The last group you might expect to focus on creating in‑real‑life (IRL) experiences are content creators. Yet that is increasingly what is happening, for many reasons that should resonate with partnership marketing leaders both inside and outside the sports industry.
Content creators have grown alongside the rise of social and digital platforms. TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X/Twitter (among others) have enabled successful creators to build fan communities, engagement, impressions, and views around their content.
As a result, brands, agencies, and sports properties are often eager to partner with creators to reach target audiences through partnerships, advertising, or branded content. I have previously written about how sports teams in particular are leveraging non-endemic (i.e., non‑sports) influencers to reach their fans and drive incremental revenue and audience growth.
One major challenge for content creators, however, is their reliance on these platforms for revenue. Changes in platform algorithms, content rules, or formats can have dramatic—and often negative—effects on content consumption.
IRL events allow content creators to diversify their revenue streams and distribution channels while assuming greater control. Unlike digital platforms, creators and their agency partners can control the timing, structure, and audience (both who attends and how many attend) of events. In addition to ticket sales, creators can determine which companies can partner or advertise as part of specific events.
There are several other benefits of IRL events. These events enable creators to meet their fans in person—and allow fans to meet one another as well. IRL experiences also provide “content multipliers”: creators can post some or all of the event on social channels and digital platforms to extend reach and engagement.
While the upside is significant, IRL events are only viable if fans are interested in attending. Given the time and expense involved—especially when compared with most digital content creation—the key question is whether fans who originally formed their connection through digital channels are willing to show up in person.
A growing body of evidence suggests the answer is yes, particularly when events are connected organically to sports. Claire Kittle, wife of 49ers tight end George Kittle and host of the House of Sport & Sisterhood (HOSS), has already seen success with an IRL strategy to augment her online presence.
Supporting creators in developing IRL experiences represents an opportunity for sports partnership marketers. Sports properties have both gameday and non‑gameday events that can help creators efficiently build IRL experiences.
Collaborating with content creators enables sports properties to generate more partnership opportunities. More specifically, IRL creator events can be sponsored by existing or new corporate partners—while also deepening fan engagement.
Content creator IRL events also show that physical and digital worlds can more effectively achieve revenue and brand objectives when considered holistically rather than as separate spheres.
For sports properties, creators can drive ticketing, events, merchandise, food and beverage, and apparel revenue through affiliate (referral) marketing relationships. For content creators, sports properties provide opportunities to host IRL events that often resonate naturally with their followers.
I have previously discussed the positive, symbiotic relationship between digital and physical worlds in the context of the Electronic Arts take‑private transaction. Content creators pursuing IRL events represent another example of how this relationship will continue to grow.