Imagine if you were tasked with creating the first ever Classic Rock station. I’m not talking about going back in time. I’m saying imagine you live in today’s world, and this giant body of incredibly popular music exists, but the format isn’t available on the radio. The songs are streaming, the bands are touring, and other mediums are using the music in various ways, but radio is just now getting its first opportunity. Would you do exactly what you are doing today or would the blank slate without preconceived notions lead you in new directions?
That’s sort of the challenge presented to the team at Bleacher Report. In January, the NFL and Bleacher Report announced a multi-year content partnership giving the organization access to NFL game footage to “use in original content across its social and owned and operated platforms.” The access includes highlights, eight full-game broadcasts and access to tent pole events like the NFL Draft and the Super Bowl.
It’s not the exact same thing as the Classic Rock scenario I presented, but there are parallels. The NFL, a giant content behemoth that already exists and is covered on many media outlets, is suddenly available to Bleacher Report. What an amazing, and possibly intimidating, opportunity.
Jessica Davies at Digiday wrote about how the platform has risen to the challenge. There are a few notable takeaways from what she found that apply to our world.
Fan First Content
The first notable observation is in the headline, “Bleacher Report Puts a Fan First Spin on NFL Coverage.” Davies reports that the platform is not focused on typical football coverage. Instead, it has tried to emulate what a fan might do if they were suddenly granted an all-access pass to an NFL game.
To accomplish this Bleacher Report is tapping into the NFL’s Local Content Creator (LCC) Network for things like touchdown celebrations, player entrances and even closer looks at the equipment teams use. This is the type of stuff a curious fan might investigate that the major networks never talk about.
Take some time and apply this idea to your station and your music. Consider the elements of the music and of broadcasting that we take for granted but a fan would likely find fascinating. You may come away with new ideas.
Fan Involvement
Beyond the content that fans love that isn’t covered on other platforms, Bleacher Report is also tapping into their creator network. It is currently six hundred people strong and being used to generate special content from fans. For example, when a game is close they might feature side by side creators with one fan of each team showing their reactions as the game progresses. With their special “Creator Studio,” Bleacher Report can create content like this and have it on their app in minutes.
That sort of real time reaction may not be feasible for many radio stations, but the important takeaway is looking beyond our walls to harness fans of the stations. The music is an almost untapped opportunity that may help grow audiences beyond your existing cume.
Experts and Celebrities
Bleacher Report is also using experts to dig deeper into the world of the NFL. For example, “Cleats and Convos” with Deebo Samuel gives the superstar a chance to talk with other wide receivers from around the league. But not just about running routes. Samuel says the show goes beyond the game, “it’s the real conversations we share with each other about football and life.” Imagine having musicians talking with other musicians about not just the notes of the songs, but what it’s like to be a star.
In addition to using NFL insiders, the “Field-side Correspondent” series mics up celebrities, drops them on the sideline of the game and captures their experience. Imagine the content we could generate working with a celebrity as they go through a special, all-access concert experience at a show.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Bleacher Report’s team is using these new shows and content formats to generate a lot of revenue. They are forecasting a 50% year-over-year increase in revenue all tied to their NFL deal. That includes sponsor specific formats like a partnership with Little Caesars called “Game Show on the Go” which is produced at tailgates outside NFL games.
With all of that to consider, go back to my original scenario. If you were creating an all-new Classic Rock station what would you do? With the smart people I know who program Classic Rock stations, I’m confident that pausing your daily grind, and pretending for a moment the canvas is completely blank, would result in a batch of new, unique content, and probably revenue, for your station.
Mike Stern is a Classic Rock columnist and Features writer for Barrett Media. He has been with Jacobs Media consulting stations in the Classic Rock, Rock, Alternative and AAA world for more than a decade. Prior to that he programmed stations in Chicago, Detroit, Denver Las Vegas and other markets. He also worked as News/Talk Editor for Radio and Records, wrote about Top 40 Radio for Billboard Magazine and had his own radio talent coaching business called Talent Mechanic.
