11 Recent Sports-Centric Videos to Watch Now

For those of you that follow this blog or my Twitter feed, you know I’m big on video content that evokes emotion (surprise, joy, sentimentality, passion, etc.) or tells a story. For a while it seemed like stellar sports-centric video content was lacking across teams and leagues. A lot of video content was produced, but I rarely saw pieces that made me want to stop and watch all the way through; pieces that really tap into the emotion of sports.

I’m happy to say that’s beginning to change. Over the last month, I’ve seen stellar video content in the sports industry from athletic departments, professional teams and brands. I’ve compiled a list of 11 videos that caught my attention recently. They range from intro videos to ads, and I hope that something serves as inspiration to you. Enjoy!

South Carolina Men’s Basketball: Here

I was lucky enough to get insight on South Carolina’s “Here” campaign earlier this year from their CMO Eric Nichols. This latest addition to the campaign does not disappoint. I really like how they picked a theme (toughness) and weaved that into the entire video. What I love most about this campaign (and video) from USC is that they aren’t selling; they are telling what makes their program and team unique.

Indiana: Defining the Hoosier Nation

This video actually uses fan submissions to define what the Hoosier Nation is, although you probably won’t realize it until the end. I’ve talked a lot about leveraging user-generated content lately and this is a great example of how you can involve your fans. I especially love that the video showcases how being a part of the Hoosier family is much more than a game.

If you want to learn more about the video, you can read a great post from the Convince and Covert team here.

Clemson Football: Home

This video is everything to me. It’s exactly what I wish we would see more of in sports. The video taps into why fans love going to Clemson games way beyond the scoreboard. It’s beautiful, powerful and gives me chills every time I watch.

Guinness Rugby- Mind Over Matter 

This is how brands should activate around sports sponsorships, period. It’s not about the product; it’s about emotional storytelling. The films demonstrate that there are far greater qualities a man can possess than just physical ones, which is extremely relatable to their consumer. Take the time to watch the whole series. It’s really good.

GA/FL Preview 2014

UGA nails their videos every single time. And, this video is a great example of how to promote a game and TV broadcast: It starts out with inspiring, strong words before plugging the game. It’s simple, but really well done.

Cavs Intro Videos

I love the angle of this video: That everyone comes from different backgrounds, different journeys, etc., but that when everyone arrives to Quickens Loans Arena, they are home. It taps into the notion that sports bring people together and that’s a powerful thing.

Strength of a Warrior

The Warriors partnered with local creative agency First Person® to create this video. The focus of the intro video is very much on the court, but I really love the futuristic approach they took with it. It takes the typical intro videos you see up a notch with an element of surprise. The video already has more than 64,000 views on YouTube and 116,000 on Facebook. Additionally, when you look through the Facebook comments you will see words like, dope, sick, etc. Yes, their fans love the video and ultimately that is all that matters.

The One: From the Open

The One is a short film celebrating the heritage of The Open. It conveys the drama and emotion of the players and the fans and their shared experience of the unrelenting challenge of links golf. While it’s a little long, I love that it taps into the emotion that both the fans and the players feel during a tournament.

Nice Tweets

This is a great spin off of mean tweets. It’s simple to execute and a great way to thank your fans.

Minnesota Hockey Intro

I love how Minnesota opens up with pictures of their student-athletes when they are younger. The imagery with the music is powerful. They set the scene up nicely before getting into the fast-paced, hard-hitting hockey action.

Auburn Gymnastics Commercial

I realize this video is fairly simple, but that’s what makes it so powerful about it. They have actually played it in Jordan-Hare Stadium during the games this year and it always seems to catch people’s attention. That’s saying a lot. It’s a good reminder that sometimes simple is best.

Are there any videos that have caught your eye recently? If so, be sure to share them below! Thanks for reading. 

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