companies & personnel are extending into non traditional media as they try to maintain relevance
The creator economy isn’t necessarily a bad thing for sports.
This new form of media enables sports to extend into new channels and reach new audiences in a more relevant way.
Online content is often the entry point (top of funnel) for younger fans and this is the case in particularly for Gen Z - A previous survey from Deloitte found that 90%+ of Gen Z fans use social media to consume sports content.
The rising ‘dopamine culture’ is also a key contributor.
It’s trademarked by the endless cycle of scrolling, swiping, and engaging in short-lived activities that provide quick dopamine hits. The short form nature of this new media meets Gen Z where they are.
More engagement = more revenue.
Sport is a unique product in the sense that it's multi-dimensional and can be measured in many ways - broadcast viewership, matchday attendance, sponsorship, membership & merchandise sales, annual revenue etc.
The creator economy is helping sports capture attention, attract new fans and form stronger connections with them which helps underpin the key commercial metrics above.
What can sports do to leverage the rising trend of the creator economy?
Here’s some of the strategies sports teams and leagues from across the world are implementing to leveraging the rise of the creator economy.
Juventus launched the “Juventus Creator Lab” in May - a multi-functional space which aims to foster a closer connection between digital creators and Juventus’ communication department (includes editing, production and press offices, plus several studios - video below)
The National Football League opened up its 'Access Pass Program' (aka access to game footage) to a select group of content creators so they can craft original content using the NFL’s officially approved footage
In 2023 Major League Soccer and TikTok entered into a multiyear partnership and launched a ’Club Creator Network’ where TikTok creators are paired with MLS Clubs to create exciting content during the regular season and off-season
Adobe became the ‘Official Creativity Partner’ of The National Women's Soccer League , providing players with access to brand building workshops, creative & digital marketing tools, personal brand training sessions and connecting them to marketing experts
In Australia, many of Australia’s biggest sports such as the AFL, NRL, Football Australia and Tennis Australia have already partnered with platforms such as TikTok to start delivering fresh content to younger fans.
Creators are increasingly becoming a core part of the plan.
To provide insight, Joel Eyles (Checkers) from 'Marmalade Aus' recently listed some recent collaborations with the AFL on LinkedIn which included:
DJing in the Carlton FC Junior Baggers Zone
Media training with St Kilda FC players
Crowd build & content creation for St Kilda Retro Round
Campaign with Brisbane Lions x Youi Insurance
Involvement in the media build up to Scott Pendleburys 400th game
Social media campaign for AFL Play and Kids Go Free Rounds
Ambassador role for Maccas Kick to Kick throughout the AFL season
Social media platforms and the creator economy present as a key opportunity for small and emerging sports as it provides teams and leagues with a fresh new way to showcase their skills and connect with audiences on a mass-scale.
For example, TikTok has recently given rise to emerging sports like #parkour (39b views), #skateboarding (24b views), and #freerunning (4.8b views).
With the Olympics over and with so many of Australia’s Olympians facing financial hardship, the creator economy presents itself as a key opportunity for athlete's to leverage their Olympic profile's to build a sustainable revenue stream.
adidas - Brand Activation Specialist
AFL - Social Media Executive
Australian Sports Commission - Business Analyst
Basketball Australia - Marketing/Events Specialist - WNBL
Bastion - Associate Creative Director
Bastion - Head of Strategic Partnerships
Bastion - Integrated Account Manager
Brisbane 2032 - Head of Business Technology
Brisbane 2032 - Head of Workforce Planning
Cricket Australia - Content Producer - Big Bash Leagues
Cricket Australia - Social Media Producer - Big Bash Leagues
Cricket Tasmania - Events & Fan Experience Coordinator
Cricket Victoria - Foundation Manager
Destination NSW - Associate Director, Event Investment - Sport
ESPN - Digital Advertising Operations Executive - 12 month contract
Football Australia - Event & Operations Manager
Football Australia - General Manager - Media & Communications, AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 LOC Office
Football Australia - Head of Workforce Management, AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 LOC Office
Football Australia - Manager - Pacific Events
Football Victoria - Media and Communications Manager
Gemba - Operations Coordinator
JD Sports Australia & New Zealand - Store Communications & Operation Manager
KOJO - Account Director
KOJO - Sports Presentation Producer
Lumen8 Media - Client Implementation Executive
M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment - Integrated Designer
Melbourne & Olympic Parks - Operations Manager - Australian Open
Melbourne Victory - Multimedia Producer
MKTG Sports + Entertainment Australia - Marketing and Social Media Manager
Netball Australia - General Manager, Corporate Affairs
Netball Australia - Head of Fundraising - Confident Girls Foundation
Netball Australia - Head of Participation
Netball NSW - General Manager - Venue Operations
New Balance - Strategic Key Account Manager - Lifestyle
News Corp Australia - Head of Vision - Sports
News Corp Australia - Marketing Executive Sport
North Queensland Cowboys - Head of Corporate Partnerships
Nine - Sports Reporter
Octagon - Managing Director, Australia
Queensland Cricket - Marketing Executive - Participation
Rugby Australia - Senior Marketing Manager - British & Irish Lions Tour
Rugby WA - Business Development Manager
South Sydney Rabbitohs - Strategic Business Executive
Sportsbet - Digital Product Manager
Sportsbet - Senior Commercial Manager - Premium
Sports Entertainment Network - Consumer Business Manager
Sports Entertainment Network - Events & Sales Coordinator
Sports Entertainment Network - Events Manager
Sports Entertainment Network - Marketing Partnerships Coordinator
Sports Entertainment Network - PR & Media Manager
St. George Illawarra - Content & Social Media Manager
Sunshine Coast Lightning - Marketing Coordinator
Surfing Victoria - Major Events Manager
Sydney FC - Senior Marketing Manager
Tennis Australia - Content Producer
Tennis Australia - E-commerce coordinator
Tennis Australia - Event Execution Sales Support
Tennis Australia - Event Operations Lead
Tennis Australia - Marketing Partnerships Coordinator
Tennis Australia - Media Services Assistant
Tennis Australia - Product Operations Coordinator (Partner Activations)
TGI Sports - Account Executive
TGI Sport - Graphic Designer
TGI Sport - Public Relations Executive
West Coast Eagles - Education Program Manager
YouGov - Research Executive, Sport
YouGov - Senior Research Manager (Sport)
Not yet a subscriber? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.