The ‘Arena Creator Network’ (ACN) has been introduced by The Arena Group, a digital platform and media firm that owns Sports Illustrated, Parade, TheStreet, Men’s Journal, and over 265 other brands. The network will have over 100 creators with over 100 million followers, covering a wide range of topics including culture, food, fashion, sports, travel, and more. It will be activated to launch quick integrated social campaigns on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube with original creator content, exclusive editorial coverage, OTT offerings, and over-the-air channels.

According to Comscore, the audience reach of Arena’s sports, finance, and lifestyle media brands combined with the brand prestige and audience reach of approximately 90 million monthly users fully supports the ACN. The programs enable marketers to reach millions of people through cost-effective and efficient smart targeting that matches audience and interests. Through unmatched access to in-person experiences encompassing major sporting events, personal finance, food and travel, as well as entertainment and lifestyle, the ACN is also creating huge advantages for artists and brand partners.

Under the direction of Ting Wang, Senior Vice President of Audience Development, The Arena Group properties have experienced a spike in social growth, which includes:

• According to Google Analytics, the company will see a 120% increase in social referrals for all of its brands between 2021 and 2022.
• According to ListenFirst, the number of video views is anticipated to quadruple to 1.5 billion this year from 2021, representing a surge of 175%.
• Sports Illustrated has consistently commanded the #1 share of voice on Facebook link posts among all significant sports rivals during the previous year, according to CrowdTangle.
• In comparison to other Formula 1 TikTok accounts during the same three-month period, Sports Illustrated F1 has one of the fastest-growing followings with approximately 120,000 followers as of August 2023.
• The Company’s sports vertical, Sports Illustrated Media Group, ranked second in Comscore’s audience measurement of American sports properties in July 2023.
• The Arena Group’s internal statistics shows that from last year to this year, Parade’s social referrals increased by 161%.

“This network is a natural next step in media and the evolution of our business. We are leading the way in the movement toward creator and brand collaborations, putting creators and influencers front and center in our coverage of culture and events in sports, lifestyle, and finance worlds. Our goal is to foster strong relationships between content creators and our iconic, trusted brands to empower the next generation of storytellers to deliver impact for sponsors and unlock new revenue streams for all parties.”

Rob Barrett, President of Media, The Arena Group

The Arena Group has welcomed: to continue the Company’s audience development growth plan in the social sphere and lead the Arena Creator Network under Ting Wang.

• Lindsay Calabrese, General Manager of Creator Network, leverages over 12 years of experience in leading innovation, cultural impact strategy and creator programs with theAmplify (acquired by Brandtech group), Whalar, and Cashmere Agency.
• Amanda Solomon, Vice President of Creator Relations, has extensive background across gaming, technology, esports, and entertainment. She previously held the position of Director of Influencer Partnerships with Viral Nation.
• Nadine Jarrard, Vice President of Social Sales, contributing 15 years of experience building high-performing teams, most recently as a founding member of PROJECT Z.
• Monique Kakar, Vice President of Creator Strategy and Partnerships, brings almost 20 years of marketing experience; led a strategic sales partnership with Made In Network and integrated brands into leading YouTube channels paired with media and exclusive editorial content across various owned and operated platforms.

“We are embracing the rapid change in how consumers interact, learn, search, and experience content and how creators use new platforms to express themselves and connect with audiences… reimagining storytelling by partnering creators with brands in front of and behind the lens. The result is deeper through line, social-first content that will inform editorial coverage from our iconic brands. This is how we are uniquely built to help brands tap into culture and move at the speed of culture in a very authentic, integrated way. It’s really a modern, creative media solution, built with purpose.”

Lindsay Calabrese, General Manager of Creator Network, The Arena Group