From NBA stars streaming on Twitch to MLB and NFL teams broadcasting on Facebook Live, teams, leagues, and players have made digital media a core way to connect with fans.
That opens up new opportunities for brand sponsors to reach those viewers, too. Here are six ways to activate brands in sports livestreams using Switcher Studio.
One of the most efficient ways to gain brand exposure for sponsors without distracting from the game is to use overlays. Small logo overlays can sit on the top, bottom, sides, and corners of a stream; you can even rotate among multiple logos throughout a stream. To achieve this affect in the Switcher app, upload custom sponsor logos as overlay assets using the blue plus button. Tapping the asset will display the sponsor logo on-screen.
What is the best way to go from a simple logo to a meaningful and engaging brand experience? Connect the brand to the broadcast by incorporating customized video segments. A great way to mix in customized segments is to record them ahead of time and integrate them as prerecorded video assets. For a look at how to upload prerecorded video, check out this GIF:
Your biggest live moments can carry a sponsor, too. With Instant Replay, one tap shows the last 10, 20, or 30 seconds again, and your commentator can introduce it as a sponsored moment: "This replay is brought to you by..." It's the part of the game every fan is watching, with your partner's name attached.
Many popular streamers utilize intro, outro, and be-right-back cards to let their audiences know the status of their streams.
Incorporating branding into title cards creates simple exposure opportunities for sponsors without distracting from the main content of a stream. To add title cards, simply tap the blue plus button and add full-screen images as assets.
To ensure that your brand and partners reach fans across the internet, you need content that is consistent and varied.
Whether you’re livestreaming games, player interviews, sports business news, or lifestyle content, consider the platform audience you’re streaming to. For more business-focused streams such as expert panels, consider LinkedIn Live (Switcher is one of LinkedIn Live's Preferred Partners).
For game livestreams, Facebook Live is a popular place for casual fans to catch the score. On Twitch, chatters can interact directly with their favorite players through fan Q&As.
Planning a variety of content to stream across your team’s channels will attract current and new fans while giving your sponsors the best possible exposure. Switcher Studio supports livestreaming to Facebook Live, LinkedIn Live, YouTube, Twitch, Amazon Live, and more.
Just because the red "live" light has been turned off doesn't mean the content is finished. Small, snackable edits of longer livestreams are perfect to share as videos or even GIFs on your team's X, Instagram, and Facebook feeds.
Fans who missed the stream can still enjoy the best parts of the broadcast, while brands extend their exposure across team social channels. It's also a great opportunity to brand those clips after the stream with watermarks and intro and outro swipes.
On Switcher, you can use Director Mode to save livestreams as HD recorded videos for later editing. Instant Replay gives you a head start, too: every replay you show during the game is saved as a video asset, so your best moments are ready to brand without digging through the full recording.
Sponsors of sports teams and leagues are always looking for new ways to engage fans with their brand. Utilizing new tools available on streaming platforms can be a great way for fans to interact.
On Twitch, for example, streamers can run giveaways of merch and branded products or even offer meet and greet opportunities to engaged chatters. Running polls can be a great way to gauge how fans feel about a particular game, player, or even a sponsored product.
Polls and giveaways can easily be run directly through the Switcher app.
Ready to get started with sports streaming? Start your free 14-day trial of Switcher Studio today — stream to Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, LinkedIn, or almost anywhere else.