Why Is ESPN Going All-In With Social Media Influencers?
A new type of storytelling is coming to ESPN, and it’s being fueled by the network’s embrace of young social media influencers. The newest influencer to join the ESPN fold is Katie Feeney, a recent college grad who already has a reported 14 million social followers across a mix of different social media platforms.
The sports lifestyle
On one level, of course, the move makes sense. It gives ESPN a way to connect with younger social media users. These users didn’t grow up with cable TV as their primary source of sports news. Instead, they use social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to keep up with what’s happening in the world of sports.
At a deeper level, though, ESPN is realizing that the worlds of “sports content” and “lifestyle content” are combining in new ways. At one time, the two worlds were very different. Sports content was about the athletes and their performance on the field. Lifestyle content was about what they did off the field.
But it’s no longer possible to separate the two. There’s now an insatiable appetite for behind-the-scenes access about what happens before and after top athletes leave the field. Top athletes are celebrities, and their lifestyles reflect that. Young social media users don’t just want to know how they prepare before and after a game - they also want to know what types of cars they drive, where they live, and what types of events they attend.
The role of young social media influencers
Enter Katie Feeney. While the recent Penn State grad might be a surprising pick to be an ESPN influencer, she actually has plenty of credentials. She’s covered the Super Bowl and the Oscars, and she was a social media correspondent for the Washington Commanders. She also has plenty of experience creating the sorts of quirky, fun, and upbeat videos that can go viral on social media.
For now, says ESPN, her role will be to create vertical, short-form videos that can be posted on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. She’ll also be a new contributor on ESPN’s “College Gameday” and “Monday Night Football Countdown.”
It’s easy to see how ESPN could go even deeper on the social media influencer concept, potentially signing young influencers from campuses around the nation. What better way to grow a national brand even bigger?
Will the strategy work?
Of course, there might be some skeptics out there. After all, Katie Feeney is not a former pro football player, and she has no real work experience outside of social media. Her primary asset is her youth, and her ability to create content that will appeal to young people.
And that’s where things get a bit fuzzy. For the past few years, ESPN has been a struggling brand. They have had several high-profile firings (including Suzy Kolber, who also worked on Monday Night Football). Also, everyone knows that social media-centric sports brands are now growing much faster than ESPN. The business strategy at ESPN seems to be cost-cutting, and ditching all the really expensive contracts of their on-air talent. Into this void, young social media influencers are a relative bargain.
It will be interesting to see where all this heads. Most likely, her videos at “College Gameday” will be a smash hit. That’s her core audience and her core demographic. But what about “Monday Night Football Countdown”? That’s when we’ll know if ESPN’s embrace of young social media influencers is a winning strategy or not.