In the early days of social media, you would never see highlights on Twitter. The internet was the wild, wild west and so many clung to control. Thankfully, we have come a long way. Leagues and broadcast partners have loosened the reins on rights at various different levels. If you scroll through Twitter during a live game you’re guaranteed to highlight after highlight and big plays.
But sometimes with highlights, it feels like a sea of sameness. Leagues share them. Teams share them. Broadcast partners share them. Even fans share them. So many people have access to highlights that they aren’t original anymore.
The more access to highlights is a good thing for everyone, but it brings up an interesting point for teams. How can highlights and big-play moments become more their own? Here’s why this thinking is important:
Adds to the second screen.
Making highlights and game coverage more original adds to the second screen experience. It takes what was seen in broadcast and puts a fresh spin on it. And even if the fan isn’t watching on TV, the original spin probably has just as much value – if not more – than a straight-up broadcast highlight
Separates from the crowd.
As mentioned above, there are already a host of others who
Pushes creativity.
Sports are unpredictable, but they are also very cyclical. It can be easy to get in the same routine from a coverage standpoint. If you make it a priority as a team to start creating more original content, it will push your creativity. You’ll search for new angles. You’ll catch candid/interesting moments. You’ll come up with new and amazing creative executions. Essentially, this type of thinking will help your team raise the bar.
Gives moments more legs.
I understand there are moments where it makes sense to share a clip of a straight highlight. It’s the fastest and easiest way to share in the moment. Additionally, certain leagues have restrictions where teams can’t share original footage in-game (or the amount is limited). Understanding that not every team can share original content during games, there’s still value in making them original as an opportunity to give the moment more legs.
Depending on the situation and the rules, teams can share the broadcast footage
And if rules are no issue, then the hardest part with original content in game is determining the need for immediacy and figuring out the workflow. Turning around content quickly is no easy feat, so it’s a balancing act of understanding what needs to be pushed out now, what can be pushed out later and where we can share a straight highlight but then put a spin on it later.
So, how we can take highlights and make them more original or extend the moment of the big play? Below are a few creative executions + styles for that have caught my eye.
Note: The first bucket is something for in-game, while the others are probably ideas for extending the moment/play and giving it more legs given the product time.
FYOF: Film your own footage.
Filming your own footage is a great way to get game highlights that are different from the broadcast. Teams that hire videographers not only get great angles on big moments, but they are also able to get all the moments in between. From the celebrations to the fans often captures the essence of the atmosphere and a moment in a special way. Below are some examples:
If you’re looking for more examples, here’s a great thread on Twitter that has a ton of them. I wish I could include them all on the blog because there’s a ton of inspiration here.
Add some flair.
It’s amazing how far the industry has come in terms of creativity and talent. With every new scroll through Twitter, I find a new and eye-catching creative execution that I haven’t see or thought of before. If you’re looking to extend a moment, graphics and strong editing can play a huge role in making highlights original. Don’t be afraid to try new things and add some flair.
Below are a few examples of unique creative executions that add some flair to highlights. Some of these were shared during the offseason and/or more as game previews, but I think the executions would also work really well as an extension of a big moment. Whether it’s a recap or a fun execution, there are so many creative ways you can give big plays and wins legs:
Give perspective.
If you’re looking to do something different with highlights, consider finding ways to bring in a first-hand perspective on that moment. This could be players talking about the moment, fan reactions, etc. It adds a different level of emotion and the context can be really interesting. Below are a few examples.
The Bottom Line
There are many more examples of teams making highlights their own, but the key is to think about all the ways you can repurpose them. How can you leverage the creativity of your team to do something different, add narrative, offer perspective? Whether the plan is to use the original content in-game or following, thinking about how to make big plays and moments original will no doubt push the creativity of your team and add value to fans. That’s a win, win.
What teams have you seen make highlights their own? I would
