The World Surf League isn’t content with being the first global sports league. It’s eager to expand as a global sports and entertainment property, as we featured in April with a Q&A with new chief commercial officer Beth Greve.
To that end, WSL has named Joseph Carr as Chief Strategy Officer and Head of International. Formerly the SVP and Head of International and Content for Ultimate Fighting Championship, Carr’s experience should stand him in good stead as he focuses on driving WSL’s athlete development and audience engagement globally via unique fan experiences.
At UFC, he managed the organization’s global strategy, operations and media business. He crafted the organization’s international expansion strategy, bringing new live events around the world, and managed the organization’s OTT service, UFC FIGHT PASS. He also helped lead the largest buyout in sports history with the sale of UFC to WME-IMG.
“Joe has a very impressive background with groundbreaking achievements in driving the growth of UFC’s global business,” stated WSL CEO Sophie Goldschmidt. “He will bring deep experience of developing and executing international growth strategies and also has a proven track record of working with athletes. He will be a fantastic addition to the organization.”
WSL currently brings more than 130 million fans together in North America, Australasia, Europe and Brazil, showcasing best-in-class male and female surfers from the most remote events worldwide. The 30-year old league has a significantly larger social media footprint than the PGA, ATP, WTA, NASCAR and the NHL. So where to grow next?
Riding the digital wave further, for a start. The non-linear sports league pioneered over-the-top (OTT) digital broadcast and was the first sports league to live-stream on Facebook—from the 2015 Billabong Pipe Masters—and created the world’s first drone capable of taking Snapchat photos and videos. WSL was the first brand to live stream surfing directly from the ocean via Periscope.
Those efforts helped increase viewing on social media from 2013, driving a 2,106% boost in Facebook followers, 2,161% followers on Twitter, a 11,755% rise in followers on Instagram and +38% on YouTube.
Carr (above) shares his thoughts in our latest Q&A:
How has digital media changed the landscape (or seascape) for surfing?
Technology has democratized media generally and leveled the playing field for content creators globally. The nature of surf poses challenges for traditional broadcasters who are accustomed to programming grids and appointment viewing.
With the days and start times of our events being beholden to the weather, digital media has allowed us to stream our events live at anytime from anywhere in the world and connect with our fans directly.
Social media as a content distribution platform has only further accelerated fan engagement and is responsible for the growth of the sport and the WSL brand in recent years.
What kinds of content are unique to WSL and how does the recent acquisition of the Kelly Slater Wave Company (KSWC) enhance your strategy?
WSL features the best surfers in the world surfing the best waves, so our live event content is difficult for anyone else to replicate. Given our access to the surfers, we are also able to create compelling content profiling their lives and experiences that helps in creating an emotional connection with the fans.
KSWC systems and technology will only further enhance content creation opportunities. I can foresee possible live events, reality programming, and countless social media possibilities.
With surfing’s inclusion in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, how are you planning to build your audience with this major global platform?
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be an incredible opportunity to showcase surfing on the global stage. For surfing in the Olympics to succeed, it will require the participation of the world’s best surfers from the WSL’s Championship Tours. We need to be prepared to convert newly-found surf fans to the WSL when the Olympics conclude.
I expect there will be a sizeable amount of athlete profiling both from the WSL and NBC in the lead up that should generate countrywide support for the individual surfers. The excitement and athleticism being showcased during the competition will have the big brands taking a hard look at surfing when the games end.
Who does the WSL brand attract currently?
WSL has one of the youngest fan bases in sports, with 81% of our fans between the age of 18-44 and an average age of 32. We expect that to continue as we maintain a leadership position in technology and digital media.
The biggest change over the last few years is that the fan base has grown beyond surfing enthusiasts and participants because of the availability and quality of our content globally. Even consumers who have never been on a surfboard can appreciate the athletes, the waves and the exotic locales.
So is WSL on the cusp of mainstream appeal?
You have to remember that while professional surfing has existed for decades, the WSL brand is only a few years old. At this point in its lifecycle it sits in the action sports vertical, but if we do our jobs properly in the coming years, there is no reason that surfing as a sport can’t cross over into the mainstream. It is already mainstream from a lifestyle and culture perspective when you consider the size of the surf apparel industry globally.
Get more insights in our Q&A series and suggest a Q&A via editor@brandchannel.com.
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The post Catching the Wave: 5 Questions With WSL’s Joseph Carr appeared first on brandchannel:.
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