Have Sports Alt-Casts Peaked?

…The latest campaign with Sabrina Carpenter and Wizards rookie Alex Sarr is making Medusa shades cool again.

While we love the holiday season, we can’t wait for Grand Theft Auto VI to drop in 2025. It will likely be the biggest video game of all time. Maybe Bron and AD will Twitch stream on the release date?

Every brand is looking to cash in on the collaboration trend, but the oversaturation is forcing companies to rethink their strategy. Come correct, or don’t come at all.

There’s nothing like the healing power in pets, and none more powerful than how Josh Butler’s two dogs walked with him for Senior Day. We’re all rooting for this kid.

Lil Baby is tapping into Atlanta’s football roots with his latest “Touchdown” track. The College Football Playoff Final will be in Atlanta. Anyone down for the Lil Baby halftime show?

Since ManningCast caught on, every network has been searching for its niche alt-cast idea to lure in new audiences. But the latest attempt, The Simpsons on Monday Night Football, has us wondering how much staying power alt-casts have.

The Simpsons alt-cast followed a common theme – a legacy name with a built-in audience, weaving Easter eggs within a secondary broadcast. It provides moments of nostalgia but can be difficult to follow with technical issues and a bigger delay than a laggy stream.

Most attempts, like Toy Story, have largely missed the mark for similar reasons. The ManningCast formula didn’t work out for Kevin Hart, Dude Perfect, The Shop, or even Stephen A. Smith.

We’ll soon see the gamification of sports broadcasts as the NFL and NBA turn to their popular video games, Madden and 2K, which have already received groans from sports fans.

When will these networks and broadcasters stop looking to the past for alt-cast concepts? If the goal is to captivate a younger audience, Gen-Z is following Kai Cenat over Bart. In the digital age, iShowSpeed has a bigger influence than Lisa.

If the NFL’s goal was to unlock core memories for an older audience, then mission accomplished.

College athletic departments are navigating an era of unprecedented change. From the new "wild west" of NIL to an impending revenue-sharing landscape and a landmark House decision, these foundational shifts are impacting everything from Washington politics to National Signing Day and the Transfer Portal.

Teamworks is uniquely positioned to help programs thrive in this environment. Trusted by more than 99% of D1 institutions, Teamworks offers the solutions, technology, and expertise to address challenges at every level. With its recent acquisition of the NIL operations platform Basepath, Teamworks has cemented its role as the definitive market leader in collegiate personnel solutions.

Kylian Mbappé’s childhood dream of playing for Real Madrid started out as a nightmare. But one of the best players in the world showed a softer side, in a wide-ranging interview with Canal+, reshaping his narrative, and displaying a vulnerable side in the most anticipated interview of the year.

@bap842

Kylian Mbappe reveals all in new interview #mbappe #kylianmbappe #exclusive #interview #realmadridfc

The 25-year-old offered a glimpse into his love life for the first time, sharing how he fell out of love with a romantic partner. Mbappé explained how his connection with Messi grew after they delivered the greatest World Cup Final ever, and how he isn’t a fan of the “Project Mbappé” trend on social media. Let kids be kids.

@cbssportsgolazo

He’ll get there eventually. 😅 🎥: @RaisingZion #footballfunny #projectmbappe #football #soccer

Mbappé isn’t going anywhere. He’s a global superstar that will dominate the conversation. And even though his struggles this season are well-documented, the biggest thing he wants everyone to remember is that he isn’t a robot.