Objective

In 2024, Top Rank Boxing’s mission was twofold: to preserve boxing’s storied legacy while championing the sport’s present and future. By leveraging its content archive dating back to 1973, featuring legends like Muhammad Ali and Manny Pacquiao, Top Rank engages nostalgic fans while spotlighting and building today’s stars like Tyson Fury and Teofimo Lopez.

Through compelling longform content on Facebook and YouTube, Top Rank seeks to:

• Preserve and celebrate the history of boxing through career retrospectives, fight marathons, and classic fights.
• Drive engagement and viewership for contemporary fighters, encouraging tune-in to ESPN events through behind-the-scenes vlogs, event highlights, and exclusive content.
• Expanding global reach with geoblocked live streams of events in underserved regions.

Strategy

Facebook
Facebook serves as the hub for global boxing fans, offering a diverse range of content tailored to an international audience:

• Legacy Content: Classic fights and historic deep dives highlight boxing’s greatest and most infamous moments.
• Modern Content: Compilations and event highlights showcase today’s stars and promote interest in their upcoming bouts.
• Global Voice: Universally relatable copy optimizes engagement across international audiences and Facebook's translation services.

YouTube
As the premier destination for full-length boxing content, Top Rank’s YouTube channel provides unparalleled access for fans:

• Full Fight Coverage: Complete, unedited fights immerse fans in every round.
• Fight Marathons: 54 Fight Marathon episodes in 2024 cater to TV-based viewers with extended, binge-worthy content.
• Story Telling: Event shoulder programming drops fans into the rivalries and prepares them for impending fights.
• Education: Through fight breakdowns and Boxing 101 videos, Top Rank on YouTube looks to empower the next generation of fans.

Live Event Digital Broadcasts

Simulcasted on Top Rank's YouTube and Facebook throughout 2024, Top Rank streamed nine premiere boxing cards live to regions without broadcast partners, delivering world-class boxing directly to underserved audiences.

Results

Facebook:

• 1.5M new followers (4.9M to 6.4M).
• 964M native video views, ranking third among major sports leagues*
• 2.3B impressions. 
• Recorded 16M views for their most-watched highlight (Mason vs. Vasquez).
• Ranked #1 in follower growth among major sports leagues*

YouTube:

• 42.5M watch hours, an 8% increase YoY.
• 312.5M views, up 3% YoY.
• 500K new subscribers, reaching 3M.
• 105% growth in Shorts viewership.

Live Event Digital Broadcasts:

• Facebook: Averaged 595,659 live viewers per event, with Inoue vs. Nery drawing 2.4M live viewers.
• YouTube: Averaged 49,359 peak concurrent viewers and 241,323 lifetime views, with Inoue vs. Nery peaking at 134,962 concurrent viewers.

*comparison data via Shareablee

Media