Power to the Players

Power to the Players

CoCo Vandeweghe shook up the U.S. Open last week, making the bold move to grant ESPN a mid-match interview. The U.S. Open is a tennis tournament known for its strict rules and adherence to tradition (a.k.a. absolutely no interruptions during matches), so the interview sent shockwaves across the Twitter-sphere. Many players were floored by the news.

Several media outlets praised ESPN for giving fans unprecedented insight into the mind of a tennis player during a match.

I had two major takeaways after perusing the headlines:

  1. Power to the players. We’re seeing more and more athletes create their own news platforms (with the help of social media-savvy PR pros) by giving fans an exclusive glimpse into their daily lives. Whether its filming an ESPN interview courtside at the U.S. Open or posting a video in the car on the way to the NBA finals (check that out here), players are starting to see the value in sharing updates with fans in real-time.
     
  2. Straight from the source. In today’s 24/7 social media landscape, fans want news right away, directly from the source. ESPN’s move to request interviews mid-match will not only redefine the flow of news during future tennis matches, but will give players greater control over their own narrative. There’s no need for commentators to speculate on a player’s mindset after the first set – we’ll hear about it straight from the player.


ESPN is striking the right balance between 1) establishing itself as an exclusive insider with players and 2) empowering players to take part in media conversations during their matches.

ESPN didn’t go through official player organizations to request interviews, so we’ll have to wait and see whether its “ask for forgiveness, not permission” strategy will pay off in the long run. Either way, this is a great example of delivering the right content at the right time to the right audience.

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Posted By Julie Colman

If she’s not enjoying a glass of red wine and listening to NPR, Julie is probably harmonizing with the radio or playing tennis. She loves to travel – especially if she can relax and enjoy a juicy “whodunit” novel.