• Loading stock data...
Friday, February 7, 2025

New York Giants Hunker Down With YouTube For Offseason Content

  • Coronavirus leads the Giants to alter their YouTube strategy during free agency.
  • Since August 2019, Giants’ YouTube has seen a 400% increase in subscribers and a 1,000% rise in hours watched.
new-york-giants-youtube
Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

When NFL free agency opens each team, team staffers like the New York Giants’ Nilay Shah are usually on high alert.

Shah, the Giants’ vice president of digital marketing, and his team typically spend those first few days of the signing window capturing content as players come to the facility that fans eagerly consume, ranging from photos of the player signing their contract or that first on-camera interview as a member of their new team.

However, as the coronavirus pandemic has largely shut down NFL facilities nationwide and Shah and his team work from home, the Giants have pivoted their efforts to focus on YouTube, where the team is hoping to connect with fans who have little sports to watch otherwise.

“The things that we lose out on is that typically, a player will come to our facility to sign his contract, and we’re able to capture a lot of content across all of our platforms,” Shah said. “Whether it’s photos of a player signing or the first interview, obviously we’re not able to do that right now.”

In lieu of fresh content, the Giants have released videos that use archive footage but have a broader free agency theme on their YouTube page. One clip centered around former free-agent quarterback Kerry Collins’ contributions to the Giants’ Super Bowl XXXV appearance and another focused on the 2007 and 2011 free-agent classes that brought two Super Bowls to the Meadowlands. 

Another effort has seen the Giants curating full-length game broadcasts from their historical archives and relaunching them on YouTube. They include games like the 2011, 2007, and 1990 Super Bowls, and some of the team’s more memorable playoff experiences in recent memory.

“Despite not having live sports, they could still watch our Super Bowl or watch our 2007 NFC championship game,” Shah said. “We thought that was a good way of giving our fans some distractions during this time period and still having the feel of watching a game.”

Thus far, the increased interest in YouTube is showing signs of success for the Giants. Between August 1, 2019, and March 1, 2020, subscribership increased by 34,500. There were more than 504,700 total hours of content watched – with an average view time per video of 4:32 – and 6.7 million views on the platform. 

READ MORE: On-Field Success Reflected In Ravens’ Social Media Presence

Since August 2019, the team has seen a 400% growth in subscribers, a 1,000% increase in hours watched, a 600% increase in total views, and average view time per video increase 100%. 

The team’s YouTube account has 62,800 subscribers, as of March 17.

It’s not only old Giants coverage that Shah has seen resonate well on YouTube. When Joe Judge was named the team’s new head coach in January, he and his staff used that to launch a new YouTube show, “Giants Life: Blueprint.” 

Created as a Hard Knocks-esque feature on the behind-the-scenes of the Giants’ football operations, the first episode documenting the Judge hire debuted on February 7. With a running time of 13:36, episode one has already seen a 60% completion percentage and nearly 93,500 views, Shah said. 

Episode two opened with Giants quarterback Daniel Jones discussing his experience at the 2019 NFL Combine. It also offered viewers an inside look into the 2020 NFL Combine with appearances from Giants personnel, scouts, and coaches.

Since February 7, the two Giants Life: Blueprint episodes have generated more than 136,300 total views, with an average view time of 6:43. They’ve also helped attract more than 1,150 new subscribers and 110,400 unique visitors. 

“We’ve started to focus on the right thumbnails, the right tags, the right caption descriptions, and that’s led to some really good growth for us on that platform,” Shah said.

What Shah admires about YouTube is the Giants’ ability to go deeper with their content. Over the next several months, the platform offers New York plenty of chances to create long-form videos around significant events like free agency, the 2020 NFL Draft, preseason, and most notably, the regular season. 

READ MORE: Pittsburgh Penguins Shooting Their Shot On YouTube

“The beauty of that is we can go longer, we can be more descriptive, and we’ve seen that – the longer the videos are, the more views we get,” Shah said. “People are willing to sit on that platform and look for that content.” 

“It’s funny, we’re always looking for the short-form content across the broader social platforms, but really on YouTube, it’s the one platform that we can go pretty detailed and aggressive in terms of length and still not have a major drop-off in viewership,” he added.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Josh Allen

Polymarket Whale Made Huge Late Bets On Josh Allen Winning NFL MVP

Allen’s odds skyrocketed from the 50s to over 90% on Thursday afternoon.
exclusive

Greg Olsen: Fox Relationship Is Positive, But ‘My Aspirations Have Not Changed’

Olsen stood by his Fox colleagues but said his “aspirations have not changed.”

NFL Set to Announce Dublin 2025 Game Featuring Steelers

The NFL will likely play seven international games in 2025
Sep 17, 2018; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears former player Brian Urlacher is honored with a Ring of Excellence from Chicago Bears owner Virginia Halas McCaskey during half time of a game between the Chicago Bears and the Seattle Seahawks at Soldier Field.

Bears Owner Virginia Halas McCaskey Dies at 102

McCaskey was the oldest owner in North American sports before she died.

Featured Today

‘Ultimate Throwback’: The Unimpeachable Cool of Hartford Whalers Gear

Nostalgia and street cred have driven a consistent frenzy for merch.
January 20, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Kristin Juszczyk, wife of San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk (44), before a 2024 NFC divisional round game against the Green Bay Packers at Levi's Stadium.
February 1, 2025

The New WAGs: Sports Wives Building Business Empires

Athletes’ wives and girlfriends are bucking stereotypes and cashing in.
Feb 3, 2019; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears mascot dances on the court during a stoppage in play in the second half against the Stanford Cardinal at Haas Pavilion.
January 31, 2025

The Toll of Bicoastal Travel on New ACC Members Cal and Stanford

Cal and Stanford face missed flights, chaotic sleep schedules, and academic demands.
January 28, 2025

It’s Starting to Pay to Be Good at Cornhole

American Cornhole League players made $7.7 million in 2024.

NFL Exec: We’re Reaching More Fans Without Spreading Too Thin

NFL media executive Brian Rolapp is bullish on the evolution of streaming.
Dec 29, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; FOX broadcaster and former NFL quarterback Tom Brady looks on before the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium.
February 5, 2025

Tom Brady Cagey About Scope of Role With Raiders

Brady was approved as a minority owner in the Raiders in October.
Stephen A. Smith
exclusive
February 5, 2025

Stephen A. Smith Says Deal to Return to ESPN Coming ‘Very, Very..

Smith’s old contract was set to expire this summer.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
February 5, 2025

Disney Earnings Highlight ESPN Comeback; Iger High on NBA’s Future

Revenues and operating income grow at the ESPN parent company.
February 5, 2025

FS1 Will Air the Most LIV Golf TV Hours in New Fox..

The 2025 LIV Golf season tees off Friday in Saudi Arabia.
Jun 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; NBA TV analyst Charles Barkley talks on set before game three of the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center.
February 4, 2025

Charles Barkley Will Deny NBC, Amazon Offers to Stick With TNT

Barkley has repeatedly flip-flopped in his career plans in recent years.
February 4, 2025

Fox Reports Big Sports Profits, Eyes New Streaming Service

Football and baseball helped power surges in company revenue and net income.