TikTok Publicizes New, Unique Content material Offers with the NHL and Different Media Entities

TikTok has announced a brand new partnership with the Nationwide Hockey League (NHL) and the Nationwide Hockey League Gamers’ Affiliation (NHLPA), which can see the NHL share unique content material and “distinctive experiences” within the app, serving to to bolster TikTok’s broader content material push.

As defined by TikTok:

“We all know the TikTok neighborhood loves sports activities – whether or not it is soccer, rugby, or automotive racing – we’re redefining entertaining sports activities content material. With 12.3 billion world views, it is simple that #Hockey is gaining momentum. The @NHL on TikTok has steadily grown its account to 1.7 million followers, group accounts on the platform have amassed greater than 546 million views world wide. Content material like trick photographs, behind the scenes and off-the-rink actions, and something to do with sports activities and pets are favorites of the neighborhood.”

The brand new partnership will see the NHL publish extra than simply highlights, with extra participant trend interviews and different programming that will probably be designed to lean into TikTok tendencies and have interaction its in-app viewers.

For TikTok, it is going to additionally glean new promotional advantages, together with in-ice branding and the launch of a brand new ‘TikTok Tailgate Stage’ at upcoming marquee outside NHL occasions. The NHL can even work with TikTok on music tie-ins and partnerships for its occasions.

The announcement comes as TikTok works to construct its content material choices, and supply extra incentive for creators to maintain posting to its app. The problem with short-form video content material is efficient monetization – as a result of you may’t insert pre and mid-roll adverts right into a 30-second clip. TikTok has sought to counter this with its Creator Fund, whereas it’s additionally engaged on in-app tipping and different monetization instruments, however a few of its prime creators have began to raise questions about the platform’s approach, and the imbalance in income share for his or her efforts.

That might turn into a much bigger sticking level for its prime stars, which may ultimately see them shuffle off to YouTube and Instagram as an alternative. But when TikTok can present extra direct posting incentive, by way of initiatives like new partnerships with main manufacturers, that would present one other method for TikTok to attach creators into these offers, and facilitate extra pathways to viewers development and monetization.

Which is why TikTok’s additionally established unique content material offers with Vogue and GQ, specializing in one other key space of curiosity for TikTok customers, and thru these new partnerships, TikTok will probably be trying to maximize fast engagement, whereas additionally offering extra alternatives for its prime stars.

Will that work? It’s arduous to say – presently, in style creators could make much more cash on YouTube, whereas the growth of YouTube Shorts additionally reduces the worth of TikTok as a novel providing in some methods as properly.

However TikTok nonetheless has a agency grip on viewers consideration, with projections that it’ll attain 1.5 billion users this year.

If creators wish to go the place the viewers is, they’ll maintain heading to TikTok – but when rumblings round income share proceed to develop, that would ultimately see extra of them posting elsewhere as an alternative, and certain taking their audiences with them.