Facebook Parent Meta Courts Creators on World Trick Shot Day

If it's the first Tuesday in December, that can only mean one thing: It's World Trick Shot Day. Oh, you didn't have that on your calendar? Well, that could mean you're not a Harlem Globetrotters fan, or a young basketball player that sports and entertainment media agency Team Whistle is hoping to court in a partnership with Facebook parent company Meta. World Trick Shot Day was started in November 2016 by the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team as a way to share their famed trick shots, daring dribbling and atmospheric athleticism. The event involves everything from simple no-look, underhanded shots on the court to the most dramatic moments like shots taken while skydiving. Team Whistle assembled a team of over 75 sports influencers, creators and athletes to post their best trick shots to Instagram and Facebook Reels to inspire more engagement with Meta's two flagship properties. Under the hashtag #WorldTrickShotDay, fans are invited to vote on the best submissions through Reels, carousels and Stories on Team Whistle’s Instagram page. Taking the shot Over the past few years, TikTok has steadily established itself as the prime discovery platform among Gen Z consumers when it comes to creativity and entertainment. Meta's Facebook and Instagram have struggled to keep pace, even as their general popularity are difficult to rival. Sports Organizations Are Scrambling to Get In on the NFT Craze At Adweek’s Social Media Week London summit, TikTok executives revealed that 75% of users go to the app to be entertained, while about 67% use TikTok to discover new products. That said, Team Whistle's ability to connect Meta to influencers could help prove its social platforms can offer something broader for the creator community, expanding the Globetrotters' fanbase. "Instagram and Facebook are places where creators can thrive, both creatively and economically," Dev Sethi, head of Instagram Sports, said in a statement. "Sports creators, in particular, have an amazing presence on our apps, so we’re excited to partner with Team Whistle to showcase some of their work through the always-entertaining lens of trick shots." "We know sports content and how young audiences want to consume it across platforms," said Dashiell Desloovere, vp of content strategy and programming at Team Whistle. "Meta has been a great partner to us, and we’re excited to continue our collaborative efforts to create added value to our existing partnership while catering to their large audience of avid sports enthusiasts." Courting creators and influencers The event will feature celebrities and personalities including social media influencer Famous Los; former basketball player and TV host Rachel DeMita; and former University of Central Florida kicker turned YouTuber Donald De La Haye, aka Deestroying. "I’ve been playing basketball my whole life, so now as a content creator and sports personality, trick shots are a big part of my content," DeMita said. "I love coming up with new trick shot ideas that fit my unique skills and personal style. Hopefully my videos will motivate and inspire my followers and other creators to think outside the box and get creative with their trick shots." Meta and Team Whistle partnered recently on a new daily sports prediction game called Pick & Play Sports launched in September. Team Whistle was acquired by U.K.-based live football streaming platform Eleven Sports in March to expand its operations in the U.S. The platform has over 2 million subscribers on YouTube with content that skews toward sports, culture and lifestyle. A ‘Cheat Day’ With 76er Tobias Harris Is Hoops With His Sister and KFC

Sports Marketing News

Meta Courts Sports Creators on World Trick Shot Day

Media agency Team Whistle brings on influencers such as Famous Los, Deestroying and Rachel DeMita for Harlem Globetrotters 'holiday'

Rafael Canton

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Rafael Canton