For a major sports fan such as Dan Kats or 'BigCat,' quarantine with no sports to watch was a problem -- to fill his craving for sports action, the popular co-host of the Barstool Sports podcast 'Pardon My Take' decided to start streaming himself on Twitch while playing the NCAA Football '14 video game. He created a fictional coach, Gus Duggerton, and it took off. 'Coach Duggs' as he's called became famous with the help of Barstool's platform and the Twitch stream which BigCat plays every game on which has gotten up to 60,000 views during a game.
His latest team, Tennessee Volunteers, recognized an opportunity and partnered with Duggs and Barstool to produce their own merchandise line of 'Coach Duggs' clothing. With actual Colleges, College Coaches & Sports Reporters social media accounts interacting and promoting Coach Duggs, it is clear that although fictitious, Dan Katz was able to turn a yearning for sports into a lucrative business opportunity.
Fictitious Football Merchandising Deals
Dan Kats' Virtual 'Coach Duggs' Now Has a Merch Line
Trend Themes
1. Virtual Sports Merchandising - Creating merchandise lines for popular virtual sports figures could be a new trend in sports merchandising.
2. Fictitious Sports Figures - Fictitious sports figures such as 'Coach Duggs' could become a popular trend in the world of virtual sports gaming and merchandising.
3. Personal Branding in Gaming - Creating and promoting personal brands within the virtual sports gaming community could be a trend in marketing and advertising.
Industry Implications
1. Sports Merchandising - Companies that specialize in sports merchandising could find new business opportunities by partnering with popular virtual sports figures and creating merchandise lines.
2. Virtual Sports Gaming - The world of virtual sports gaming could see growth as more people discover the potential for personal branding and monetization within these gaming communities.
3. Marketing and Advertising - Marketing and advertising companies could explore the potential for promoting personal brands within the virtual sports gaming community and partnering with popular virtual sports figures.