From marketing NBA stars like Derrick Rose at Adidas to growing Overtime from a simple Instagram account into a sports media powerhouse with hundreds of millions of followers across their accounts, Tyler Rutstein has had quite the career. Now, as the Chief Brand Officer and Head of Commerce at Overtime, he's using his diverse experiences to completely redefine how Gen Z engages with sports content.
In this episode of How The F**k Did You Get That Job?, Tyler takes us behind the scenes of Overtime's new-age approach to sports media. He shares insights on how the brand is challenging traditional notions of sports fandom, prioritizing authentic storytelling, and leveraging the power of social media to build a passionate community.
Whether you're in the sports media space or intrigued by the meteoric rise of Overtime, this episode has tons of valuable lessons on engaging the next generation of sports fans.
Check out the full episode here:
Below I’ve broken down the 5 most valuable nuggets from our conversation:
[11:15] Authentic Storytelling: The Key to Capturing Gen Z
[36:52] Redefining Sports Fandom for a New Generation
[24:43] Driving Culture and Trends Over Traditional Sports Coverage
[35:51] Empowering Athletes: Overtime's Secret Weapon
[31:52] Adapting to Gen Z's Evolving Consumption Habits
Tyler emphasizes Overtime's role as a storytelling company that drives sports and culture in their own way.
"Overtime is a storytelling company, media outlet, and engine… we're trying to drive sports and culture in a unique voice that isn't being done by any other platform out there."
Overtime's "Keeping Up With The Neumann's" YouTube series perfectly sums up this approach. By following high school basketball star Nelson Neumann's journey, the series showcases the human stories behind the highlights, creating a deeper connection with the Gen Z audience. It's a prime example of authentic storytelling that brands should be taking notes on if they want to capture the short attention span of this generation.
Tyler explains how Overtime is challenging traditional notions of sports fandom:
"Gen Z and this group of teenagers, they don't care who their parents rooted for. They don't care about their hometown team. In some cases, I might love the Lakers even though I'm not from California… because LeBron's on that team. Or I might love the New York Knicks because that's my favorite team in NBA 2K.”
Overtime understands that Gen Z's loyalties are with individual players or personal preferences, rather than geographic locations. By tapping into these new influences, they've created a brand that resonates with this generation of sports fans in a way that traditional media hasn't quite figured out yet.
Tyler explains Overtime's content strategy:
"We're not talking about sports analytics. We're not talking about play on court for the most part, from a stats perspective. We're really talking about those moments – what's driving culture, what's driving trends."
Overtime's approach to content is a breath of fresh air in a sports media landscape often bogged down by endless stats and analysis. By focusing on the cultural moments and trends such as fashion, music, and social issues that matter to Gen Z, they've managed to create a brand that feels more like a cool older sibling than a stuffy sports broadcaster. In doing so, they've redefined what sports media can and should be in the 21st century.
Tyler shares how Overtime involves athletes in the creative process:
"I can't take all the credit for any of our team names. For example, with the City Reapers, we sat in a room with all the initial players, and I asked, 'What do you want your team to be called?' We did a whole work session. Taking that influence from the audience and our players is the best focus group you can ever have."
Empowering athletes to shape the brand fosters a sense of authenticity and leads to more genuine interactions with fans. It's a win-win situation that traditional sports organizations could learn from. By giving athletes a platform to express themselves, Overtime has created a loyalty among both players and fans that is rare in today's sports landscape.
Tyler highlights Overtime's willingness to experiment with new platforms:
"Now we're broadcasting our games on TikTok. You can hold your phone horizontally and watch our games on TikTok, and that's bringing in a big new fan base as well."
Overtime's innovative approach to broadcasting on TikTok showcases their commitment to meeting Gen Z where they are. By adapting to their audience's preferred platforms and consumption habits, they've positioned themselves as frontrunners in the next iteration of sports media. It's a lesson in agility that brands looking to engage younger audiences would do well to heed.
