So Many Numbers...Where Do We Go From Here

Today we take a look at the initial broadcast numbers for the International Swimming League (ISL) and what it means. 

The ISL's opening broadcast drew an estimated 381,000 views on CBS. While there are no numbers from Season 1 (on ESPN 3) to compare this data against, I'm going to make the assumption that this was a significant increase.

For comparison purposes, US Olympic Trials on NBC draws between 3.5 to 5 million viewers per night for eight nights. Keep in mind this is 30 days before the Olympic Games and has a multi-billion dollar marketing machine behind it. So what does this mean for the ISL Season 2? Let me try to explain.

1. ISL Season 2 is nailing the production: The production quality and packaging of the ISL product is vastly improved (and that's not a knock on Season 1). The ability to make professional competitive swimming exciting, digestible and fast paced is very difficult. These are the elements that help take a niche sport and make it more entertaining to mainstream audiences. With the production nailed down, they can start to focus on increasing the entertainment value and showcasing more of the team and individual athletes stories.

2. Learn from the rise of the UFC: One of the most successful examples of taking a niche sport mainstream is the UFC. The UFC was going bankrupt and deemed of no interest to a mainstream audience. But the owners of the UFC loved mixed martial arts and were deeply passionate about bringing the culture of the sport to the masses. How did they do it? 

They knew that the real plot was in the athlete stories and the fighter lifestyle. They came up with an idea for a reality show called, "The Ultimate Fighter" where the winner earns a paid contract to fight in the UFC. This brilliant move took the emphasis away from the fighting and showed the human aspect of MMA. 

The ISL can do a very similar show with the athletes all in the bubble right now. Take us behind the scenes, into their lives, show rivalries, friendships and the pro swimmer lifestyle. This doesn't have to be shown on TV, it can be accomplished through Youtube and other social media facets as a starter.

3. Athletes represent the best opportunity for advertisers: The excitement by the athletes who are involved in the ISL is extremely encouraging. As an advertiser, this is the most attractive opportunity and represents the greatest chance for ROI. The social media by athletes out of the ISL bubble is on par with other major league sports and I would argue that they are beating most of them (especially the MLB😴). Creating more advertising packages where sponsors can tap into the vast network of ISL athlete influencers represents a tremendous asset for the league (and teams). 

And that's the tea sis💁‍♂️ - as always, contact me directly (cejih@cgsportsmanagement.com) with any feedback or suggestions for future topics!