With a passionate community of more than 2.5 million craving more and more content, Tough Mudder's goal in 2016 was to find a way to showcase its signature event –World's Toughest Mudder – to millions more fans around the world while growing its brand and highlighting the athletes that race all season long.
Tough Mudder planned to leverage the global exposure and reach of World's Toughest Mudder LIVE by simultaneously launching a new set of obstacles that drove excitement going into the 2017 season. By producing the first live stream program of the most gruelling 24 hour endurance event on the planet, Tough Mudder was in a position to inspire tremendous engagement – and shatter its previous record for live streaming.
Throughout the 2016 season, Tough Mudder averaged more than 723,000 views for each of its live stream events – with a total reach of 42.5 million.
[Note – all stats and information listed represent Tough Mudder's proprietary live stream].
In 2016, Tough Mudder put emphasis on mastering the multi-platform video ecosystem to grow the brand and the number of viewers that were consuming Tough Mudder's video content. Tough Mudder's team worked diligently to become leader in the sports industry by embracing innovative content platforms, including live streaming. The culmination of this strategy would be at the World's Toughest Mudder, the Super Bowl of obstacle course racing, where athletes from all over the world convened on Las Vegas to face the epic, must-watch event.
The live stream featured several unique cameras set up along the 5 mile course and many that focused on new obstacles and the athletes. Additionally, Tough Mudder incorporated "point of view" head cams, aerial drone shots, as well as hosted commentary during the entire 24-hour period. The commentary from stars such as multi-time champion Amelia Boone proved successful as entertainment and race stats were continuously provided to those tuning in. Launching new obstacles in which fans could see participants take on for the first time drove buzz, excitement and sales for the 2017 season.
Fans around the world live streamed World's Toughest Mudder as it unfolded across ToughMudder.com, CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports App. Viewers also had access via Tough Mudder's Facebook page and its App on iTunes or Google Play for iPhone and Android.
Through successful use of video via a partnership with Livestream and Facebook Live, the Tough Mudder brand and its content attracted traditional video players making the brand ubiquitous on all video distribution platforms. In six months, this content strategy has driven significant engagement across a wide swath of non-linear platforms as Tough Mudder leverages events, fitness and training expertise, and community to create engaging content and tell inspirational stories to spread messages around courage, accomplishment, teamwork, and fun.
World's Toughest Mudder surpassed the average live stream views for events during its 2016 season. Combining that with the company's ability to reach and engage at scale the key millennial demographic through content has made Tough Mudder an attractive partner among a multitude of brands globally.
World's Toughest Mudder set viewership records in the obstacle course racing and endurance sporting events categories, establishing Tough Mudder as a leader in live sporting event coverage. The event drew 3.6 Million views, with more than 3.5 Million minutes of coverage consumed across Tough Mudder digital platforms by fans in more than 200 countries tuning in, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, Brazil, Spain, China, South Africa, United Arab Emirates and Indonesia. This performance was five times Tough Mudder's 2016 live stream season average (723,000 views), handily surpassing the company's largest live stream event to date, Tough Mudder Los Angeles 2016.
Tough Mudder's Facebook Live steam garnered more than 2.6 Million views with an organic reach of 14.2 Million. Viewers on the platform consumed more 1 Million total minutes of coverage.
With its unique team-based obstacle course challenge model, Tough Mudder has proved its staying power and transformed into a worldwide phenomenon by appealing to hardcore and casual athletes alike. The live stream was able to capture the spirit of the event, as well as the inspiring stories of the participants, and shared with its fans around the globe.