Entertainment Lions for Sport
The Entertainment Lions for Sport celebrate creativity that taps into fan culture and leverages the power of sports and esports in connecting people to brands.
The work will need to demonstrate excellence in breakthrough creativity within the sports and esports ecosystem through the use of effective strategic planning, sponsorship, brand management, media, entertainment and/or talent.
The work will need to demonstrate excellence in breakthrough creativity within the sports and esports ecosystem through the use of effective strategic planning, sponsorship, brand management, media, entertainment and/or talent.
Overview
A number of criteria will be considered during judging, weighted as follows: 20% strategy & insight; 30% creative idea; 30% craft & execution; 20% results.
Brands refers to talent, artists, creators, influencers, streamers, athletes, teams, organisations, sponsors, platforms, media owners, rights holders or any entity that produces and distributes products and content related to the sport industry.
Esports may be entered across all categories within Entertainment Lions for Sports.
There is no overall limit to how many times the same piece of work can be entered into Entertainment Lions for Sport as long as the categories chosen are relevant.
Brands refers to talent, artists, creators, influencers, streamers, athletes, teams, organisations, sponsors, platforms, media owners, rights holders or any entity that produces and distributes products and content related to the sport industry.
Esports may be entered across all categories within Entertainment Lions for Sports.
There is no overall limit to how many times the same piece of work can be entered into Entertainment Lions for Sport as long as the categories chosen are relevant.
A. Branded Content for Sport
Creative content crafted to build awareness for a brand by associating it with culture and values through sport.
A01 Film Series and Audio.
Branded film, audio and radio content, including documentaries and series, with sports at its core that aims to amplify a sports organisation’s or brand’s message.
* If you are submitting a series of films, please upload all executions in a single video file with slates denoting the start of the next execution.
A02 Broadcast/Live Streaming.
Brand or sponsor integration into live coverage of sport events, including the use of live streaming platforms, where a brand contributes a unique narrative or expertise that clearly enhances the overall quality of the content.
* Please provide a sample film file of up to 30 minutes.
A03 Promotional Content for Publishers & Networks.
Sport-related content/programming created to promote a media company, network, broadcaster or publisher. The work will be judged not just on the content, but also on how it communicated or evolved the identity of the publisher.
A04 Brand Storytelling.
Sport initiatives/campaigns that demonstrate brand narratives to drive meaningful fan/consumer engagement across relevant platforms.
A01 Film Series and Audio.
Branded film, audio and radio content, including documentaries and series, with sports at its core that aims to amplify a sports organisation’s or brand’s message.
* If you are submitting a series of films, please upload all executions in a single video file with slates denoting the start of the next execution.
A02 Broadcast/Live Streaming.
Brand or sponsor integration into live coverage of sport events, including the use of live streaming platforms, where a brand contributes a unique narrative or expertise that clearly enhances the overall quality of the content.
* Please provide a sample film file of up to 30 minutes.
A03 Promotional Content for Publishers & Networks.
Sport-related content/programming created to promote a media company, network, broadcaster or publisher. The work will be judged not just on the content, but also on how it communicated or evolved the identity of the publisher.
A04 Brand Storytelling.
Sport initiatives/campaigns that demonstrate brand narratives to drive meaningful fan/consumer engagement across relevant platforms.
B. Sport-Led Brand Experience
Meaningful, engaging experiences and activations created to attract or maintain an audience.
B01 Sports Live Experience.
Brand or sponsor integration into live sport or esport events, shows, stunts and installations held physically or within virtual worlds, enabling a brand to provide message amplification and engage with an audience.
B02 Metaverse, New Realities & Emerging Tech.
Immersive experiences that creatively push the boundaries of technology within sport entertainment. This could include, but not be limited to, AI, AR, VR, XR, wearable tech and mobile devices, voice technology, blockchain technology, gamification, virtual worlds, the metaverse and all other emerging platforms. Does not include prototypes of early-stage technology.
B03 Esports & Gaming.
Esports, games and gaming initiatives created to communicate a brand, teams or sports organisation through the creative production, promotion and distribution of content with sport-related gaming at the core. This includes but is not limited to the use of brand integration within existing gaming platforms.
B04 360 Integrated Brand Experience.
Experiences that successfully carry a brand’s message across multiple platforms/channels, both online and offline. The work should demonstrate how content featuring a brand’s message, product or service has been seamlessly implemented on various platforms to continue and amplify meaningful consumers’ experience and engagement.
B01 Sports Live Experience.
Brand or sponsor integration into live sport or esport events, shows, stunts and installations held physically or within virtual worlds, enabling a brand to provide message amplification and engage with an audience.
B02 Metaverse, New Realities & Emerging Tech.
Immersive experiences that creatively push the boundaries of technology within sport entertainment. This could include, but not be limited to, AI, AR, VR, XR, wearable tech and mobile devices, voice technology, blockchain technology, gamification, virtual worlds, the metaverse and all other emerging platforms. Does not include prototypes of early-stage technology.
B03 Esports & Gaming.
