The RBS 6 Nations was launched in London today and set a new standard in terms of access for fans to what this year’s tournament will be all about.
It is of course the last to be played under the RBS banner and a large part of the promotional activity around this year’s tournament will be about proving the merit of a major investment to a new partner from 2018.
The media were on board and stories and images will adorn newspapers and online sites throughout the day, but the move towards owned content is a major shift point in sponsorship and rights holders activation, and that was evident today.
Hundreds of thousands of dedicated fane will have received a newsletter in their in boxes and on their phones during the commute home from work.
It contained access to all the news and interviews that publications like the Irish Times, RTÉ and the Irish Independent will have but in a raw form so that we the fans can hear for ourselves what is said rather than having it interpreted by a journalist.
There were links to behind the scenes videos for the launch of the men’s and women’s tournaments, competitions and a host of images like that above to share on social media.
It is a mark of things to come where the content capacity of rights holders will soon match that of traditional media and in many cases beat it through unlimited access.
It will be a major trend throughout the year ahead and the subject of a Sport for Business event in May of this year.
Member Exclusive: Join us next Thursday when we will have an exclusive look at what sponsorship of the RBS 6 Nations means to Ulster Bank here and in the future. See what Membership could mean for you…
