How Katie Feeney Became ESPN’s First Sports & Lifestyle Creator

0:00Ian Shepherd:Sports media is changing. For decades, it was only broadcasters and journalists. But now, creators are stepping onto the field. I think this is definitely a turning point for creators. At the heart of this revolution, a 23-year-old creator. So I'm a sports and lifestyle creator with ESPN and it's a brand new role. Katie Feeney is changing how millions of fans experience it. I've been doing social media for a pretty long time, almost 10 years, which is crazy because I'm only 23. Her rise has been meteoric from TikTok and Snapchat to the NFL to ESPN's biggest stages. My favorite part about all of this is the young girls that are watching my content.

0:37They're saying this is this is my dream career. This is what I want to do because of you.

0:42Ian Shepherd:Sports media has a new player. Watch out for the creators.

0:51Ian Shepherd:So let's start with the headline. You're now part of ESPN. How would you describe this role? Yes, so I'm a sports and lifestyle creator with ESPN, and it's a brand new role. So I think as this journey continues, I'm really figuring out what it looks like. But I'd say my role really is just to bring ESPN to the platforms that fans are already spending time on. We've seen social media explode over the last few years, and I've been a part of that, especially in the sports world, creating engaging behind the scenes content, some interviews with players, really just using the access I've been given.

1:25and these amazing opportunities and making fans feel like they're a part of it. So I think, you know, connecting more, especially Gen Z fans with ESPN, that's the goal. But yeah, I'll be all over the place this football season. I just had my first week one experience with ESPN, which was phenomenal. I got to go to tailgates and talk to fans and banter with them and just really bring their personalities to life as well. And yeah, the goal is just to connect, connect more people with ESPN.

1:53Ian Shepherd:Excellent. Well, I saw some of that content. and I'm excited to learn more. How did it come about and what made you say yes? Yes. So, I mean, I've been creating sports content, I would say for about four years, a little over four years now. And I think ESPN noticed the content, noticed especially the engagement I have with my audience and they reached out. I think the biggest thing for me is that this is an opportunity to really legitimize creators in the space and, you know, working with a traditional network And now bringing in a creator is a really, I mean, it's like a big monumental experience.

2:29So yeah, I'm super pumped to be a part of it. But yeah, I'm pretty fresh with ESPN. So I mean, this is like my absolute dream. There's no world in which I would have not done this opportunity. So I'm really excited to see where it goes.

2:44Ian Shepherd:Excellent. And for somebody who's just come across you with ESPN role, tell us a little bit, like give us a 60 seconds on the backstory. Yeah, so I've been doing social media for a pretty long time, almost 10 years, which is crazy because I'm only 23. So I started pretty young. But I would say I started taking it seriously towards the end of high school right before I went to Penn State. And once I found a niche in the sports space, as well as lifestyle, I think that's what differentiates me from a lot of sports creators is I also create lifestyle. So I connect with casual sports fans as well as, you know, your hardcore sports fans.

3:20So I would say, yeah, it started on Musical.ly, actually. I would say my biggest growth period was over quarantine. And then once I started creating Snapchat content, that's when things really turned around for me. And I gained a whole new audience, gained a lot of new engagement as well. And yeah, became the first ever social media correspondent for the NFL with the Washington Commanders. I also worked as an intern with Penn State Football Social Media. So that's when I first got my foot in the sports store. And then now I'm with ESPN. So a lot in, well, a short period of time, but it feels it's longer than you would expect.

3:58My social media path. I mean, I could talk about it for hours.

4:02Ian Shepherd:And I know you had a lot of success on Snapchat. Was there something that you perhaps got right about that that other people weren't seeing? Yeah, honestly, like, I think for me, I really like to take advantage of any moment, especially when a new platform comes out with some new feature to take advantage of the moment as it's first starting. I think, you know, it's easy to wait to see if it's successful for other people before you dive in and spend a lot of time doing it. For me, it was Snapchat spotlight. I had a lot of success. And to me, the success, yes, there was monetization. But the biggest thing for me was the growth I had in that period of time.

4:40my audience went from, I don't know exactly, but it probably grew close to a million new subscribers in that time. So that was really, that's what stood out to me. And I think, yeah, I did the same thing when Instagram came out with Reels. I was one of the first on when YouTube came out with shorts right away. I was posting, you have to be on early before it becomes oversaturated.

5:01Ian Shepherd:And what was the moment where you thought this is actually a career now? Yeah, I mean, I've had so many aha moments. I like to call them in this space and to have, you know, I think my first Super Bowl was huge for me. That was my first time getting to talk to players. I remember I, I rose my hand at a press conference and talked to Matthew Stafford, which was so new to me. And I was one of the only girls and definitely the youngest there. And once I started to get the hang of it and just putting myself out there and, you know, sometimes it can be a little bit uncomfortable or scary. But now, I mean, I'll talk to anyone.

5:39I'll talk to Tom Brady if he walks by, which I have done that as well. But I think for like, I mean, this opportunity with ESPN has that's that to me is like, OK, this is this is legit. This is a career. This is I mean, yeah, I'm just very thankful.