Esports, games and gaming initiatives created to communicate a brand, teams or sports organisation through the creative production, promotion and distribution of content with sport-related gaming at the core. This includes but is not limited to the use of brand integration within existing gaming platforms.
B04 360 Integrated Brand Experience.
Experiences that successfully carry a brand’s message across multiple platforms/channels, both online and offline. The work should demonstrate how content featuring a brand’s message, product or service has been seamlessly implemented on various platforms to continue and amplify meaningful consumers’ experience and engagement.
C. Community
Work that focuses on the development, maintenance and nurturing of a community or fanbase.
C01 Fan Engagement/Distribution Strategy.
Audience engagement and distribution strategies designed to build and engage a sports-related fanbase, enhancing community activity and brand affinity.
C02 Influencer & Co-Creation.
The creative and innovative use of content creators, streamers and/or influencers to drive a brand’s message and engage with a specific audience within sport. This may include, but is not limited to, collaborations, sponsored content and user-generated content.
C01 Fan Engagement/Distribution Strategy.
Audience engagement and distribution strategies designed to build and engage a sports-related fanbase, enhancing community activity and brand affinity.
C02 Influencer & Co-Creation.
The creative and innovative use of content creators, streamers and/or influencers to drive a brand’s message and engage with a specific audience within sport. This may include, but is not limited to, collaborations, sponsored content and user-generated content.
D. Partnerships
Exceptional strategic partnerships between brands and sports-related entities.
D01 Brand Partnerships, Sponsorships & Collaborations.
Strategic brand partnerships and collaborations that leverage sports, branded content and entertainment to meet specific business goals and mutually benefit everyone involved.
D02 Partnerships with Sports Talent.
Strategic partnerships between a brand and a known sports personality, team or sports organisation. The work will be judged on how effective and mutually beneficial the partnership was.
D01 Brand Partnerships, Sponsorships & Collaborations.
Strategic brand partnerships and collaborations that leverage sports, branded content and entertainment to meet specific business goals and mutually benefit everyone involved.
D02 Partnerships with Sports Talent.
Strategic partnerships between a brand and a known sports personality, team or sports organisation. The work will be judged on how effective and mutually beneficial the partnership was.
E. Challenges & Breakthroughs
Creative and innovative work that is brought to life through deep cultural insight, regional context and progressive thinking.
E01 Diversity & Inclusion in Sport.
Brand-led creative work that leverages sport to tackle and confront disparities based on sex, sexuality, disability, age, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or other status within a sport or sports-related community.
E02 Innovation in Sport.
The innovative use of new or existing technology, platforms, media or channels to create branded products and content that enhance the sports experience, comfort, performance, safety of athletes and fans.
E03 Challenger Brand.
Brands that have creatively adapted their approach in response to competitor pressure by challenging the status quo to create game-changing work that uses progressive thinking and innovative creativity.
E04 Social Behaviour & Cultural Insight.
Work inspired by a specific audience or community, hinging on identifiable social behaviour or cultural insights, stemming from the ideas, customs, values and lifestyles found within a specific region or locality.
E05 Use of Humour. NEW
Work that celebrates the art of humour in branded communications. Infusing wit, satire, and cleverness into campaigns that provide amusement and create memorable, laughter-inducing connections with audiences.
E06 Breakthrough on a Budget.
Creative use of modest budgets and/or resources in relation to the market and/or industry to create maximum impact. The work should demonstrate how fresh insight, smart spending and compelling strategic thinking solved a business problem despite limited resources.
E01 Diversity & Inclusion in Sport.
Brand-led creative work that leverages sport to tackle and confront disparities based on sex, sexuality, disability, age, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or other status within a sport or sports-related community.
E02 Innovation in Sport.
The innovative use of new or existing technology, platforms, media or channels to create branded products and content that enhance the sports experience, comfort, performance, safety of athletes and fans.
E03 Challenger Brand.
Brands that have creatively adapted their approach in response to competitor pressure by challenging the status quo to create game-changing work that uses progressive thinking and innovative creativity.
E04 Social Behaviour & Cultural Insight.
Work inspired by a specific audience or community, hinging on identifiable social behaviour or cultural insights, stemming from the ideas, customs, values and lifestyles found within a specific region or locality.
E05 Use of Humour. NEW
Work that celebrates the art of humour in branded communications. Infusing wit, satire, and cleverness into campaigns that provide amusement and create memorable, laughter-inducing connections with audiences.
E06 Breakthrough on a Budget.
Creative use of modest budgets and/or resources in relation to the market and/or industry to create maximum impact. The work should demonstrate how fresh insight, smart spending and compelling strategic thinking solved a business problem despite limited resources.
What does winning work look like?
DREAMCASTER | AB INBEV – MICHELOB ULTRA 2023 
FCB NEW YORK GRAND PRIX, ENTERTAINMENT LIONS FOR SPORT
Michelob ULTRA worked with Cameron Black, a blind man with a dream of becoming a sports broadcaster, to develop Dreamcaster. This groundbreaking, multisensorial technology allowed Black to fully experience and commentate a game, pushing the boundaries of accessibility and sports entertainment. It took home the Grand Prix in Entertainment Lions for Sport.