The Sports Content Gameplan

Isac Solinaw
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  • Updated Weekly

Tactics, tools, and stories from the sideline. Putting the creators in front of the mic.

  1. Jul 17

    #19: Alex Kopilow & Fan Engagement, Value, and Fun: The New Era of Sponsored Sports Content

    Alex Kopilow, sports marketing expert and founder of Sponcon Sports, joins The Sports Content Gameplan to explain why sponsored content succeeds or fails based on content quality, not sponsorship - and shares his “fan first, value, fun” framework.  He highlights teams and creators he studies (including the Eagles on YouTube) and breaks down why sports organizations still separate content and revenue, arguing for cross-department collaboration and dedicated digital partnership roles. Kopilow outlines how to value and price digital inventory using reach, engagement, and opportunity cost, warns against selling undefined “post banks,” and recommends building a detailed digital inventory menu, improving measurement, and contextual reporting tied to partner goals.  He shares strong partnership examples (Aston Martin x TikTok, Penguins x Dick’s, Epic Games and Raising Cane’s championship moments) plus trends like creators in sports marketing, athletes monetizing formats, YouTube strategy, and first-party data.

  2. Jul 4

    #18: Samu Gabor & Unlocking the Potential of YouTube for Sports Teams and Creators

    This week on the Sports Content Gameplan, I'm joined by Samu Gabor, YouTube consultant for the Golden State Warriors, filmmaker - and that's just the start! Samu has built one of the most respected names in NBA content — scaling GOAT to hundreds of thousands of subscribers, tens of millions of views — and now helps sports teams and leagues unlock their YouTube potential. We talked about his filmmaking roots, the power of repeatable show formats, working with NBA teams, the Luka Dončić video that blew up 6 months after it was posted + much more.

  3. Jun 18

    #17: LJ Rader, Art But Make It Sports & Finding Your Niche In Oversaturated Social Media Feeds

    In this episode of The Sports Content Gameplan, host Isac Solinaw is joined by LJ Rader, creator and curator behind the famous & viral social media account Art But Make It Sports.   They discuss how the project began back in 2019, what makes great content online, and how his passion for art and sports made him combine the two in this unique way - without using AI. LJ describes the artistic parallels between elite athletes and artists, his frustrations with missing photographer attribution, and how his new book emerged through repeated encouragement.

  4. Jun 5

    #16: Daniel Smith & How To Use Your Content Strategy To Achieve Business Objectives

    Daniel Smith joins the Sports Content Gameplan podcast to discuss his career in sports communications and content, including 11 years at World Sailing covering five Olympic and Paralympic Games, to working at Motorsport UK and founding his agency, Born 23.  He explains how social media evolved inside an international federation, why strategy matters before posting, and how to work creatively within Olympic content restrictions. Daniel contrasts vanity metrics with business outcomes like ticket sales, participation and first-party data, and shares what works in motorsport content - and offers his three tips for starting your own business in the sports creative field.

  5. May 29

    Gameplan Breakdown #3: My Favorite Takeaways From the Gondola Sports Summit

    In the third installment of the Gameplan Breakdown solo episodes, host Isac Solinaw breaks down his trip to Denver for the Gondola Sports Summit 2026. He shares why he went, the welcoming, collaborative vibe among 550+ attendees, and highlights from two days of panels and workshops across production/design and social/marketing tracks at the Denver Art Museum, plus a Rockies game meetup.  Favorite sessions included Art But Make It Sports with LJ Rader, “Your Sponsored Content Is Trash - Here’s How To Fix It” with David Brickley and Alex Kopilow, and a candid panel with Rory Kramer, Jake Pates, and Garrett Augustus on identity, setbacks, and creativity. He also notes workshops with Judah Huffman and Gen Kimura, insights on the attention economy and “people connect with people,” and ends with his broader Denver experiences and plans to return in 2027. 00:00 Summit Breakdown Intro 01:04 Why I Went to Denver 02:28 Goals and Expectations 04:39 Meeting Jared Beforehand 05:17 Venue and Rockies Meetup 06:24 Summit Format and Vibe 11:16 Day One Favorite Panels 16:04 Creative Mindset Takeaways 19:39 Day Two Workshops Highlights 21:22 Big Ideas and Keynotes 23:20 Exploring Denver and NHL Game 24:52 Thanks and Final Thoughts

