The Business of YouTube

A weekly strategic lens for senior leaders into how YouTube is reshaping the business of technology, sports, music, entertainment, and culture.

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To your favourite newsletter, The Business of YouTube, brought to you by Paola Marinone and Bengü Atamer, founders of BuzzMyVideos and previously at YouTube and Google. We are bringing our exclusive insights from 20 years of experience leading strategy at YouTube and Google.

How World Athletics Got over 50M Views in 20 Days on YouTube (Steal Their Strategy)

World Athletics employed a highly effective "Content Blitz" strategy on YouTube during the Tokyo 2025 Championships. This wasn't just about uploading videos; it was about creating a multi-layered content ecosystem designed to serve different audience segments simultaneously.

They saturated the platform with high-quality, timely, and emotionally resonant content, effectively making their channel the go-to destination for event coverage.

Was it just a massive ad spend? Partially, maybe. Their success is also deeply rooted in a sophisticated understanding of YouTube's algorithm and audience behavior.

They used a "Three-Tier Content Blitz" to serve every type of viewer, from the hardcore fan to the casual scroller. Let's break it down.

Content Strategy & Formats: The Three-Tier Content Blitz

They don't use a one-size-fits-all approach. Their content is tiered to maximize reach and engagement.

1 - Pillar Content (The Daily Highlights):

• Format: Long-form videos (9-15 minutes) titled "Day X Highlights | World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25".

• Purpose: To be the comprehensive, authoritative recap of the day. This is for the broad audience who wants to catch up on everything. These are the videos that get promoted heavily, both by paid ads and organically by the algorithm.

• Insight: Every major multi-day event needs a definitive "pillar" recap video for each day. It becomes the anchor of your content strategy.

Specific Pillar Content Example

• Video: "Day 5 Highlights | World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25"

• Thumbnail Analysis:

  • Image: A powerful shot of a female athlete from Team USA, mid-celebration, showing pure elation. This captures the emotional peak of the day.

  • Text: "DAY 5 HIGHLIGHTS" is the most prominent text. It's simple, clear, and optimized for search. Viewers know exactly what they are getting.

  • Branding: It uses the consistent red, white, and purple branding, along with the official event logo, reinforcing its status as official, high-quality content.

  • Video Length: The length is 9:03, which is substantial. This signals to both viewers and the YouTube algorithm that this is a detailed summary, encouraging longer watch times.

  • Strategic Purpose: This video is the "main event" for Day 5. It's designed to be the top search result for anyone looking for a recap of that day. Its longer format is perfect for generating ad revenue and satisfying core fans who want to see all the key moments. The high view count (935K views) confirms this is a successful pillar content piece.

The Ad Push Hypothesis?

The Day X Highlights content, consistently pull in over 1 million views (some hitting 1.7M). A quick calculation of their other, shorter "micro-moment" clips shows an average view count of roughly 100k-200k. This means the pillar content is performing 5x to 10x better.

A difference this significant strongly suggests a deliberate paid advertising strategy using Google/YouTube Ads.

They didn't just post their best content; they put money behind it to ensure it was seen.

Want to discuss Paid Media Strategy for your YouTube videos around key events and channel milestones, talk to us.

An Important Note: Why This Paid Strategy is Genius

Pushing your main pillar content with a paid budget isn't just about buying views; it's a highly strategic move with multiple benefits, especially during a major event:

• Guaranteed Reach & Cutting Through the Noise: During a global championship, YouTube is flooded with clips, commentary, and fan channels. A paid campaign guarantees that the official, high-quality recap is the first thing a casual fan sees. It ensures you don't get drowned out.

• Creating an Algorithmic "Snowball": YouTube's algorithm loves engagement. A successful ad campaign generates a massive initial surge of views and watch time. This flood of positive data signals to YouTube that the video is important, causing the algorithm to start promoting it organically to an even wider audience. The paid push kickstarts a wave of free, organic reach.

