TEAM WHISTLE LAUNCHES ITS FIRST SHORT FORM SLATE, BUILT WITH THE NEXT GENERATION OF UP AND COMING IN HOUSE CREATORS

NEW YORK – (April 26, 2023) – Team Whistle, the global sports media and entertainment company, is taking the next step in its evolution, launching its first ever short form slate built alongside the next generation of up and coming creators hired by the publisher, to satiate the growing appetite for relatable short form content amongst Millennial and Gen Z audiences. A recent internal survey conducted by the publishers insights and analytics division, found that 87 percent of participants are constantly consuming short form content, with 92 percent prioritizing digestible, humorous, relatable short form content. Short form has been proven to be the ideal format for continuous engagement with a younger generation. All titles and concepts align back to Whistle’s mission of telling evergreen and accessible stories to an engaged audience through social-first formats that foster a genuine connection with viewers. The slate also includes Whistle’s popular original midform titles reimagined for a new format including: ‘No Days Off,’ ‘My Hustle’, ‘Days Off’, ‘I Could Do That’, ‘Home Team’ and ‘Players Breakdown’.

Team Whistle continues to grow its roster of up and coming creators it partners with, as it now looks to build native in-house faces for the publisher, who have a passion for creating stories at the intersection of sports and culture. The following hires are 'picking up creative short form with producers from:

• Leo Fernandez, who formerly served as Head of Creative Development & Production for Thrillist
• Ryan Gordon from Overtime
• Casey Rieger from Big Spaceship
• Muhamed Coker from House of Highlights
• Taylor Brown from Thrillist

"As we witness the growing trend of Gen Z and Millennial audiences flocking to platforms like TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts for both entertainment and education, our commitment to short-form content has never been stronger. We're dedicated to meeting their evolving needs by maximizing the production of positive, relatable content that resonates with our 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 digital landscape." said Leo Fernandez, Sr. Director of Development and Short-Form Production at Team Whistle. "We're thrilled to collaborate with the best-emerging talent in the industry, ensuring that we continue delivering cutting-edge short-form content for our channels and partners while remaining a vital source of entertainment and education for our valued Gen Z and Millennial audiences."

• ‘Meet the Parents’ - Available across Tiktok, IG Reels, YT Shorts
  • In Meet the Parents, we turn the spotlight on the unsung heroes behind the young prodigy athletes that we feature in No Days Off, their loving and dedicated moms, dads, or any parental figure that acts as their guiding light. We hear their inspiring stories as they navigate the challenges of raising a superstar while keeping their family grounded, and discover the sacrifices they make to ensure their child's success.
• ‘Team Players’- Available across Tiktok, IG Reels, YT Shorts
  • In Team Whistle's new TikTok show, Team Players, we spotlight how some of our favorite athletes play super hero to others' lives. From donating entire salaries to charity to pulling an injured driver out of a burning fire, we'll cover all these heartwarming stories from the sports world.
• ‘Cold Calls’ - Available across Tiktok, IG Reels, YT Shorts
  • Our Whistle staffers are getting together on a FaceTime call to dish out only the juiciest hot takes on all the trending topics in the game. From who should be crowned MVP this year to that insane game-winning call by the ref last night - no topic is off-limits. It's going to be a wild ride as our staffers put their opinions on the line and bring the heat like never before.
• ‘Alternate Game Plan’ - Available across Tiktok, IG Reels, YT Shorts
  • "Alternate Game plan" 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. Picture LeBron James as a small-town gym teacher or Usain Bolt as a speedy mailman. Get ready to laugh, gasp, and question everything you thought you knew about sports stardom!
• “Easy Layup” - Available across Tiktok, IG Reels, YT Shorts
  • Basketball has become a year-round sport! 'Easy Layup' is a hilariously real Tik Tok mini-pod where our host, Ryan Gordon, highlights everything hoops. From hot takes like who the best shooter in the game is to heartwarming stories of how players looked out for each other on and off the court , Ryan lays it up nice every time

This comes on the heels of Team Whistle launching its “Whistle Creator Program”, enabling the next generation of best in class creators access to the world’s largest sporting events, to

tackle today’s short-form social landscape by offering modern sports fans never-before-seen access to a social-first look at tentpole events. As part of the launch of the Whistle Creator Program, Team Whistle continues to leave a rolling application form open, so any next generation creators can apply to get involved here.

About Team Whistle:

Team Whistle is a DAZN Group sports and entertainment media company built to engage and activate today’s generation, wherever they consume content globally. As a pioneer in data-driven content creation and distribution, Whistle has a positive and relatable original content slate of 50+ shows and a creator network that generates over four billion views per month across digital and social platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. With these deep ties to social and streaming platforms, Team Whistle’s internal agency “MAGNET,” provides platform-first content strategies to brands, leagues and platforms to attract audiences and create revenue opportunities.

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Contact:

Stacey Richman

srichman@teamwhistle.com

973-219-5872