MIA | Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo

Top sports clubs invest in social media operations

Major sports clubs are investing in owned media and social operations to attract sponsors and monetize fan audiences. Brands increasingly value clubs’ owned social channels for promotion and sweepstakes, exemplified by BlueAir becoming the New York Knicks’ first “air care” partner and gaining access to the Knicks’ TikTok and Instagram audiences. Clubs are building production facilities and content platforms — the L.A. Chargers added a media and podcasting studio as part of a $250 million development, Arsenal launched an app called “The Arsenal,” and Internazionale expanded its social footprint to about 90 million followers and partnered with TikTok and YouTube. Industry participants say owned content helps boost merchandise, ticket sales and sponsorship revenue; Nielsen Sports projects the European sponsorship market at €24.79 billion in 2025.

Reimagining Brand Safety Amidst Compulsive Media Engagement

Rethinking Brand Safety In The Age Of Compulsive Media Experiences argues that platforms like TikTok are engineered to maximize attention through short-form video, infinite scrolling, autoplay, and algorithmic recommendations, creating potentially compulsive engagement. The piece contends these formats are not neutral and can influence behavior via neurochemical reward loops. It cites research linking heavy social media use to negative mental health outcomes (sleep disruption, anxiety, depression, suicidality) and draws parallels to substance abuse. Policymakers are treating engaging media formats as harmful, with actions such as the 2023 U.S. Surgeon General advisory on minors and Utah's legislation restricting algorithmic targeting and suing Meta and TikTok to remove features causing excessive use. The author calls for a broader brand safety framework that accounts for the user’s state of mind and the delivery experience, not just content adjacency, and suggests developing standards to distinguish healthy from unhealthy media experiences in targeted advertising.