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Short-form content shot on the training ground now reaches more fans than the post-match interview. We look at how to make it work for partners.
A player films partner content in a studio session
• Daniel Okafor
A decade ago a player’s media commitment meant a press conference and a sponsor photo. Today a single content day can produce thirty short videos, a dozen stills and a behind-the-scenes cut for every channel the club and its partners run.
The shift matters because fans follow people before they follow clubs. A goalkeeper doing a skills challenge in a partner’s kit travels further than the same product in a static advert, and it keeps working for weeks after it is posted.
The clubs doing this well plan content days like matchdays: a clear run-sheet, a partner brief agreed in advance, and a crew that can shoot vertical and horizontal at the same time. That preparation is what keeps the player relaxed and the content natural.
For brands, the opportunity is to be written into the format rather than bolted on at the end. A partner product that belongs in the challenge, the drill or the dressing-room routine earns attention instead of asking for it.
