CASE STUDY
The ATHLETE's VOICEBY 4cast
Our work as the media house for 4CAST and its athlete-led entrepreneurship collective began in May 2023.
Our work as the media house for 4CAST and its athlete-led entrepreneurship collective began in May 2023.
Alongside international stars including Ben Stokes, KL Rahul, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad and Liam Livingstone, we're on a journey to establish The Athlete's Voice as a new publisher, a new voice and a vibrant community in the world of athlete and sports business media.
We create marquee concepts and events that attract commercial partners, and deliver multi-platform content that inspires, provides insight and challenges stereotypes, while demonstrating the richness of life in and beyond sport through the lens of athletes.
The Athlete's Voice app is the digital headquarters of the 4CAST collective, and the home of a growing community that brings together athletes, sports business experts and fans.
A source for breaking news, exclusives and other short- and long-form content, The Athlete's Voice features stars from the 4CAST roster and beyond, spanning the worlds of sport, entrepreneurship and gaming.
Meanwhile, the presence of athletes within the app experience enables direct fan engagement in a safe online space.
Golf is a passion for many of the 4CAST athletes, and that has led us to content collaborations with LIV Golf and the Ryder Cup.
Meanwhile, the popularity of 4CAST's athletes among India's passionate cricket fanbase has opened up opportunities with partners focused on that region.
Our partnership with FanCode, an OTT streaming service, included shoots and long-form content with Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Liam Livingstone, from house tours and training days to masterclasses and candid interviews.
Another notable partner is LEON India, with whom we have activated at major cricket events from the IPL and ICC World Cup to England's Test series against Australia and India.
Community-first initiatives are a key pillar of our work, and we partnered with Wingstop at the T20 World Cup to support grassroots cricket in Barbados. Wingstop supplied kit and equipment to youngsters aged four to 18, giving them the tools they need to practise the game they love.
An important pillar of the strategy to develop The Athlete's Voice brand involves multi-platform support on social media.
Helping to grow existing accounts, unlocking audiences on new audiences and developing a community strategy has served the wider business objectives of 4CAST and their roster of athletes.
Filming on location in Abu Dhabi, our crew went behind the scenes on a team-bonding day with the England cricket squad, taking in the Yas Links golf course and a trip on a Sea Falcon yacht. We caught up with Ben Stokes and Mark Wood, who explained why these experiences help to create connections within the squad, which in turn helps the team succeed on the cricket pitch.
The Athlete's Voice is a platform for athletes to speak out on issues that go way beyond the sports for which they have become famous. This 'roundtable' set-up enabled an in-depth conversation between Ben Stokes, Stuart Broad and host Josh Denzel about subjects including the art of leadership, inspirational entrepreneurship, and this insightful segment about the perils of online engagement and the blight of social media abuse.
In addition to shoots with 4CAST athletes, we film with influencers and other international cricketers (past and present) to deliver a wealth of engaging fan content. This episode was one of 11 from the T20 World Cup at our beachside base in Barbados. Delivered to tight deadlines and combining pre-recorded edits with live studio segments, the T20 Daily featured topical debate, elite athlete insight, cultural exploration and partner activations.
Our 'roundtable' sessions also bring the personalities of athletes - and other guests - to the surface. Not least in this clip where Ben Stokes, Stuart Broad and Josh Denzel draw up their dream dinner party guest list. Six famous faces are invited, and it was illuminating (and very funny!) to hear the reasons for their eclectic set of choices, and also how legends from all walks of life have inspired the stars we work with.