To date, the club has had over 50 creators through the door, which will now form part of an academy to help aspiring young people get a foot on the ladder in the sports business and media industries.
From the 2024/25 season, the club is building a curriculum for creators to learn from key personnel and adjoining departments at the club, on how media and creative fuels sports business. As well as attending football matches, training and club events to learn about the practical side of content, the creators will also have the chance to attend seminars and online lessons.
‘Creators’ is a broad term - something the academy has embraced, welcoming not just photographers and videographers, but also artists, illustrators, copywriters, and even graffiti artists, magicians and a drone pilot.
Ian Nolan, Chief Content Officer at Manchester United, explains why the club is embracing the creators' economy: “We started this project wanting to give back to our community, and that’s why we’re hand-in-hand with our Foundation. But it’s also opened our eyes to new content and formats we wouldn't have thought of. Last year, one of our creators used a 100-year-old film camera at the stadium - it was like drama from another world - everyone was fascinated.”
CREATIVE ‘PITCH DAY’ BATTLES
At the end of the curriculum, each cohort takes part in a ‘Pitch Battle’, at Old Trafford, and again, it’s all about innovation.
“This year our creators were invited to the stadium on kit launch day, given a new kit, and five hours to create a piece of creative content to bring the kit to life in a unique way. The results were incredible.”
Submissions can be seen here.