5:57Ian Shepherd:Excellent. Well, let's talk about that in a bit more detail. Some fans and critics have called this a TikTokification of sports media. What do you say to people who think ESPN is prioritizing virality over journalistic depth? Yeah, I think it's not an either or. And I think that's the misconception is that social media is taking over traditional media. But ESPN is so established in the space that they were built on. And I think for me, I'm just looking to enhance it and to bring more people to ESPN's traditional coverage. For me, like I create a lot of just fun, lighthearted content. And I think to introduce ESPN to fans that maybe don't follow the traditional sports coverage, it's a way for them to get more involved.

6:40But yeah, I think that there is there's a space for both that I don't see traditional media ever leaving. And I think once people start to see the content I'm creating, any they were confused, they'll start to understand but mine is very fan focused. and yeah I mean like I said earlier the goal is to really bring new fans to ESPN and to make them

7:05Ian Shepherd:feel like they're closer to it and I know that you're sort of stepping into these legacy shows like SportsCenter and Countdown do you feel pressure to translate your Gen Z audience and voice to a more traditional audience yeah I mean I think for me I'm like I'm aware that I'm reaching a new demographic. I think that's the beauty of it is that I have the opportunity to really expand my audience as well. But I'm going to stay authentic to myself and the content I've built my brand on is the content I'm going to continue creating. I think now with the support of ESPN, my content will get that much better.

7:41I mean, I have helped with, you know, creating concepts and ideas and editing and to be able to turn around content in real time that much quicker. I mean, it'll only be enhanced from there. But I think, yeah, my personality is my personality. And I'm not good at changing, you know, like myself, I feel like I've just very much a lot of my content is in the, you know, it's very spontaneous. If I it's my reaction to a crazy touchdown, or my interaction with a fan as it's happening. And that stuff, you can't, yeah, you can't alter. You can't alter it at all.

8:16Ian Shepherd:Absolutely. And if we take a step back, how do you think this, your role sort of represents a turning point for sports journalism and sports media? Yeah, I think it's really giving creators, it's making creators feel like they have a space in this more traditional field. And especially as a female, I have so many young girls that look up to me. And that's honestly been my favorite part about all of this is being able to give people encouragement and to make, you know, the young girls that are watching my content, they're saying this is this is my dream career, or this is what I want to do because of you.

8:50And that's kind of like when I would look up to Aaron Andrews and Kay Adams and Jenny Taft and some of my favorite more traditional broadcasters. I wanted to do what they were doing. And now I'm one of those personalities and faces for this new generation of women and sports fans that are consuming my content. So, yeah, it's very cool to see this evolution happen. And it's still so new. I mean, even in like the span of time I've been working in sports, when I first started working with Penn State football and their social media, none of this is really being done. Now you see a lot of it, which is awesome to see because it's being so well received by fans and by, you know, people that are consuming content on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, whatever it is.

9:40Yeah, people love it. So it's cool to see that this is also expanding and it is a real career option for people. And I think if you asked me that four years ago, my answer would probably be different.

9:52Ian Shepherd:Absolutely. And one of the huge differences between a creator and more traditional media is the production process. What does your production process look like for the content you're making? Yeah, I think a lot of my content is event based. So if I know I'm going to a Sunday football game, I will plan out four or five ideas ahead of time that I'm going to try to hit. at least two or three that I know, no matter what, this is what I want to execute. And then honestly, some of the best content is the stuff I can't plan for. So I always end up getting more content than I could ever wish for. I mean, I was just at F1 in Amsterdam.

10:31And that was last week, I still probably have 12 videos I could put together from it. So sometimes I get too much content, if there's even such thing. But yeah, I think having a plan going in, understanding that you have to be ready to turn around content really quickly. I think in journalism as well, you know, you have to prioritize speed and getting the news out quickly. If there's a crazy play that happens in the game, and I'm reacting to it, I can't wait until the next day to post that. So yeah, being able to turn around content in real time, I would say is the most important. And then, yeah, just kind of having some sort of game plan is usually what I do.

11:12But sometimes, sometimes you don't even need one, but it is helpful.

11:17Ian Shepherd:And there's often big teams producing the content. Do you have a team around you or are you doing it all on your own? Yeah, I mean, now I do when I go to these games. I mean, usually I'll have someone with me. Sometimes it's just a friend to help me film. So previously, when I would go to games, it was really up to me to create the content, brainstorm the ideas, edit it in real time and post it. Now I just had my first weekend with ESPN and I had a social producer with me and like a team in Bristol helping me edit content, turnaround content. And it really does make the world of a difference because I'm so used to doing it by myself, which I am able to do.

11:56And there will be times where I go cover something and And it's up to me. And that's part of my job is being able to do that. But having help around me and the support system they've given me is it really is so helpful.

12:09Ian Shepherd:Yeah, absolutely. And I think we're seeing as more and more creators are professionalizing their work, they're building bigger teams around them. And one of the other key differences is sort of the metrics and the data that you get from social. What are the key things that you're focused on? I'd say the biggest thing is watch time. And that's usually how you see how well a video does. I would say that's the biggest indicator of if the content's engaging or not. Are they clicking away? Are they staying and watching the entire video, half of the video? And I think the key to that is having some sort of really good hook in the beginning.

