r/Reddit is r/ChangingSportsMedia

How Reddit is Transforming Communications in Sports Media Through Communities

Reddit is one of the most popular websites in the world, with over 1.2 billion monthly
viewers visiting the website every month.
It has become a popular hangout spot for expressing opinions, discussing happenings,
and breaking news that the news does not address.
However, Reddit is a popular hangout spot for sports fans and athletes.
Athletes are expressing their voices more than ever, using podcast and video formats to
convey their messages to a broader audience becoming more interested in
sports.

On Friday, Oct. 4, Reddit held a first-of-its-kind ModConnect session discussing sports-
related topics such as sports media and communication efforts to improve sporting
culture through the written word on Reddit.
The meeting included speakers who did not mention their full names but the “mod”
names associated with their sub-Reddits.

The three “mods,” or content creators, helped moderate the meetings. They created
content from American and international sports teams represented by the moderators
for the Houston, Texas, Toronto Raptors, women’s soccer, and organizations such as
the NBA, the NFL, and the Australian Football League (AFL).
The creators spoke about their ups and downs from the 2024 regular season and
answered questions in a global networking event that connected many with a new
generation of media.

The user for the r/Texans mod on the website, who used the nickname u/440k, spoke
about their experience with how Reddit’s platform changed while his favorite team
started to make changes throughout the football season.
He said this was partly thanks to the success of Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, and
the NFL used its sub-Reddit to connect future employees with future job opportunities.

“This started a while back when there were some initial postings about highlights
and some issues there, but it evolved into some conversations with the NFL itself, and
their social media team started getting more of a presence.” He said, “This year is how
we involve the actual NFL. Account there for r/Texans.
“For three years, we've set up Amas with the actual CEO, Cal McNair, the owner of the
Texans, which has been neat. They've started to get active in giving swag out to users
and all 32 teams in the NFL have helped us get over the top by being very kind and
open with our fans online. So that's been a really neat experience to connect with.”
After the “mods” spoke about their experience connecting with Reddit, the meeting
included a guest speaker who appeared to connect with many of the creators watching the livestream.

Isaiah Hartenstein, Center for the Oklahoma City Thunder, started using Reddit a few
years ago to help grow and connect with fans and players through using the website.
He spoke passionately about connecting with people in the sports media industry. He
also explained his passion for sports media, which dove deeper into more topics,
including his hobbies, not just basketball.

As he advised connecting with other content creators, he said, “I think [connecting] is
really cool. You have an opportunity in front of you.” Hartenstein said,
“First of all, just connect with different fans kind of say, which on what's on your mind,
and so I feel like where you can connect. Talk about the team. Talk about stuff, get
closer with other fans, meet other fans, and then also talk about your opinion and that I think is always special.”

At the end of the meeting, which lasted over the one-hour time limit, the massive
networking event, according to Hartenstein and the users, allowed one thing to be clear: Hartenstein passionately spoke about basketball and said, “... take yourself into training camp and practice your craft.”