The latest episode of "A Guy with a Scarf" featured an insightful conversation with Paola Marinone and Bengu Atamer from BuzzMyVideos, revealing significant shifts in YouTube's landscape and its growing importance in the connected TV space. Key Takeaways: Connected TV Dominance Streaming viewership has increased from 34.3% to 37.7% in just 12 months Cable TV decreased from 30.2% to 27.6% in the same period YouTube's share grew from 7.9% to 9.3%, surpassing Netflix's growth (7.3% to 7.8%) As Marinone emphasized: "Connected TV and TVs are where everybody wants to be at the end of the day. Although every device is important, the big dollars are actually on TV." Platform Evolution Despite maintaining its core functionality, YouTube has been rapidly introducing new features. Bengu Atamer noted that recent changes might be influenced by the new CEO's product background. Key developments include: Enhanced AI capabilities for content strategy New "hype" button for boosting discoverability Improved mobile content creation tools Introduction of thumbnail A/B testing Extended Shorts duration to three minutes Auto-dubbing capabilities Discord-like community features Athletes' Growing Presence 2024 has seen a significant increase in athletes joining YouTube. Marinone observed: "I was actually wondering why this was not happening before. While you're doing reels and TikTok videos, why not on YouTube as well?" Notable examples include: Cristiano Ronaldo launching his channel Jude Bellingham creating original long-form content series Athletes developing their own production capabilities OTT and YouTube Synergy The discussion highlighted the complementary nature of OTT platforms and YouTube, rather than viewing them as competitors. As Marinone explained: "There is a lot of still OTT versus YouTube discussion, which for me is a bit funny because they're not competing. The two things are very complementary. They just serve a different step in the funnel." This is evidenced by Netflix maintaining 50-100 YouTube channels, demonstrating the platform's importance even for major streaming services. Content Production Evolution The conversation revealed an interesting divide in production quality expectations: Younger audiences prioritize authenticity over production value Older demographics expect higher production quality on connected TVs Athletes and sports organizations are investing in professional production capabilities Untapped Potential in Archives Marinone highlighted a significant opportunity: "All rights holders have millions of pieces of content they're sitting on, and they're still not thinking strategically about that... that is still like a whole golden pot, completely untouched." BuzzMyVideos Developments The company is evolving its offerings to meet market demands: Integration of playlist automation technology Enhanced analytics capabilities Strategic partnerships with tech platforms Development of comprehensive solutions from production to distribution Future Outlook The discussion pointed to several emerging trends: Increased investment in connected TV strategies Growing importance of multilingual content (as demonstrated by Bellingham's channel) Enhanced focus on community features Integration of AI-driven content strategy tools Continued evolution of short-form content As the platform continues to evolve, Marinone emphasized the importance of adapting strategies: "The sooner you actually catch the audience on the big screen, the better it is. It could even be for brands... they can go on connected TV in a completely different way." The conversation provided valuable insights into YouTube's transformation from a social media platform to a major player in connected TV, highlighting the opportunities this presents for sports organizations, athletes, and content creators. The platform's rapid evolution and growing influence in the streaming space suggest that organizations need to develop comprehensive YouTube strategies that account for both traditional social media engagement and connected TV presence. The episode concluded with a look ahead to upcoming industry events, including Social Football Summit in Rome and Sports Pro Madrid, where these evolving trends will likely be further discussed and analyzed.

📚⚽ Special News: "Let's Kick the Rules: Rebel Soccer" - A Book for Young Sports Lovers! ⚽📚I'm embarrassed to announce the release of my new children's book, "Let's Kick the Rules: Rebel Soccer"!A mix of my own experience as a dad of a 9 years old player and innovation a-la Kingsleague.Available on Amazon in English and Italian links in the comment section.As someone who's spent years in professional sports, I wanted to create a story that captures the true spirit of the game for young players.🌟 What's it about? Written for kids 7 and up, "Let's Kick the Rules" follows a group of young soccer players who reinvent the game with wild and wacky rules. But it's more than just crazy soccer - it's a tale of inclusivity, creativity, and the joy of play.Key Features: 📖 Fun, imaginative story for young readers 🤝 Promotes inclusivity and teamwork 💡 Encourages creative thinking 😊 Reminds us all about the true spirit of sportsWhile written for children, this book is also a great read for: ✅ Parents looking for positive sports stories ✅ Youth coaches seeking fresh perspectives ✅ Educators interested in sports-themed literature ✅ Anyone who believes in the power of play!Let's inspire the next generation of soccer lovers. Get a copy for the young athletes in your life and join the Rebel Soccer revolution!hashtag#RebelSoccer hashtag#ChildrensBooks hashtag#YouthSports hashtag#Inclusivity hashtag#SportsStories

