Blinkfire’s Trends of the Week: ITS CORN ?? , UFC 278??? , MLB Stadium Ads ? and More!

Blinkfire’s 5-4-3-2-1?is a weekly email that comes out every Friday. With all the cool information in our platform, we want to spread the wealth?with fun, shareable social media?posts, content series, TikToks, Reels, insights, and more. Enjoy!

5 Social Media Posts From UFC 278

The UFC was all over social media this past weekend with big knockouts, sponsorships, and upsets!?

Leon Edwards Stuns Usman and Claims The Belt

Leon Edwards?pulled off the biggest upset of the night to win the UFC Welterweight Championship! He stunned fans with a dramatic KO finish over long-time champion Usman.

DraftKings x UFC Underdogs

Sportsbooks are creating quite the buzz in the world of sports, especially in UFC. DraftKings partners with many media channels, leagues, and teams, giving fans an inside look at experts’ odds and predictions.?This “Fighter Odds” post by the UFC?received over 52K engagements from fans, offering tremendous value for DraftKings.

BodyArmor x Weigh-Ins

Because of the different events surrounding UFC fight night, the league sees many sponsorship opportunities, including press conferences, weigh-ins, and pre/post fight shows.?BodyArmor earned over 373K engagements from this UFC post?of a fighter weighing in on the BodyArmor-branded scale.

Monster Energy x UFC

Monster Energy is a long-time partner of the UFC, and their logo is in the octagon, on ring pillars, and across other UFC promotions.?This Instagram Reel from Edward’s championship knockout, featuring the Monster logo in the ring, generated over 638K engagements.

ESPN+ x UFC

As the official pay-per-view and live event provider of the UFC, ESPN+ branding can be found during UFC fight nights.?In this post featuring the co-main event winner?Paulo Costa?ESPN+ is prominently displayed.

4 Articles To Read

This week's must-reads cover TikTok, Jake Paul, LaLiga teams' stadium naming rights, and the surge of off-court tennis fashion.??

‘Brands are already changing their strategies’: Experts weigh in on TikTok influencer marketing spend?- DIGIDAY

TikTok and Instagram are currently the top spending priority for marketers across the globe. TikTok’s massive success with influencer marketing is driving brands to rethink their strategies.?

Jake Paul Bets on Himself The TikTok-powered boxer enters the world of sports gambling?- New York Magazine

Jake Paul has taken the entertainment industry by storm with his?YouTube videos, professional boxing career, and now sports betting business. As his company Betr looks to gain traction in the sports gambling market, Paul is hosting a YouTube show called?BS with?Jake Paul.

Stadium naming rights: The revenue source being embraced by LaLiga clubs?- LaLiga

Stadium naming rights is a revenue sources being embraced by LaLiga clubs. These partnerships are also an opportunity for brands to reach sports fans in an impactful way at their home stadiums.?

Tennis Styles Fuel Seasonal Marketing Strategies?- The Wall Street Journal

Sports has always had a presence in?fashion. Tennis is no exception as fashionable activewear is becoming very popular. Fashion brands now look?to?sports like tennis for inspiration.

3 MLB Ads Around the Stadium?

MLB teams can drive valuable exposure for behind-home-plate and out-field sponsors by posting highlight videos or in-game action shots across social media.

Minnesota Twins x Target?

Ad space behind home plate is highly sought after. Along with Minnesota’s Target Field,?Target has its logo behind home plate?which generates engagements across social media posts through in-game highlights.

Cincinnati Reds x Coca-Cola

The Cincinnati Reds’ center field sign features large ads from sponsors like Coca-Cola.?This score graphic post from the Reds?provides nice passive exposure for the brand.

Arizona Diamondbacks x Chase Field

This past weekend, the Arizona Diamondbacks honored Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina as they?will retire after the season.?In this Diamondbacks’ Twitter post,?the large outfield signs displayed numerous partners such as Chase, Chick-Fil-A, Frys, APS, and?University of Phoenix.

2 Posts - "IT'S CORN!"

This week CORN took over the internet because of a TikTok where a young child?explains why he loves corn. If you spent any time on social media, it was impossible to miss the content from influencers, companies, or teams using the now famous “corn” sound in videos. Pro Tip: Teams that are quick to jump on trends will create a great avenue to interact with a younger demographic.

Gritty x CORN

Gritty, the Philadelphia Flyers mascot, joined the fun with a compilation video of him throwing popcorn at fans during Flyers games with the “It’s Corn” sound in the background. The post already has more than 389K likes on TikTok. This video is a great example of using a social media trend by?1) recycling an image or video; and 2) using mascots to connect in authentic ways with fans.

New York Yankees x CORN

The New York Yankees created a video with the “It’s Corn” sound on TikTok?featuring Aaron Judge in the cornfields from the 2021 Field of Dreams Game.

1 Insight to Share - The US Open Begins?

The 2022 US Open is just days away. And, this year’s Open comes with an ending most tennis fans may not be ready for — Serena Williams’ last tournament of her record-breaking career. She, along with other superstars, will compete under tennis’ biggest stage. Heading into the US Open, here's a list of the top 10 most followed tennis players on social media, based on participants.