SailGP builds a global digital fanbase with 897k new followers

As SailGP established itself as a new global professional sailing league, it needed to build a digital audience and operating model almost from the ground up.

From 2020 to 2023, the championship expanded rapidly into new cities and markets. Its digital operation needed to scale with it, covering content creation, platform management, fan engagement, media performance, rights optimisation and monetisation.

The challenge was not simply to fill social feeds. SailGP needed a repeatable Fan Engagement strategy capable of introducing new audiences to the sport, retaining existing fans and building a digital model the organisation could eventually operate itself.

Brave Bison created an always-on, channel-specific strategy connecting paid, earned and organic activity across the fan journey. Shorts, Reels and discovery-led content introduced SailGP to new audiences, while episodic formats and live event storytelling helped deepen engagement and keep fans returning between races.

During race weekends, our teams produced and optimised content in real time, responding to moments on the water while adapting formats and messaging to the behaviours of audiences on each platform. Paid Social activity supported discovery and conversion, while real-time performance insight informed how content and media investment were optimised.

We also developed operational workflows and trained SailGP's internal teams so the model could ultimately be transitioned in-house. The programme generated 897,000 new followers, averaged 4.5 million livestream views per event and increased average watch time by 20% to 11.35 minutes.