Football League to create new depth of content
The Football League has launched a new in-house programming division focused on creating and distributing a wide variety of high quality and engaging content for fans across multiple platforms.
Football League Productions (FLP) will work with existing and new content partners, clubs, sponsors and fans to develop new formats for television, online and radio shows. Whether live on a matchday, behind the scenes at clubs or up close and personal with players and managers, FLP will develop content to entertain and engage with fans and also inform, educate and celebrate life in the world’s original league football competition.
Richard Heaselgrave, Chief Commercial Officer, said: “The launch of Football League Productions is another step in delivering our vision to entertain and engage with our fans 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. FLP will produce its own content and provide regular training and support to our member clubs on making and broadcasting engaging content.
“We will also develop new programming with broadcast partners, create brand new assets to launch with sponsors and brands, and embrace user generated content so that fans can really feel a part of the clubs they support.”
Alfonso Medina, the Football League’s Head of Media Rights, said: “This is an incredibly exciting development in our 125th Anniversary season, investing for the first time in producing original content for fans, seven days a week. We will engage with fans through TV, online, mobile and social media channels in local markets in the UK and around the world.”
In the UK, fans can already see some of FLP’s work through a collaboration with Sky Sports’ Soccer AM which is following the behind the scenes story at League 2 club Portsmouth. The Saturday morning show will follow a League 1 club from November through to January and a Championship club for the final third of the season, ahead of the drama-filled play-offs in May.
Additionally, overseas fans are being offered more live matches of the Capital One Cup than ever before and Football League Radio will feature a revamped weekly show hosted by Mark Clemmit, as well as short-form audio formats being broadcast multiple times a week.
FLP will also celebrate the most memorable moments in the history of league football, from the irreverent to the legendary, and will appeal to loyal fans as well as the broader football and family audience.
Further programming and distribution information will be unveiled in coming weeks.