• Mass Subscriber Acquisition: The daily highlight is the ultimate "channel trailer" for the event. By pushing it to a huge, targeted audience of sports fans, World Athletics can convert thousands of casual viewers into loyal subscribers who will then see all their other micro-content clips organically.

• Owning the Narrative: It ensures that the official, professionally produced story of the day is the one that dominates. This is crucial for brand integrity and controlling how the event is perceived by the public.

By investing in their pillar content, they aren't just boosting one video; they're elevating the status of their entire channel for the duration of the event.

2. Micro-Moment Clips (The Viral Moments Content):

• Format: Short-form videos (30 seconds to 3 minutes) focusing on a single race, a world record, a dramatic finish, or a specific athlete's performance.

• Purpose: These are designed for discoverability, searchability, and shareability. Fans of a specific athlete or event will search for these clips directly (e.g., "Sydney McLaughlin 400m final"). They fuel discussion and are easily embedded on social media or in news articles.

• Insight: Isolate the most exciting moments. Don't bury a world record inside a 15-minute video; give it its own stage to go viral.

  Specific Micro Moment Viral Clip Example

  

  https://www.youtube.com/@WorldAthletics

• Video: "SECOND FASTEST ALL-TIME | 47.78 championship record for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone | World Athletics..."

• Thumbnail Analysis:

  • Image: A striking, tight shot of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone looking determined and focused. The image choice emphasizes the elite athleticism and the gravity of the moment.

  • Text: The headline "SECOND FASTEST ALL-TIME" is a powerful, attention-grabbing statement. It immediately communicates the historical significance of the performance without needing any other context.

  • Branding: The consistent event branding is present, but the headline is the hero.

  • Video Length: The length is 1:52, making it a quick, digestible watch. Viewers can see the entire record-breaking race without committing to a long highlight package.

  • Strategic Purpose: This video targets a specific audience: fans of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and those interested in track and field records. It's highly searchable for terms like "Sydney McLaughlin record" or "400m final Tokyo." By creating a separate video, they give this incredible achievement its own spotlight, maximizing its potential to be shared across social media and embedded in news articles. The 396K views show the high interest in these specific, historic moments.

3. YouTube Shorts (The Discovery Engine Content):

• Format: Vertical, under-60-second clips.

• Purpose: To capture the "scroll-and-stop" audience on the Shorts shelf. This is their top-of-funnel strategy to attract new, younger subscribers who may not be actively searching for athletics content. The content is raw, immediate, and high-impact.

• Insight: Use Shorts to showcase the most visually stunning and emotionally charged seconds of your sport to a massive, casual audience.

  REGISTER TO OUR YOUTUBE SHORTS MASTERCLASS FOR SPORTS

  Specific YT Shorts Example

  

  https://www.youtube.com/@WorldAthletics

• Video: "CLUTCH KING Daniel Stahl rules the discus 👑"

• Thumbnail Analysis:

  • Image: The thumbnail is a dynamic action shot of Daniel Stahl mid-throw, showcasing the power and athleticism of the discus event. It's a visually arresting image perfect for stopping a user's scroll.

  • Text/Title: The title "CLUTCH KING...👑" is informal, using an emoji and modern slang ("Clutch King"). This language is native to the Shorts platform and is designed to appeal to a younger, more casual audience.

  • Strategic Purpose: The goal here is not deep analysis but instant impact. This Short is designed to be surfaced by the algorithm to a massive audience that may have never seen a discus throw before. The strategy is to impress them with the raw athleticism on display in just a few seconds, generating a quick "wow" moment that might lead to a subscription or further exploration of the channel's other content. It's about reaching new fans through pure, snackable entertainment.

Content Optimisation: Video Titles: A Formula for Clicks & SEO

Their titles are a masterclass in balancing excitement with YouTube search engine optimization (SEO).

• Formula: [Exciting/Emotional Headline in the THUMBNAIL] | [Event/Result in the TITLE] | [Consistent Event Keyword in the TITLE]

• Examples:

  • "HISTORY MAKERS | USA storm to 200m crowns for Lyles and Jefferson-Wooden | Tokyo..."

