After two consecutive MLS Cup championship appearances and last year’s opening of BBVA Compass Stadium, the Houston Dynamo prioritized video content creation for its 2013 season. March brought the debut of Dynamo TV, a YouTube channel that covers the team on and off the pitch, 24/7.
“Fan engagement is the goal,” said Dynamo President Chris Canetti. “We want content that helps our fans identify more with players, that portrays the players as more than just athletes.”
The team launched Dynamo TV on YouTube in March.
A staff of 10, made up of existing members of the Dynamo’s multimedia, marketing and communications department, was appointed after last season to produce Dynamo TV. While the club seeks to add more resources over the next year — including a studio, additional cameras, green screens and lighting kits — it now gets by on creativity and access.
“There’s a lot you can do when you have complete access to all of your team’s players, coaches and executives,” said Lester Gretsch, the Dynamo’s senior director of communications and broadcasting.
Regular features include postgame “wraps,” one-on-one interviews with head coach Dominic Kinnear and pregame analysis called “Five-A-Side.”
According to John Dabkowski, the Dynamo’s senior marketing manager, the club has no plans to charge viewers for content and has yet to sell sponsorships. As Dynamo TV develops, however, the latter will change.
“As our content evolves and viewership increases, we see it as an attractive asset to current and potential partners,” Dabkowski said.
