Fifa has announced a partnership with TikTok that will give digital creators access to the 104-match World Cup tournament, in a move designed to engage younger fans and expand the event's reach. The governing body described the deal as a way to make “the most inclusive event in football history … even more accessible”.
Under the agreement, an unspecified number of online personalities will receive behind-the-scenes access, along with archive and highlights footage to use in their own content. In return, TikTok expects a wave of posts that will make the tournament inescapable for its users. James Stafford, TikTok's global head of content, said the platform would bring fans “closer to the action in ways they can’t get anywhere else”.
The use of creators has become increasingly common in sports coverage, with the NFL integrating them into Super Bowl broadcasts since the turn of the decade. Last summer, streaming service Dazn built its own creator network for Fifa's Club World Cup, enlisting up to 50 creators to post videos featuring behind-the-scenes tours, player and coach interviews, and stunts.
Joe Caporoso, president of Dazn-owned digital strategy company Team Whistle, said the campaign targeted creators with strong followings on platforms like Instagram and TikTok who had a history of consistent posting about football and its culture. “We wanted to make sure we had people and creators who spoke authentically and were not shy about showing everything that goes on around the game,” he said.
Dazn and Team Whistle tracked each post's performance and monitored traffic back to Dazn's coverage. TikTok said the Club World Cup creator platform drove more than 500,000 fans to Dazn's service, and that 90% of fans take at least one off-platform action after viewing sports content on the app. Fifa says its creator platform is designed for similar purposes, such as directing new viewers to match coverage, but it could also generate new revenue streams and expand sponsorship reach, while establishing a relationship with a tech giant that may eventually bid for broadcast rights.
