‘Athletetv’ Launches In Partnership With Facebook

AthletesVoice has launched AthleteTV (ATV), a new online TV series from the sports stars behind athlete content platform.

The brand-funded video series is created in partnership with Facebook and will be distributed on both Facebook Watch and IGTV. ATV brings very raw, relatable and real perspectives from inside the private worlds of our most cherished sports stars, creating new opportunities for fan, athlete and brand engagement at a time when human connection is paramount.

Each of the 48 episodes set to air in Season One will bring a hand-picked group of elite athletes together with a focus on the ‘human behind the headline’.

Episodes will feature talent representing multiple sports, both team and individual, based in Australia and abroad. Audiences will get to ask their favourite athletes questions, see them share their most valued personal possessions and learn how they are staying sane at home.

Sponsored by P&G’s Pantene, Season One, Episode One features Australia’s most-capped netballer, Liz Ellis, taking on the challenge of managing the entertaining dynamics and banter between Boyd Cordner, Helen Housby, Dan Carter and Michael Cheika.

AthletesVoice & The Roar CEO, Kerry McCabe, said of the decision to launch ATV: “The reality right now is that our athletes have been stood down without pay or on reduced pay, sports lovers have little to watch, and brands have lost opportunities for engagement with this valuable audience. There are only so many trick-shot challenges, re-runs and greatest ever lists we can all take. We decided to work with these stakeholders and Facebook to create and evolve a product to enrich the lives of sports lovers who number seven million plus. We want to help fill the content void and support athletes through what will be a quite different sports industry and media landscape in the future.”

Commenting on being involved in the first show, Rugby League star and Sydney Roosters co-Captain, Boyd Cordner, said: “Being cut off from our followers has been one of the hardest parts of life as a professional athlete during these crazy times, so to be able to welcome the people that matter most to sport into our homes through ATV is a great thing to be a part of.”

With elite athletes dealing with the new norm along with all Australians, shiny desks, make-up and studio lighting make way for cameras inside the living rooms, kitchens and home offices of some of the world’s most celebrated sports stars. Created and curated by the athletes themselves, ATV will be unlike any other sports show in Australia, giving elite athletes the freedom and safety to be more open and relatable than ever before.

Commenting on the partnership,Facebook, ANZ Sports Media Partnerships lead Karren Rogers said: “Right now we’re all craving more personal connections in our daily lives. ATV can hopefully serve as a great companion during this time and we’re excited for Facebook Watch and IGTV to help create some much-needed connection around this content.”

Commenting on Pantene’s sponsorship of Episode One, Procter & Gamble assistant brand manager Stephanie Doyle said: “Sport, and everything it represents for millions of Australians, remains an extremely valuable territory for us, even while sport itself is forced to take time-out. By partnering with some of the biggest and most influential names in sport, ATV provides a strong, clear and well-timed opportunity for us to connect with Australians around the key messages of our #weareunbreakable campaign, in a format that is authentic for its audience.”

Season One of ATV will move well beyond and beneath sport itself to explore ‘the game of life’, as told through the unique lens of inspiring athletes. From serious topics to outright silliness, each episode will cover areas from family, mental, physical and spiritual health, through to higher education and entertainment.

McCabe added: “The purpose of ATV is to bring athletes, brands and sports lovers together to take on the subjects that matter to all Australians right now and into the future. Our inspiring athletes have the power to connect, entertain and unite like no other group in society. We’re energised by the opportunity to positively impact their earnings and our brand partners’ communication goals.”