12:41I would say that's part of the content process as well is what is it that's keeping people engaged? Why are they watching? Why aren't they scrolling past? Because we've, I mean, like the goal of social media is to, you know, have really snappy aging content. So it's easy to scroll into the next thing and the next thing. So you really have to try to get people to stay on your video. But yeah, I would say watch time shares if people are sharing your content, saving your content. And yeah, I mean, I think used to be more based on virality and creating videos that would go viral and you could gain a following from that.

13:23But I think now because there's a lot more creators in this space, it's more about building a connection with your audience. And maybe the video doesn't perform as well numbers wise or views, but people are watching the entire thing. They're following you. They're coming back to your page to watch more content because they enjoy it. They're commenting. I'm like early on I always prioritized commenting back and liking people's comments and really engaging with my audience. I think that's the beauty of Snapchat is I'm able to reply directly to people and create a video and talk. I mean you can do it on all platforms but Snapchat I would definitely say is my highest engagement and the numbers aren't even visible to anyone other than myself.

14:05So I would say, yeah, definitely how involved people are in whether it's comments or watch time is the biggest metric I focus on.

14:16Ian Shepherd:I can imagine creating content at live events isn't easy. Have you got any advice or recommendations for emerging creators that want to emulate you that are listening? Yeah, I think I do really well in chaotic environments, which I think took some time. I think just being able to stay calm and focus on one storyline per video, it's easy to kind of get just immersed in the chaos, which I mean, maybe that's the approach someone else takes. I think you have to figure out what your approach is and just really stay consistent. I mean, some people prioritize quality over quantity. I do a mix of both.

14:56I try to produce a lot of content when I go places over just one video. But for other people, their strategy might be one really polished video and that does well for them. So figuring out what it is that works best for you. And it's a lot of trial and error. I think like as long as you don't get discouraged by maybe a video not performing as well as you thought it would. And I would also say posting in multiple places. I think part of the reason I've had success in this space is I diversified myself across multiple platforms. So maybe my video doesn't pop off on TikTok, but it does on Instagram or it does on YouTube or Snapchat.

15:33And I'm able to have unique audiences within each platform as well. So I think that's, if I could give advice to any creator, I would say post everywhere. Post consistently everywhere. And over time, the videos will grow and so will your audience.

15:47Ian Shepherd:There's words there. I know you're only a few weeks into the role, but what are the next few weeks and months look like? Yeah, a lot of travel. I'm really excited. I'm going to my first college game day this coming weekend, which I'm so excited for. I love college football. I think, yeah, just the content's going to continue and hopefully just continue to improve. I would say a lot more content with the cast of the crew of these shows as well. Sunday NFL countdown, Monday night countdown, hopefully creating content with. I actually just made a video with Scott Van Pelt, which was really fun because he spoke at my high, he went to my high school and he was the commencement speaker at my graduation.

16:30So I showed him the picture I took with him because it was just a full circle moment that I'm taking a selfie with Scott Van Pelt and I'm posting it like that. This is SVP and like on stage at my graduation. And now we're working together sort of at ESPN. And so I think, yeah, creating more content, hopefully as I get to know the crew, people can stay tuned for. But a lot of fun ideas, a lot of fun things in the works and a lot more events. I've only, yeah, I've only done two games so far and there's a full season of football. So lots of football and some other things too.

17:05Ian Shepherd:Excellent. I saw that video. It must have been surreal to see him again. It was cool. I'm sure, I'm sure. So it's been really great to speak and learn about the role. Before we wrap up, I'd love just to get your thoughts on what do you think five years from now, sports media personality will look like? How do you think sort of creators will have embraced it if we look that far ahead? Yeah, I think there will just be even more space for creators. I think creators is definitely going to be a real part in sports and it's just going to continue to expand. So I see a lot more creators getting involved with sports, creating content.

17:45And yeah, it'll be cool to see. I mean, again, like I said earlier, I think traditional TV will always be there. And then I think there will be a whole new side of sports that's just going to continue to build. And that's the creator space. So it'll be interesting to see. But it's hard to predict because even in the last four years, I've been focused on sports. So many things have shifted. and you really can't predict what's next. I mean, who knows? Maybe a platform will disappear, but maybe a new one will come in. So you just have to be willing to and ready to change as media changes. And social media is a big part of everything now.

18:24It's crazy to see because five years ago, if you asked me if this is what sports would look like, I would have no idea that this is what it would turn into or that I would be in the position I'm in. So yeah, it's hard to say what it'll look like. Like, I don't know my five-year plan. I mean, hopefully doing some more fun things at BSPN, but that's all I know so far.

18:45Ian Shepherd:Who knows? I mean, we haven't even touched on AI and what that could mean. That's a whole other conversation. Absolutely. Well, Katie, it's been so great to speak with you. I love the fact that you're pioneering in this space with your work and really excited to see where it takes you and what you're doing for the creator economy. So thank you for joining us. Thank you so much. Thank you for having me.