Facebook has announced a new partnership with cricket superstar Ellyse Perry, as the first Australian athlete to launch a content series, exclusive to Facebook Watch.
Perry will provide global Facebook fans a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into her life through a seven-part short-form docuseries, titled ‘INSIGHT’.
Over 80 hours of raw footage will be captured and compressed for the series, with the first episode premiering on Perry’s Facebook and Instagram channels tonight at 7:30PM AEST.
Coming off her record-breaking 2018/19 season and an Ashes victory in England with the Australian Southern Stars, the new series will follow Perry as she embarks on her biggest summer of cricket yet – culminating with the Women’s T20 World Cup starting late February next year.
On the series, Perry said: “There has been no better time to be a female athlete, and the opportunities available to both current and upcoming sportswomen is just incredible. I’m truly appreciative to Facebook for the chance to share a few insights into my life and the experiences that sport has provided me. I really hope it is enjoyable for people to watch.”
Currently the world’s top-ranked women’s all-rounder, the ever-modest Perry’s many accolades include being named the inaugural ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year in 2017 and twice winning Australia’s prestigious Women’s International Cricketer of the Year (Belinda Clark Award) in both 2016 and 2018. Most recently, Perry was the first player – male or female – to score 1000 runs and take 100 wickets in T20 internationals. She was also named the WBBL Player of the Tournament for the 2018/19 season.
Facebook’s ANZ media partnerships lead for sport Karren Rogers said: “We are thrilled to be working with Ellyse to deliver the first athlete series for Australia. The average sports fan follows 10 sports accounts, with 8 of those being athletes. This demonstrates how incredibly important athletes are to the community, in the way they promote their personal brand and convert these audiences into fans. We look forward to seeing this series come to life, particularly as we head into the T20 World Cup in February”.
The partnership was developed by Ellyse’s manager and CEO of Lampoon Group, Josh White.
“As the landscape for women’s sport continues to evolve at an unprecedented rate, so does the public’s interest around it. Ellyse is a once-in-a-generation athlete whose rise to the top is nothing short of compelling. We are excited to be partnering with Facebook on this series and look forward to audiences gaining more insight into the life and personality of one of Australia’s most admired athletes”, White said.
