Club Kayo gives creators the keys to Fox Sports

DAZN Media+ is launching Club Kayo as a social-first creator network spanning AFL, NRL, cricket and motorsport. The model is designed to extend Kayo’s sports coverage beyond the live broadcast while giving advertisers more ways to reach fans throughout the week.

Content will primarily live across Kayo SPORTS and Fox Sports social channels, including Fox Footy, Fox League and Fox Cricket. Some content will also be pulled into the Kayo app through its Moments functionality.

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How Club Kayo will work

Club Kayo will launch with four dedicated teams: Club Kayo Cricket, Club Kayo AFL, Club Kayo NRL and Club Kayo Motorsport. Unlike one-off influencer campaigns, creators will be retained across a season and work on recurring formats.

Ted Helliar, Director of Engagement, Community & Fandom – Kayo and FOX SPORTS, told Mediaweek the creator network will have three broad layers: retained creators, emerging creators and existing Fox talent.

• Retained creators will be selected based on their personality, audience and ability to produce repeatable content.
• Emerging creators will be identified and supported as they build their audiences.
• Fox talent will also develop recurring creator-led formats around their respective sports.

Helliar pointed to Adam Gilchrist as one example. He said the former Australian cricketer and Fox Cricket commentator will come on board over the summer of cricket with a weekly format.

Broadcast access becomes the point of difference

Club Kayo also gives creators potential access to assets and environments that independent sports creators may struggle to reach on their own. That can extend from broadcast rights and vision to talent, players, events and behind-the-scenes opportunities.

“Access is our superpower,” Helliar said.

He pointed to recent work involving Dan Gorringe and Dan Does Footy, who delivered alternative live commentary on Kayo around the AFL. Helliar said Club Kayo could also take creators behind the scenes at events or connect them with players, teams and broadcast talent.

That access is also central to the commercial pitch. A brand already advertising in a live broadcast could extend a campaign into creator-led social content across the rest of the week.

What advertisers can buy

Toby Dewar, Director of Customer Engagement, DAZN Media+, said the offering would not be limited to a fixed sponsorship structure. Brands could work around a particular creator, sporting code, content format or a combination built around their objectives.

“The answer is what they brief us on,” Dewar told Mediaweek.

The model could also create an entry point for smaller advertisers that cannot justify the cost of broadcast activity. Dewar said it may also suit brands unable to enter a broadcast environment because of competing sponsorship arrangements.

Helliar said formats could range from weekly social content on platforms such as TikTok to longer monthly programs. The aim is to develop repeatable creator-led formats that can build audiences and commercial value across a season.

Keeping creators credible

The challenge for Club Kayo will be maintaining the independence that makes creator content attractive to sports audiences in the first place. Helliar said creators would not be expected to constantly promote Kayo or carry heavy branding through their content.

He said AFL and NRL creators, for example, need to keep speaking to fans in their own tone of voice, with commercial integrations built around that relationship rather than leading it.

“As soon as we start putting too many guardrails or being the fun police too much, then we start to lose authenticity in the space,” Helliar said.

Creators will still operate within limits around sensitive subjects. Helliar said the level of freedom would depend on the topic, but Club Kayo wants its creators to retain a fan-first perspective on issues their audiences care about.

Why DAZN Media+ is investing in creators

The launch reflects the growing role social content plays around live sport. DAZN’s global fan study found 81 per cent of hyper-engaged fans want to feel part of sport beyond spectating, while 67 per cent of sports fans see creators as a critical part of sports culture.

The company also reported that 74 per cent of hyper-engaged fans feel more connected to brands that add to the entertainment surrounding sport. Club Kayo was unveiled as part of DAZN Media+’s 2027 Upfronts in Sydney.