Blending the twin passions of football and music, Budweiser and the [English] Premier League (EPL) teamed up with Copa 90 Studios to launch a new TV series titled ‘Behind The Game’.
Hosted by former England and Arsenal striker Ian Wright and featuring famous footballers and pop stars, celebrities from the worlds of sport and entertainment meet up in a bar for a game of billiards, mini-basketball, darts and for a series of serious soccer conversations and offer fans insights into the lives of players and musicians as they discuss their personal journeys.
The six episode series rolled out online from 3 April and on TV from 12 April across EPL broadcast partner Sky Sports and streaming on the league’s own official YouTube channel (and which is also available to the EPL’s international licensees) and across Budweiser’s social media channels (which carry additional, exclusive content).
Six different Premier League clubs are represented in the series through players such Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal FC), Alex Iwobi (Everton FC), Callum Wilson (Newcastle United), Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen (West Ham) and Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa). While from the music world, the stars range from British jazz artist Ezra Collective, to Argentina singer Oriana Sabatini and rapper Tinie Tempah.
The first ‘Premier League X Budweiser Present Behind The Game’ social spot promotes the series and episode one and urges viewers and fans to subscribe to the series.
The aim is for the brand and the league to create authentically unique content which engages fans’ own interests and passions.
According to Budweiser, the guests were chosen to ‘embody the spirit of the show’, to reflect diverse backgrounds and bring a range of unique perspectives enabling the brand, league and broadcaster to ‘live at the intersection of music, sports and culture’. The conversations span topics ranging from inspirational insights, careers, unknown passions, challenges and triumphs.
More than 40 different broadcasters around the world have access to ‘Behind the Game’ through their Premier League media rights deals: ensuring the sponsored content has a global audience (which even includes BiliBili in China).
“We extended our Premier League partnership through 2024 to further connect football with culture, and inspire fans around the world to go after their goals. With that in mind, Behind the Game was born,” explained Budweiser Global VP Todd Allen. “It’s a stage for culture and sport icons to link up over a beer and show sides to their personalities we’ve never seen before.
“We sought to create a space that felt comfortable and inviting to allow the players and artists to relax and have fun,” added Allen. “It’s been [awesome] seeing those moments where the athletes and players connect despite their differences. You can tell when there’s a real connection, and that’s what we set out to do with the show.”
Comment
For those who remember it, this series has echoes of VH1’s ‘Behind The Music’ show which ran from 1997-2014.
This is another piece of sponsored content seeking to enrich fan engagement and expand reach by transcending traditional sports sponsorship by creating an inviting and insightful space and a fresh touch point for fans, viewers and partners.
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.