  6. May 8

    #15: Charlie Rowing & Building Global Sports Brands By Being Relatable

    Charlie Rowing, social media consultant, sports presenter and creator, joins the Sports Content Gameplan this week. Host Isac Solinaw and Charlie discuss his path into sports content, from early digital marketing roles to moving to Turin to work at Juventus. Charlie explains how social media strategy evolved at major clubs, how a small team handled intense season-long demands, and how Juventus balanced local identity with global appeal while transforming into an international lifestyle brand. He shares key moments in his career, and shares his return to the UK to freelance with clients like DAZN, and discusses shifting to on-camera, essential skills, and his top tips for managing a global brand on social media.  Content talked about in this episode: 00:00 Welcome to Gameplan 01:09 Quickfire Favorites 02:36 Landing Juventus Role 03:53 Juve Brand Shift 05:58 Small Team Big Pressure 07:04 Season Grind 08:25 Local vs Global Fans 10:09 Ronaldo Effect 12:10 Viral Barca Tweet 13:55 Pandemic Content Ideas 15:43 Del Piero Homecoming 17:32 Handling Expectations 18:25 Life After Juventus 19:46 On Camera Transition 22:36 Top Social Media Tips 26:24 Detail and Pet Peeves 28:19 Future Goals and Sports 31:12 Where Sports Content Goes 32:07 Advice for New Creators 33:45 Closing and Guest Pick

  7. Apr 24

    #14: Melinda Bergstrand, Future of Sports Marketing & Athlete-Generated Content

    (In Swedish) In this episode of The Sports Content Game Plan, host Isac Solinaw talks with Melinda Bergstrand about how sports communication, content, and marketing are increasingly intertwined, and how Swedish sport is shifting from a sponsorship-only focus toward fan dialogue and broader sports marketing.  Melinda explains sports marketing as value creation for athletes, clubs, and federations that also drives societal and business impact. We discuss why many clubs lack an active communication strategy due to limited resources, and how involving younger members can help. Melinda offers three tips for athletes building personal brands, with examples like Ezra Frech and Walter Wallberg, and highlights the growth in women’s sports and athlete-generated content. Mentioned in this episode:  Ezra Frech: https://www.instagram.com/ezrafrech/ Walter Wallberg: https://www.tiktok.com/@walterwallberg Johanna Johnson: https://www.youtube.com/@johannajohnsongolf 00:00 Intro 00:49 Quick Question 04:31 Sports Marketing Today 06:15 How Melinda Found Her Niche 10:07 Hybrid Days and Athlete Background 13:59 Strategy and Lack of Resources In Clubs 18:21 Project Work With Swedish Football Federation 23:02 Communication on Club Level 25:17 Athletes and Personal Brand 29:25 Three Plays For Athletes To Start Create 46:46 The Future of Sports Marketing 50:17 Kreaturs, Authenticity and Ending

  8. Apr 10

    #13: Esteban Gonzalez & Creating a 24/7 Global Content Engine

    In this episode of the Sports Content Gameplan, host Isac Solinaw talks with Esteban Gonzalez, digital content senior manager for FIBA 3x3, about building a global content strategy for a fast, constant-action sport. Esteban shares his path from early sports writing to joining FIBA 3x3 in 2015, helping grow it to over 10 million followers and managing content operations across 150+ events annually. They discuss how 3x3’s speed shapes storytelling, the need to be creative and different to stop the scroll, and how tools like real-time clipping and automation help scale distribution while protecting brand authenticity. Esteban highlights experimentation, player-led content to build stars, “posted is better than perfect,” maximizing Olympic momentums, and using AI for localization, reporting, and workflow support while avoiding inauthentic trends. 00:00 Show Intro 00:55 Meet Esteban 01:26 Quickfire Social Habits 05:26 Career Origin Story 07:39 Biggest Career Moments 11:20 Why 3x3 Works Online 15:46 From Creator to Manager 19:39 Scaling Global Content 21:16 Encouraging Experimentation 27:02 Three Content Principles 28:33 Players As Influencers 30:49 Beyond Metrics Legacy 35:23 Staying Ahead Of Trends 37:03 AI In The Workflow 40:57 Trends To Watch 44:28 Advice For Creators 46:45 Podcast Guest Pick

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Tactics, tools, and stories from the sideline. Putting the creators in front of the mic.

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