{"id":14965,"date":"2024-08-30T11:04:29","date_gmt":"2024-08-30T10:04:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=14965"},"modified":"2024-08-30T11:05:04","modified_gmt":"2024-08-30T10:05:04","slug":"talking-tactics-the-race-to-innovate-in-the-fan-channel-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/talking-tactics-the-race-to-innovate-in-the-fan-channel-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Talking Tactics: The race to innovate in the fan channel industry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With more fan channels broadcasting to finite football fans, how are channels innovating new content and what lies ahead for the industry\u2019s future?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The growth of the fan channel industry has hugely subverted the way in which football fans follow their favourite club. Where traditional broadcasters such as the BBC and Sky Sports have long transmitted all knowledge on statistics, transfers and tactics, fans now have a wide range of sources to consult, not least like-minded, independent channels that are run by people you would expect to see on the terraces on a matchday.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fan channels have seized upon a desire for passionate, authentic and immediate coverage of football that has massively expanded access to fans worldwide. That is even though not one of them can broadcast the match itself, unlike their mainstream rivals.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many operate on YouTube and have developed a reliable rotation of programming \u2013 the popular \u2018watchalong\u2019 where presenters will commentate on a match in real time, \u2018fan cams\u2019 interviewing outside stadia, panel debates with professional journalists and ex-players and pre-and post-match coverage, to name a few. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as channels grow, so too does their need to innovate to a larger audience. So how are fan channels creating new content and what will it mean for the future of the industry? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex Harris, Chelsea Fan TV<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Chelsea Fan TV is one of the largest channels covering the London club, currently boasting over 200,000 YouTube subscribers, and has followed the trend of the industry showing exponential growth over the last few years \u2013 not bad for a channel that was founded in 2016.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For owner Alex Harris, who took over running the channel three years ago, one of the key areas he wants to incorporate into the creative process is consistency and not let the growth run wild. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you can find a show that does well, you do it once a week, you get seven shows. That’s my model and it’s worked very well. It’s good to have the reactionary stuff as well, but I think when you’re working with\u202fthumbnail designers, editors and presenters, it’s much easier to have a\u202fschedule and be able to plan ahead a little bit more,\u201d said Alex. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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