While the coronavirus pandemic forced many media companies to slow down production and forced athletics to grind to a halt, Barstool Sports adapted and CEO Erika Nardini says the company was able to capitalize on a slew of non-sports-related content.
Now Barstool Sports' priority is to show buyers at the company's first appearance at the NewFronts marketing conference that it can still be profitable even without the return of North American pro leagues.
"We wanted to show, not only the showcasing of what we're creating -- so, all of the brands we're developing and running -- but also how we're performing for advertisers," she said.
Barstool's success during the shutdowns, Nardini explained, is not only attributable to the team's ability to "create content that's authentic" but also its commitment to creating content that fans want to engage with.
"We're building some of, if not, the very biggest brands on the internet," she said. "I think that during quarantine, most media companies stopped making content. They either had production challenges, they weren't able to gather in studios. We took the opposite approach."
Barstool's growth on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram has also allowed the company's "brands the ability to play ball with those audiences" where they otherwise might not have had access, according to the CEO.
"Every single brand that's created at Barstool is programmed and produced for the internet, which means that we naturally attract what you would call 'young viewers,'" she said.
Even with the success of the non-sports content, Nardini said the company will not abandon its newfound format despite the imminent return of the pros, but will instead marry the new content with Barstool's core programs.
"What we've found is when you have eyes for the internet, and you're making content for the internet, that stuff can last," she noted.
Planet made its public debut on December 8, ringing the opening bell at the NYSE in honor of the occasion. With more than 200 satellites in orbit, the company operates the world's largest constellation of satellites, providing daily scans of the entire earth. This helps with everything from agriculture companies monitoring fields and crop health, to FEMA's disaster response, to marine protection programs. Will Marshall, co-founder and CEO of Planet, explains how this milestone will allow the company fulfill its mission of using space to help life here on Earth.
Lindsey Roeschke, travel and hospitality analyst at Morning Consult, breaks down how COVID-19 is impacting the travel sector and what the future of the industry looks like.
North Carolina is transitioning into an electric vehicle manufacturing hub, as Toyota plans to build its first North American lithium-ion battery plant. Machelle Baker Sanders, secretary of commerce for North Carolina, joined Cheddar to discuss the influx of tech-heavy businesses and what Toyota's 1,750 jobs mean for North Carolina's economy. Sanders said the carmaking giant's $1.29 billion project was contingent on it committing to align with the state's own climate goals for a greener future.
Just weeks after launching its IPO, Embark Trucks is looking to take trucking to the next level by establishing an autonomous truck lane between Houston and San Antonio, Texas. CEO Alex Rodrigues joined Cheddar's "Closing Bell" to talk about the company's expansion into the Lone Star State and the efforts taken to make the driverless vehicles safe for the shipping corridor. "I think the biggest thing you'll notice as a person driving on the road is that they're going to be a little bit more patient, a little bit more law-abiding because they don't have to get there under the same kind of time pressure," he said. "They don't have the hours of service limitations." He also explained that the lane itself isn't a segregated road but a digital route on an existing roadway for the vehicles to follow.
A judge has granted Britney Spears the right to begin executing documents on her own behalf. For the last 14 years, Spears was unable to sign off on her own paperwork due to her recently terminated conservatorship.
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri faced a bipartisan Congressional grilling this week as the Senate inquired about safety practices for protecting the mental wellbeing of young people on the platform. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) joined Cheddar to talk about the hearing and how she was disappointed in Instagram coming unprepared with relevant information or documents. Blackburn also offered concern that the platform could continue with building a kids-only version despite having drawn significant opposition from the public.
Cheddar Innovates gets a look at the satellite that's searching for the earliest light from the big bang, plus a former Nike executive breaks down what the new era of sportswear looks like.
Research finds that the market for plant-based foods is worth $7 billion, but a lot of the plant-based and vegan options on our shelves aren't as healthy as they seem. Enter 'Cool Beans.' Tyler Mayoras joins Cheddar Innovates to talk about his whole-food, plant-based burrito brand.
