(Bloomberg) -- Rachel Bonnetta, a Canadian sports journalist and smartphone addict, is helping her network keep up with soccer fans’ relentless appetite for World Cup coverage.
The 26-year-old Bonnetta (“I’m on Twitter 24-7”) hosts 21st Century Fox Inc.’s “World Cup Now,” a daily recap of what’s happening at the monthlong soccer tournament in Russia. Unlike other shows filmed by Fox Sports, Bonnetta’s program streams live on Twitter, a first for the social-media site. What’s more, “World Cup Now” is the centerpiece of the World Cup’s largest-ever social-media blitz -- a campaign that also includes highlights on Snapchat and in Google search results.
Though it’s easy to forget now, social media was still largely an afterthought seven years ago when Fox acquired the U.S. television rights to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Snapchat had just been founded. Instagram was a year old. And Twitter was half its current size.
So Fox’s World Cup endeavor is a sign of how Hollywood is chasing viewers beyond the TV. The hope is that networks can be just as relevant (and profitable) in their coverage even if viewers aren’t watching on TV.
While media habits had already started to change when ESPN aired the 2014 games, today the traditional studio show has lost much of its allure thanks to the proliferation of statistics and highlights online. Bonnetta is a key part of the studio’s strategy to appeal to a generation of young viewers who share her addiction to their pocket computers.
‘Mobile First’
“With a lot of these games coming on in the morning, we need to be able to speak to that younger, digital, mobile-first fan,” said Michael Bucklin, who oversees Fox’s strategy for online content.
Bucklin has tasked Bonnetta with hosting a more playful show, where goofy tweets and skits are just as important as the latest bicycle kick. With her blend of aw-shucks enthusiasm and teasing humor, she’s attracted almost 50,000 followers on Twitter.
In less than a week since the kickoff of the 2018 championship, Bonnetta has tweeted about the event more than 30 times, posting a photo of herself in tears, a GIF of actor Jack Black dressed as a Mexican wrestler and an apology for her poor spelling.
Unknown Impact
How social media has affected viewership of the World Cup is still yet to be seen. The impact on sports overall has been mixed. NFL viewership has fallen in recent years, but the NBA and soccer have gained watchers. The 2014 World Cup was both the most watched ever in the U.S. and the most tweeted about globally.
Fox argues the online conversation is a proxy for interest and generates hype.
Since the U.S. team failed to qualify for the competition, Fox has had to reach for new ways to generate excitement. It’s been promoting the soccer superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo and other teams such as Mexico. But with a time difference of as many as 12 hours for many U.S. viewers, viewership is expected to decline from the 2014 and 2010 World Cups.
“There is no substitute for watching a game live,’’ said Brian Sullivan, president of Fox’s TV network group. “Highlights allow people that couldn’t watch to catch up and be up to speed for the next match.”
Enter Bonnetta, who began her career in broadcasting with Toronto’s professional football club. She won a job as the club’s brand ambassador with a humorous video she posted to Facebook. Major League Soccer hired her from the Toronto club, and then Fox signed her to host a wide range of online experiments. She’s anchored shows on Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat, where traditional media companies are still determining best practices.
“World Cup Now’’ is the biggest bet she’s been involved in.
“I get to be myself and have fun and hang out with other people online,’’ she said from Moscow. “We want to be involved in the conversation.’’
To contact the reporter on this story: Lucas Shaw in Los Angeles at lshaw31@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nick Turner at nturner7@bloomberg.net, Jonathan Roeder
©2018 Bloomberg L.P.
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