Telum Talks To…Eric Ko, Editor-in-Chief and Adrian Mak, Creative Director, SportsYeah
Interview

Telum Talks To…Eric Ko, Editor-in-Chief and Adrian Mak, Creative Director, SportsYeah

Telum Talks To…Eric Ko, Editor-in-Chief and Adrian Mak, Creative Director, SportsYeah

The Very Beginning Mind of SportsYeah
Because of the growing influence of online news, Eric Ko made a foray into the field by working as an online radio host at Sports Commune (Channel 234). He is keen on writing about football, history and economy because he thinks that being exposed to it helps him understand the dynamics between sports and social issues. In this connection, he is willing to discover more about unconventional sports news. The other co-founder Adrian Mak, a veteran journalist, started his career as a media producer. While he is well-known for his work, he has always wanted to do something different. Subsequently, Eric and Adrian met by chance, and they came up with this idea of an online sports news platform. They believed that their respective expertise could complement each other. Thus, a new media platform named SportsYeah was born, covering in-depth reporting, commentary and a series of programmes on YouTube.

Local Sports News Trends
Approximately, local football fans account for one-seventh of the whole population, amounting to nearly one million people. Therefore, many local sports media operations cover a wide range of topics, from hiking and running to water sports. Eric and Adrian said that SportsYeah has a predominantly male audience, but the rise of female sports such as women's football cannot be ignored.

The Relationship Between We Media (self-media) and Traditional Mainstream Media
At present, the line between We Media and traditional mainstream media is increasingly blurring, and the positioning of SportsYeah is somewhere between the two. For one, It publishes many own news stories on its webpage and various social platforms. Simultaneously, it shares its content with different traditional media to reach a wider audience.

Features of SportsYeah
SportsYeah was established at a time when social media has gained popularity. Thus, the platform attaches great importance to interaction with the audience. Visitors to their platform are often avid sports lovers, and they know the game well. They often provide great insight when interacting with the editors. In this connection, not only is SportsYeah, a platform for the editors, but it is also a place where its loyal readers can contribute. In addition, SportsYeah has an online programme, where hosts interact with viewers in real-time. Adrian and Eric always welcome guests to come in their programmes and share their knowledge.

For the duo, there is more to sports than entertainment. There is so much behind the scene to discover, including the clubs’ history and how the rivalry can be linked to the region’s culture and society. Eric and Adrian hope that their platform will encourage sports fans to explore other elements in sports rather than treating a game as a TV show.

Among the memorable experience covering sports events, Eric still recalls how he was amazed by when Croatian officials sent chartered flights to Russia and bought tickets for its citizens to watch the national team’s semi-finals in 2018. To him, this is a perfect example of how sports can promote national unity and bring society together.

The Future of Local News Development
Eric and Adrian believe that readers are increasingly willing to pay for premium content, with Apple Daily and South China Morning Post's paywalls just being two examples. Other platforms Patreon can also thrive in the future.

For SportsYeah, they hope to develop more in-depth reports on its online channels and produce one-on-one interviews with athletes at major events, such as the New World Harbour Race.

They are always open to engagement with public relations professionals as PRs can provide insights into different industries. Therefore, they are willing to work with them on story ideas.

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Telum Media

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Journalists
Eric Ko

Editor-in-Chief

Adrian Mak

Creative Director

Media
SportsYeah

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