How Dizplai helped ICONS of Football turn passive viewers into active participants

Key insights module

• ICONS of Football achieved a 29-minute average viewing time on YouTube, more than double the industry norm for live sports content
• 38 million online views and 541,000 live stream views from the Bangkok event alone
• Dizplai’s Interaction Hub drove a 49.8% click-through rate, with 22,000 visitors across the Phase 2 event
• A 10-partner, 14-channel distribution strategy delivered approximately 60% of all live views via third-party channels
• Fans could vote, submit questions via WhatsApp, and influence the live show in real time, shifting ICONS from a broadcast into a genuine two-way experience

Discover how Dizplai helped the Icons Series transform golf’s broadcast, driving audience participation and achieving a 29-minute average viewing time.

Why ICONS of Football needed a broadcast built for a new kind of golf fan

The Icons Series, a first-of-its-kind golf tournament featuring legendary footballers, set out to reinvent the traditional golf viewing experience from the ground up. The core challenge was building a community-focused content experience that could bring a new, digital-first audience to golf, a sport not exactly known for moving with the times.

To do that, the organisers needed to make the broadcast feel like something fans could actively take part in: reacting to the action, interacting with players and talent in real-time, and engaging with content in ways that felt natural to a younger, social-first audience.

How Dizplai built interactive broadcast infrastructure for ICONS

Dizplai came on board as the media experience partner to build out the interactive media strategy for the event in Bangkok. The team operated across two work streams: managing bespoke broadcast graphics distributed to major broadcasters and running the YouTube live stream with a dedicated lower-bar graphics package.

Dizplai built bespoke broadcast graphics that brought audiences closer to the content through data integrations and engagement features including live polls, building fan engagement beyond the primary content. That second screen experience is the difference between an audience and a community.

We also provided on-site support throughout the event, keeping the production running smoothly, and built a partner distribution channel strategy to help Icons reach untapped, digital-first audiences, with the Dizplai team reacting to content in real-time to bridge the gap between the Icons Series and new communities.

Phase 2: the Interaction Hub and a creator-led distribution strategy

Building on the success of the first Bangkok event, Dizplai continued to grow its partnership with Icons, taking on a broader operational role for the next annual event. 

The Interaction Hub was the centrepiece of Phase 2: a single, always-on destination that brought together every fan touchpoint in one place. Anyone who scanned a QR code, whether from the traditional broadcast or the YouTube live stream, landed here. Polls, viewer questions for players, WhatsApp contributions, and sponsorship links all lived under one roof, with the Dizplai team managing the full mechanic end to end, from copy and creative to timing and real-time audience interaction.

Features like ‘Call the Captain’ which let viewers vote on which footballer could bring in a professional golfer to take a shot on their behalf, became a recurring highlight of the live show. Crucially, the Interaction Hub stayed live 24/7, meaning fans in different time zones could keep contributing between broadcasts, with that data feeding back into the live show as content for commentators.

On distribution, Dizplai activated a 10-partner, 14-channel strategy that pushed content well beyond Icons’ own channels and shifted toward a creator-led approach, supporting influencers and publishers in hosting native watch-along environments to meet digital-first audiences where they already spend their time.

The results: 38 million views and a new benchmark for sports fan participation

Bangkok event

• 29-minute average viewing time on YouTube
• 38 million online views and 541,000 live stream views
• 430,000+ engagements
• Thailand represented 40% of the audience, the UK 47%

Phase 2 (2026)

Approximately 60% of live views delivered via distribution partners

• 10 partners across 14 channels
• LiveScore generated 60,000+ views on Facebook alone
• 22,000 Interaction Hub visitors, 18,000 via QR code
• 49.8% click-through rate on the Interaction Hub
• 500+ WhatsApp contributions during the live broadcast

“Working with Dizplai fundamentally changed how we think about our broadcast and fan experience. Icons Series was designed to challenge the conventions of traditional golf, but what Dizplai enabled, through the Interaction Hub and wider participation layer, was a genuine shift from passive viewing to active involvement.

For the first time, we had a direct, real-time connection with our audience that extended beyond the live feed. Fans weren’t just watching, they were influencing, reacting, and becoming part of the narrative as it unfolded, whether through live voting, WhatsApp contributions, or second-screen experiences driven by QR.” – Chris Sice, Chief Content Officer. 

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