Bleacher Report has made its commitment to sports animation official with the launch of B/R Cartoons, a YouTube channel dedicated exclusively to this format. The initiative consolidates a strategy that the company has developed for over a decade, with series such as Game of Zones, Gridiron Heights, and The Champions. According to Zach McCann, head of creative strategy, animation has been an essential part of the brand's identity and its connection with fans.
Technical and narrative strategy in sports animation 🏀
The channel will function as a centralized hub for all of Bleacher Report's animated series, preventing content from getting lost in the main feed. Each episode maintains a weekly production pace, with dedicated teams for script, storyboard, and 2D animation. The company has developed a distribution system that prioritizes publishing on YouTube before other platforms, seeking to capture the young audience that consumes sports through memes and viral clips. The format allows for satirizing current events in the NBA, NFL, and international football without the restrictions of live video.
Finally a channel to watch LeBron in cartoons 🎬
After a decade of making LeBron James look like a medieval king and Tom Brady a robot with a cape, Bleacher Report has decided to get its house in order. Now fans won't have to dig through serious analysis videos to find a quarterback turned superhero. The funny thing is that, in the animated world, referees still call imaginary fouls and players still complain. At least now they do it in high definition and without paying image rights.