Sports marketing
Bryson DeChambeau partnered with EA's Golf Clash on Backyard Games, a daily series in which 10 golf creators competed on a three-hole course he built at home, with the winner facing him for $100,000. According to Mondo Metrics data cited by SponCon Sports, the campaign produced 83.5 million views, 3.61 million engagements and a 4.32% engagement rate across 64 posts. A teaser carousel playing on rumours he was 'coming home' earned the most sends.
The integration stood out: branded sets and game-style graphics, six-second ad reads during natural pauses, Instagram Stories with download prompts, and an in-game recreation of the course fans could play. The format grew from an unsponsored 2024 challenge that proved audience appeal before sponsors joined. However, views across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube fell each season, though YouTube Shorts average views per post rose 41% since 2024.
For clubs and athletes, the lesson is to build and test a repeatable format organically, then sell it with real performance data rather than pitching concepts that only exist if funded. Give partners a role that improves the fan experience, place sponsor messages inside the action, use Stories for direct calls to action, and keep the star at the centre with fan rewards to sustain reach.
