Blinkfire’s 5-4-3-2-1: May 27, 2022

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

5 moments from Roland Garros

Week one of Roland Garros is underway, as second and third round matches are played. From numerous upsets like Simona Halep to miraculous comebacks (see Carlos Alcaraz), the red clay of Roland Garros this fortnight has not disappointed.

1. Djokovic lets loose
Known to often be a bit more serious, especially during tournaments, Novak Djokovic let loose at Roland Garros and had fun with a ball boy.

2. Cinderella story
French teen Diane Parry dethrones defending French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova in Paris.

3. What a comeback
Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz won a thrilling 5-set match against compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas, saving match points.

4. A Roland Garros farewell
Frenchman Jo Wilfried Tsonga played his last match at Roland Garros this week, and the crowd came out to support him. And, in Tsonga fashion — he did not disappoint, as he put on a show, losing in a four-hour battle. From trumpets blaring to “La Marseillaise” playing throughout the stadium, the French fans bid their farewell.

5. BrandSpotter™ hearts Roland Garros
Blinkfire’s proprietary, patented BrandSpotter™ technology seems to be a huge fan of Roland Garros brand sponsors, especially Renault on the net.

4 posts we loved

This week we’re highlighting posts from golf, soccer, racing, and basketball that celebrated the wins, drove excitement, and took advantage of sports great moments.

1. Mark, the Michelob Ultra Guy
Oftentimes, when you’re at a sporting event, you’re never really “there” because your phone stands in the way. Whether you’re taking a photo, a video or texting. This weekend at the PGA Championship, in a sea of phones, one guy stood out. Meet, Mark the Michelob Ultra Guy. 

2. F1’s Monaco GP
It’s the storied, illustrious race even non-F1 fans know about. A race through the streets of Monaco, as onlookers watch from the stands or their yacht, and it’s happening this weekend. 

3. Golden State’s Andrew Wiggins soars
Last night the Golden State Warriors closed out their series with the Dallas Mavericks, winning 4-1. They now advance to the NBA Championship. Golden State’s Andrew Wiggins guarded Luka Dončić throughout the series, and the Warriors player leveled up with his dunk game.

4. AC Milan wins Series A
AC Milan won its first Series A since 2011, and Zlatan made sure to celebrate in the best way possible. 

3 articles to read

We’re sharing a few articles this week on athletes, social media, and sponsorship. 

1. The Wall Street Journal’s Star Athletes Are Fighting for More Financial Control — and Winning highlights how female athletes are using their social media influence to grow fandom for their teams & leagues, build their personal brands, and create positive change for women in sports. Yours truly (Blinkfire) made an appearance as well. 

2. This week on Blinkfire’s blog we looked at how athletes use social media once they walk away from the competition with Life on Social Media After Athletic Retirement.

3. We mentioned Mark, the Michelob Ultra Guy, earlier in this post, but here’s Golf Digest’s breakdown of what exactly happened and how Michelob Ultra capitalized on the moment, The PGA Championship Michelob Ultra guy now has his own line of Michelob Ultra merch.

2 contract extensions

2 contract extensions

Two beloved European stars kept their fans happy this week, as they signed contract extensions. Can you guess which two players we are talking about?

1. Mbappé stays with PSG
There’d been rumors swirling that PSG’s Kylian Mbappé might not renew and instead head to Real Madrid. Mbappé squashed those rumors this week when he signed a three-year extension.  

2. Neuer stays with Bayern
Bayern goalkeeper Manual Neuer, known as one of the best in soccer’s history, signed a contract extension through 2024.

1 insight to share

With the many, many data and insights in Blinkfire, we are giving you one insight every week to share — whether on social, at the water cooler, or on Zoom. This week we’re highlighting River plate striker Julián Álvarez.

River Plate player Julián Álvarez scored six goals against Alianza Lima in the Copa Libertadores. 

This year, the Manchester City-bound striker has gained 433k followers on Instagram, and averages 2.9K new followers per day. Less than 48 hours after the game, Alvarez gained 34k new followers. 

Interested in learning more about Blinkfire Analytics and how you can power your social media, partnerships, and BI teams? We’re here to help — shoot us a note.

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