Team Whistle, a youth-oriented division of DAZN, has unveiled its first ever short form slate built in partnership with a new generation of up and coming creators hired by the publisher. The move follows the launch of its ‘Whistle Creator Programme’ in February.
The sport-focused outfit said its goal is to “satiate the growing appetite for short form content amongst Millennial and Gen Z audiences. In addition to original short-form, the slate includes Whistle’s midform titles reimagined for a new format including: No Days Off, My Hustle, Days Off, I Could Do That, Home Team and Players Breakdown.
Titles on the slate include Meet the Parents, available across Tiktok, IG Reels, YT Shorts. In this show, Team Whistle puts the turn the spotlight on the unsung heroes behind the young prodigy athletes already featured in No Days Off. Other titles include Team Players, Cold Calls, Easy Layup and Alternate Game Plan. The latter is a “wild, edgy TikTok show that turns fame on its head. We dive into hilarious, fast-paced adventures exploring the ‘what-ifs’ of legendary athletes, lives sans fame”.
Leo Fernandez, senior director of development and short-form production at Team Whistle, said: “As we witness the growing trend of Gen Z and Millennial audiences flocking to platforms like TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts, our commitment to short-form content has never been stronger. We’re dedicated to meeting their evolving needs by maximising the production of positive, relatable content that resonates with viewers. As a social-first publisher and provider of tailored strategies, Team Whistle is determined to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to the ever-changing landscape.”
Team Whistle joined DAZN as part of the recent acquisition of Eleven. It has an original content slate of 50+ shows and a creator network that generates around four billion views per month across digital and social platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. It also has an internal agency Magnet that provides digital first content strategies to brands, leagues and platforms.
This week also saw Team Whistle launch original comedy series Pressed on its YouTube page and across social media. In Pressed, unsuspecting sports personalities think they are walking into a regular press conference but then discover they are to be quizzed by school-age journalists who have done the prep work and mean business.
