NEW YORK — Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman seems to enjoy talking into the camera while he brushes his teeth.
It’s an authentic, all-access look that Sherman is providing this season as he self-records first-person narratives using Samsung devices for The Players’ Tribune as part of a first-of-its-kind content series called Out Of Context.
The series has found success, as it has gotten major play on The Players’ Tribune website and easily been the company’s most popular YouTube content averaging about 130,000 views in recent weeks. The videos are about two minutes each, with Sherman capturing himself in his home, the hotel room, locker room and team plane. He speaks about wins and losses, messes around with his teammates and has addressed topics such as Colin Kaepernick, hurricane relief and equality for blacks.
The Players’ Tribune president Jaymee Messler said at SportsBusiness Journal’s Sports Marketing Symposium that rather than doing a traditional sponsorship with Samsung, this was more of a partnership driven by engagement.
“It just worked out perfectly because we were able to give Richard a platform to speak in an unfiltered way, which he does 24/7, and every time he actually films something on his Samsung, it goes straight to our editing booth here in New York, where our team can help him at it,” she said. “We have those tools to be able do and capture content 24/7.”
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The outspoken Sherman, a contributor for The Players’ Tribune, had done a weekly series last year as well and expressed this summer ways in which he could help grow the platform.
“I want to be able to speak at any time, and I want it be easy, and I don’t want it just to be on Tuesdays,” Sherman explained, according to Messler.
“So we put together a plan where we have Samsung devices all in his car, we have a confessional on the couch. Anywhere, he has Samsungs that he can bring with him wherever he goes,” Messler added.
Messler said the current series has been “doing incredible” and could inspire future series with Samsung.
“We’re talking to Samsung about how do we bring this to other sports, bring this to other athletes,” she said. “I think it’s an amazing example of how a brand can work with The Players’ Tribune and really create authentic, engaging content.”
