Today, we’re joined virtually by the inimitable Darren Rovell, the senior executive producer of The Action Network. The Action Network is a sports betting product and media company that brings “a unique lens to the world of sports, mixing premium content, proprietary tools and in-depth analytics to make sports fans with something at stake smarter about betting.”
On the betting beat
Darren’s been a content innovator and pioneer for his entire career. He joined The Action Network in 2018, right before its launch. Prior to that, he carved out the sports business reporting beat at ESPN where he had two separate 6-year stints – sandwiched around a 6-year stop at CNBC as a sports business reporter.
If you’re a sports fan and on Twitter, you likely know Darren Rovell. He has more than 2 million followers and a feed that personifies niche content. Our conversation was a fun one. I’ve known Darren for a decade or so through our mutual love of Northwestern University athletics, but on this episode we cover a myriad of topics that are relevant to brand marketing executives, media publishers and content agencies.
Here are just a few of the highlights:
- The state of sports betting through the lens of content creation.
- The Action Network – how it works, how it makes money and how content feeds its business.
- How brands should consider integrating into sports betting content.
- Emerging original content creation and branded content trends within the market.
- Media partnerships forged by sports betting companies and the media company mentality that is propelling the arms race of said companies, that are partners of The Action Network.
- Darren’s Twitter feed, how influencer content creation impacts the bottom line and tips for influencers (go niche, young person).
- The most innovative content case study I’ve seen in the space (and why 435K people watched).
- Building and engaging communities on super niche subject matters.
- And, Darren’s check collection, yes – old school checks – and how he built millions of dollars of value around it through storytelling.
We want to hear from you. Share this podcast, give us your feedback and hit me up with topic suggestions and guest ideas. Brand Story, Inc. is for you, so let’s make it great together. You can ping me on LinkedIn or follow me on Twitter @_JaySharman. Thanks for listening. Enjoy!