  • "SECOND FASTEST ALL-TIME | 47.78 championship record for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone | World Athletics..."

  • "KING BEN | Rai Benjamin powers to 400m hurdles gold in 46.52 | World Athletics..."

• Key Elements:

  • Emotional Hook: Words like "King," "Unstoppable," "Monster Throw," "Dramatic" grab attention.

  • Clarity: You know exactly what the video is about (athlete, event, result).

  • SEO Consistency: Every single title includes "World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25" (or a variation). This is crucial for dominating search results related to the event.

• Insight: Develop a consistent title structure that is both exciting for the viewers and informative for the YouTube search algorithm.

  GET A FREE YOUTUBE CHANNEL AUDIT NOW

Upload Frequency: Real-Time Saturation

They uploaded multiple videos every single day of the competition. This is a high-volume strategy that achieves several goals:

• Captures "In-the-Moment" Interest: They publish clips while people are still talking about the event.

• Dominates the Subscription Feed: Fans are constantly seeing new content from the channel.

• Creates a Content Library: It quickly builds a comprehensive video library for every major event and athlete at the championships.

• Insight: During a live event, you must be prepared to edit and upload content in near real-time. The window of peak relevance is small.

Thumbnails: A Visual Masterclass

This is arguably the strongest part of their strategy. The thumbnails are visually consistent, emotionally compelling, and instantly readable.

• Visual Branding: A consistent color scheme (purple, red, white), the official event logo, and consistent font choice create a cohesive and professional look. When you see this style, you instantly know it's official content from this event.

• The "Money Shot": They always use high-quality, professional photographs that capture peak emotion. Athletes celebrating, screaming in victory, exhausted after a race, or in mid-air during a jump. The human face is the focal point.

• Big, Bold Text: The text overlay is minimal (2-4 words), in ALL CAPS, and uses a bold, sans-serif font. It's a headline, not a description. Examples: "GOLD FOR ECUADOR," "BEST RACE OF ALL TIME," "MONSTER THROW," "USA DOMINATE." You can read it and understand the story even on a small mobile screen.

  

• Design: The text is often placed within a colored block or a subtle graphic element, which makes it pop against the background image without obscuring the athlete.

• Insight: Invest in high-quality photography. Your thumbnail's job is to tell a story and evoke an emotion in under one second. Combine a powerful human image with 2-3 powerful words.

  AUDIT YOUR VIDEO THUMBNAILS NOW

Actionable Takeaways for Other Media Channels

1. Adopt a Tiered Content Strategy: Don't just post one type of video. Create:

   • Pillar Content: Your main, long-form recaps or analysis shows.

   • Micro-Content: Short, shareable clips of the best moments.

   • Discovery Content: Use Shorts/Reels/TikToks to reach new audiences.

2. Brand Your Event Coverage: Develop a consistent visual identity (colors, logos, fonts) for your thumbnails for a specific tournament or season. It makes your content look professional and instantly recognizable in a crowded subscription feed.

3. Prioritize Emotion in Thumbnails: The best thumbnail is almost always a close-up of a human face showing peak emotion (joy, effort, despair, victory). People connect with people.

4. Write "Headline" Text on Thumbnails: Use 2-4 powerful, high-impact words in a large, clear font. The goal is instant communication.

5. Standardize Your Video Titles for SEO: Create a formula for your titles that includes an exciting hook, clear information about the content, and the consistent name of the event/series for searchability.

6. Increase Upload Velocity During Peak Events: When your sport is having its "Super Bowl" moment, you need to be publishing content multiple times a day to capture the conversation. Prepare your content creation workflow to handle this speed.

7. Isolate and Amplify Greatness: When a record is broken or a legendary moment happens, give it its own video. It deserves its own stage and has the highest potential to be shared and go viral independently of the main highlights.

8. Push key content via paid ads for further reach.

   Want to discuss how to shape your strategy, talk to us.

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