The concept for The Basement Cup stemmed from a simple observation. “A lot of people watch soccer. A lot of people play soccer at an amateur level for fun. A lot of people who work in brands enjoy soccer,” Ropes says. “It felt like there was nothing bringing cultural actors together to enjoy the beautiful game beyond just watching matches together.”
At the same time, he points out that although the overlap between sports and lifestyle is bigger than ever, brands are operating in an increasingly competitive commercial landscape. “There are more brands vying for the same space than ever before. To sell something, you have to mean something to people. The way you do that is by meeting them where they are, not bringing them to where you are or where you want them to be,” Ropes adds.
However, the same qualities that make these communities attractive can also make them complicated to engage with. For all their perceived niche status, these audiences are often deeply established, with their own social codes and expectations. “Within them, they’re not niche. From the outside, you might think that. But the people in there, they’re a whole community of obsessives, like a family,” says Pacer’s Ugbome. “Brands have to enter in an authentic way, because even though it seems like a niche sport, it’s been established for the people who inhabit that space.”
The importance of player personality
If the commercial opportunity in emerging leagues is rooted in timing, their cultural power is driven by personality. “Creators increasingly act as distribution channels, tastemakers, and cultural translators. They can make emerging sports feel less intimidating, more entertaining, and far more accessible to new audiences,” says Gilbertson. That translation layer is also where commercial value is being unlocked. Adidas’s partnership with the Sidemen, for example, has become one of the brand’s strongest-performing content streams on TikTok, outperforming their Premier League content.
For E1 Series, the appeal also sits as much in the people as the racing. “We’ve got 20 incredible pilots, all with amazing backstories,” says Copas. “One is a health and safety professional, we’ve got people from Formula 1, from powerboat backgrounds, and even someone who was previously a dirt bike rider and stuntwoman.”
It also explains the strategic use of celebrity-ownership models. “The intrigue is huge,” says Kuzma, who regularly posts about E1 Series to his five million Instagram followers. “It’s not necessarily the easiest thing to watch as TV, but it’s interesting and aspirational. It’s about the personalities and the lifestyle, the level of people involved, and where it takes place. When you have that kind of momentum, it just works.”
Actor Will Smith is one of the many celebrity team founders of electric boat racing championship, E1 Series.
Photo: Courtesy of E1 Series
