Dive Brief:

• DirecTV Stream in collaboration with sports media company Team Whistle is launching a social media takeover touting the channel’s value and promotional offers as the college and professional football seasons begin, per information shared with Marketing Dive.
• Launching Sept. 8, the takeover features a variety of “snackable” social media segments with appearances from sports figures including former NFL players Spice Adams and Sony Michel, New York Jets wide receiver Mecole Hardman and Jack Settleman, founder of sports media company Snapback Sports.
• The content, which includes segments like contests and tongue-in-cheek award shows, will run across Team Whistle, creator and talent channels including Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube Shorts.

Dive Insight:

Despite no longer having the lure of NFL Sunday Ticket to woo subscribers, DirecTV’s streaming service, formerly known as AT&T TV, is continuing to work to score the attention of football fans ahead of the ‘23 season kickoff. By leveraging the reach of Team Whistle, the social media blitz could help DirecTV Stream generate buzz while tapping into new audiences.

“At DirecTV, sports are in our DNA, and we are working with Team Whistle to lean into the excitement that the start of the season delivers and engage potential DirecTV Stream customers who are also sports fans,” said Jon Greer, head of communications at DirecTV, in a statement.

Included in the social media takeover are a number of segments like “College Football Team Superlatives,” which will see in-house Whistle talent will disperse awards across a number of categories like best offense, defense and team social media presence, the most versatile quarterback and more. Another segment, “College to Pros Trivia,” will test fans on which college was attended by various professional football players, giving fans one dollar for every correct answer. Through the effort, DirecTV Stream will also promote its value and encourage viewers to sign up for its service.

Segments more focused on professional football include “Superfan vs. Superman,” which will pit two superfans against one other in a trivia contest for the chance to win $30, and “Comeback Story,” a segment that will highlight NFL players who have risen from setbacks to achieve extraordinary feats on the field. Another segment, “Fans on Gameday” features comedic skits showcasing talent imitating various fan bases. Along with cameos from a number of sports figures, the content will also include on-screen Team Whistle hosts Madison Kirchofer and Casey Rieger.

Last year, YouTube gained the rights as the home of NFL Sunday Ticket, a subscription package that lets football fans watch any non-local Sunday games. The programming had been at DirecTV since its inception in 1994. DirecTV had been paying a reported $1.5 billion a year since 2014 and had been losing about $500 million annually on the package, a loss likely credited in part to cord-cutting as consumers gravitate away from linear TV.