We’ve recently noticed that across the globe there are lots of sports spinning up content and housing this on YouTube. So what? You might ask – every organisation in the world puts videos on YouTube. Ok, I get your point.
But please, stay with us.
Much of this content appears to be aimed at improving performance at some level. Really important topics such as wellbeing, professional development or sport specific training ideas.
Dare I say it, but it looks to me like clubs are trying to ‘educate’ or help their fans learn something new.
And at Playbk Sports, we love this mindset.
In fact, it’s why we exist – to help sporting organisations leverage their organisation IP to engage fans, generate revenue and have an authentic impact.
But let’s be clear – YouTube is not an EdTech solution, and you’re missing out on other important opportunities if this is your strategy.
Here’s why:
1. Fit for Purpose (1 of 2)
YouTube is a video housing platform, the biggest in the world. And that’s what it is built for – housing videos. Housing videos is only one part of an EdTech solution.
2. Fit for Purpose (2 of 2)
Let’s dig a bit deeper into the pedagogy of online learning.
Any Learning Management Systems (LMS) will have the basic functions that will assist in executing your pedagogical framework – quizzes and feedback, supporting resources, data and analytics, assessment tools, gamification, goal setting tools as well as the ability to acknowledge effort through certification.
And that’s just a quick overview, we could go deeper here. YouTube offers the ability to add text (which is important to build context) and that’s it.
3. Cohesion
You can develop a series in YouTube and this can help as you establish a narrative but most often, we see videos thrown up with no real order or thought process. Then you have the You Tube vortex of ads and other videos laid out, tempting you to click somewhere else.
Most LMS will have a course hierarchy, allowing you to map out a cohesive structure and scaffold learning – without getting lost to the algorithm of cat videos and self-help gurus sponsored posts.
4. Passive Experience
Could have lobbed this in Fit for Purpose 2 but this deserves its own point. Video (at least when housed on YouTube) is passive and unless it’s well produced and highly engaging – how long will the audience stick around?
Learning technologies allow for interactions within the video, as well as engagement around the video itself (quizzes, reflective learning etc.) which enhances the overall experience.
5. The Market
With an organisation owned tech ecosystem an organisation can tap into three booming sectors.
The EdTech Market is currently worth $227bn. and expected to grow to $407bn by 2025 (Holon IQ).
Sports technology will increase from its 2022 valuation of $17.9bn. to $40.2bn. in 2026 (Global News Wire) and the virtual fitness market will see growth from $16.1bn. in 2022 to $79.8bn. in 2026 (Global News Wire).
These expanding markets should be reason enough for pro sports to go down the LMS path, as opposed to videos on YouTube.
6. Data and Impact
An LMS will provide important learner data which can help refine or build new products. Plug your tech ecosystem into Google Analytics and you have a treasure trove of data to sift through.
Then consider how you connect with your audience during or after an online course – how are you measuring impact? By conducting surveys, you have more data at your disposal to prove efficacy and continue to design resourcing that is built based on the needs of your fans. YouTube provides some data points, but not as comprehensive as an LMS
7. Is That Your Sponsor (1 of 2)?
The regular interruption of ads on YouTube is annoying; people won’t sit through them. Yes, even 15 seconds. When you’re housing your content on YouTube, this is going to be a problem for your fans.
8. Is That Your Sponsor (2 of 2)
And to the point above, if your sponsor is Burger Company A and the ad feed is from Burger Company B this is bad news for the sponsorship team.
Your own LMS allows the content to be branded and sponsored any way the organisation pleases – platform sponsor, course sponsor, page sponsor etc. Some of Playbk Sports clients have done this to great effect and this creates a win-win where the sponsor is prominent, and the organisation can report on ROI.
9. Brand
An organisation owned tech ecosystem will reflect the organisation branding – it will look and feel like all the other materials the club has in the market.
Can you customise YouTube? Sure, but not to the extent where it is clean and clearly an organisation owned asset.
10. WIIFM
So, What’s In It For Me? Well, when you watch a video – nothing.
There’s no way to test your recall, no supporting resource to encourage you to apply what you’ve learnt and certainly no certificate to say you’ve completed a course.
Sure, your organisation might have interesting content, but is it truly executed in a way that generates maximum engagement? Our sense is most often not.
11. Show Me The Money
If you’re aiming to generate revenue via YouTube, better get those views up to the hundreds of millions.
YouTube are a global powerhouse for a reason and it’s certainly not because they go a 50/50 split on revenue.
Taking your content to an LMS allows you to build a commercial revenue stream that has greater impact and more commercial opportunities.
YouTube, or any of the other multitude of video housing providers out there, play an important role for content creators. They allow quick, easy and free housing of videos which provides the doorway to a global audience.
Indeed, some of our clients house their videos on You Tube to deliver them through their LMS. These types of platforms will be critical as the world continues to embrace content creators from the individual to the multinational.
However, if your organisation is designing content that has even a hint of learning attached to it (Spoiler alert – almost every piece of content could be viewed this way), you really should be considering the opportunities lost (revenue, data, engagement, impact) by not housing that same content on your own LMS.
To speak with Playbk Sports on how to effectively deliver immersive, impact driven content that monetises fans in the digital world email [email protected]
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About Playbk Sports
Every team needs a playbook.
Playbk Sports makes delivering online content simple and effective with dynamic technology, immersive experiences and evergreen material that turns fan avidity into revenue
Playbk Sports works with your organisation by harnessing your logo, players, coaches, stadia, training facilities and team administrators and harnesses the power of those ‘brands’ or assets to create global fan avidity and strategic value your organisation can rely on in sustainable ways.
We create experiences that help sport organisations give their worldwide fans what they want – closer access to the sports they love
