GiveMeSport has 26.2 million Facebook followers devoted to its direct, targeted content on a range of sports in the United States and across the world. Its reach is likely amplified by the artificial intelligence resources provided by Breaking Data Corporation, which in December bought the U.K.-based media company.
“Our technology at GiveMeSport is very focused on Facebook and how to distribute effectively on Facebook in a very targeted way,” GiveMeSport CEO Nick Thain said in a phone interview.
Thain, who took over as CEO of Breaking Data Corp., said that GiveMeSport began as a Facebook strategy consultant to individual athletes and leagues such as FIFA and UEFA.
GiveMeSport has leveraged that experience to amass its Facebook following, which it claims is the largest for any single publisher in the world. Its content, which Thain said is easily shareable, seeks to “entertain with sporting moments that matter.” GiveMeSport focuses on quick articles covering the most pressing developments in sports, as well as videos and interviews.
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GiveMeSport also evaluates data from its Facebook page to gain insight into the sports fans want to see covered. Thain said that system works very well with Facebook’s algorithm, which detects the most engaging content. It currently has partnerships with the NBA and NFL, and is getting into the esports arena by striking a deal with McLaren Formula One to find the world’s fastest gamer. GiveMeSports is also working on a short video series on Facebook with the NFL.
With Breaking Data Corp. now as its owner, GiveMeSport can employ technologies like natural language processing to both help its writers gather news better and to evaluate content trends.
“Our sports writers don’t have to look at Twitter all day. The AI looks at Twitter, spools it down, and then works out which tweets are from people who we deem as an authority,” Thain said. The AI sorts through Twitter to cut through junk posts to get down to relevant information, and then decides if a source is credible or not before the writer does due diligence on a potentially breaking story.
GiveMeSport is also using AI features with Twitter to look at what is going to be “pre-trending” news—stories that are statistically likely to go trending, Thain said.
“Instead of having a writer that maybe is transfixed on Twitter all day, they can maybe focus on developing a source,” he added.
The website also employs machine learning techniques to deliver related content to readers that keeps them on GiveMeSports, driving page views. AI also helps Thain’s team craft engaging Facebook headlines that capture readers’ attention without veering into clickbait by recognizing common words in clickbait-like articles and then avoiding them.
Thain would not disclose the terms of the deal with Breaking Data Corp.; however, given the combination of technology and sports writing, it looks poised to be a fruitful endeavor.