In this episode of "A Guy with a Scarf," I had the pleasure of speaking with Dave Lipp, who leads Business Development and Strategy for Direct-to-Consumer initiatives at Manchester United. Our conversation explored the club's evolving approach to fan engagement in the digital age, the challenges of global brand management, and the impact of emerging technologies on sports marketing. Dave's journey to Manchester United is a testament to the diverse expertise needed in modern sports management. Starting his career in ticket sales for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment in Toronto, he gained valuable experience in fan communication. His path then led him through roles in mobile content development, an MBA in Rotterdam, and positions with major entertainment companies like Sony Pictures and NBCUniversal before joining Manchester United. Key Takeaways: Direct-to-Consumer Strategy: Manchester United is focused on creating a more personalized relationship with fans globally. Dave emphasized, "Creating a better relationship with the fans, where you do offer almost surprising delight moments across all different types of fan groups and fan segments, just so you can really give that outlet of fandom to people that want to experience it in their own ways." This approach recognizes that while 99% of fans may never visit Old Trafford, the club needs to provide meaningful ways for them to express their fandom. E-commerce as a Foundation: A significant initiative has been bringing e-commerce operations in-house. Dave explained, "We've recently announced the launch of Scayle as our e-com partner... It's a multitude of things, but I can really sum it up in controlling the fan journey from really start to finish as much as possible." Data-Driven Decision Making: The club is investing heavily in data infrastructure to better understand and serve its fan base. Dave noted, "We've invested heavily in different elements of a data warehouse, having it nice and structured, having the appropriate martech stack to utilize the different audience segments, create personalized journeys, et cetera." Balancing Digital Engagement and On-Field Performance: While digital engagement is crucial, Dave emphasized that on-field success remains paramount: "I do argue about this quite a bit. I still think a winning football team is the best thing to drive new fan audiences and to keep those fan audiences." Global Market Approach: The US market is a key focus for Manchester United, with strategies tailored to the unique aspects of American sports fandom. Dave mentioned collaborations with cultural icons and music artists to resonate with US audiences, such as partnerships with the Stone Roses and appearances at Glastonbury. AI Integration: Artificial Intelligence is already impacting operations at Manchester United. Dave highlighted its use in content production, research, and even graphic design: "There are AI tools that we're using. I'll point to WSC here as a long-term partner of the league and the club that we're utilizing from a content standpoint." He added, "I was blown away by how our graphic designers were at the forefront of utilizing AI to enhance some of our sales collateral." Fan Retention Challenges: While the club excels at measuring transactional retention, Dave acknowledged the need for better understanding long-term fan engagement: "We don't have that churn answer yet, which is quite a fundamental part of the lifetime value of a fan. So we're working towards that. And I think a lot of clubs are at different stages of that metric." Innovation with Core Values: Dave stressed the importance of balancing innovation with the club's core mission: "I think it's a disservice to this industry that we're not innovating in participation. We have a responsibility to make sure that first and foremost, we field a competitive football club football team, and we make sure that whatever we do, we do it with the best outcomes in mind."

🧠 As you may know i have recently started a collaboration with Ably for the Realtime Fan Engagement initiative, as I really believe that what they have is very useful to many of in sport and media tech. 🎙️ To share more about what they do I thought of (again) asking for the help of my good AI friends Miles and Faye and recorded a podcast to deep dive, instead of boring you with feature lists. 👩‍💻 They break down Ably, a real-time technology platform (fully API-based) that's powering next-level experiences for everything from live sports to esports tournaments, online auctions, and even live concert experiences! 🚀 They cover all the cool features Ably offers, like live chat with real-time reactions, personalized push notifications, and dynamic data broadcasts that keep fans glued to the action. 🤖 They even explain how Ably handles those massive traffic spikes without crashing. (Talk about a game-changer! 😉) 🎙️ Have a listen here below! Link to their Realtime Fan Engagement API and features in the comments.

The third instalment of Product Byte Live, held in London, brought together industry leaders to discuss the future of product development in media, sports, and entertainment. I talked to the organizer Tom McDonnell, CEO of Monterosa , and Matthew O'Riordan , CEO of Ably , who shared their insights on real-time fan engagement and the challenges facing the industry in a panel I moderated in the afternoon also with Vishal Parikh from LiveLike.