Women’s volleyball: Spike Media’s venture gets off to a flying start: ‘Visibility is the new sponsor of our sport’

“We were convinced that women’s volleyball had a higher standard of quality and greater audience potential than was apparent from the previous distribution model,” explains Fabris. “Volleyball World has done a great job and the overall figures achieved have been extraordinary, but we wanted a more widespread presence and greater freedom to distribute content.”

Last year, the ecosystem surrounding Italian women’s volleyball had nevertheless exceeded 1.4 billion digital views, whilst the League had reached over 1.2 million followers and 45 million social media interactions.

Yet, according to Fabris, the point is not simply to rack up views.

“The real challenge is to turn attention into sustainable economic value. Greater visibility means a larger audience. A larger audience means greater interest from sponsors, commercial partners and advertisers. And this applies not only in Italia but also abroad.”

The aim is to attract an increasingly international audience by capitalising on the brand recognition built up by the league’s star players.

“We have Italian athletes who are followed all over the world and foreign players who represent strategic markets. A brand may decide to invest locally by capitalising on the popularity of a specific athlete in their own country. It’s a completely different approach to the past.”

Technology is at the heart of the project. Spike Media is developing tools designed to personalise content distribution and increase monetisation opportunities for all stakeholders.

“Thanks to the investments currently underway, players will be able to receive personalised highlights of their performances almost in real time. This will enable them to post content on social media, boost engagement and, in the long term, monetise their visibility directly.”

The initial signs look encouraging. A recorded broadcast of the match between Busto Arsizio and Novara attracted around 55,000 views, even surpassing the 50,000 views recorded last season by the Coppa Italia final between Milan and Conegliano on the Volleyball World platform.

Fabris, however, refrains from getting carried away.

“We’re only just getting started. These results confirm that we’re heading in the right direction, not that the work is done. We’ll need further investment in technology, an ever-expanding network of creators and, above all, cultural growth within the clubs.”

This refers to the need to transform sports clubs into fully-fledged media companies.

“The platforms are there, but they need to be nurtured. Clubs will have to produce content, tell the stories of their female players, showcase what goes on behind the scenes, and build ongoing relationships with fans and sponsors. The league cannot thrive solely during the two hours of the match.”

Spike Media’s philosophy is to move beyond the traditional concept of television rights in order to build an open ecosystem, where broadcasters, digital platforms, social networks, female athletes and clubs work together to promote the product.

A move that could set a precedent in Italian sport.

“For years, we’ve focused on who was buying the rights,” concludes Fabris. “Today, we need to focus on who’s watching the content. If the audience grows, everyone benefits: the League, the clubs, the sponsors and the athletes. Visibility isn’t the end goal. It’s the investment from which everything else stems.”