The Tamesis
The concept of the Basement Cup originated from a simple observation. “A lot of people watch football. A lot of people play football at an amateur level for fun. A lot of people who work at brands love football,” Ropes said. “It feels like nothing brings cultural actors together to enjoy this beautiful game other than watching the game together.”
At the same time, he noted that while the overlap between sports and lifestyle is greater than ever, brands are operating in an increasingly competitive business environment. “There are more brands than ever competing for the same space. To sell a product, you have to be meaningful to people. The way to do that is to meet them where they are, rather than taking them to where you are or where you want them to be,” Ropes added.
However, the same qualities that make these communities attractive can also make them difficult to participate in. Despite their perceived niche status, these audiences are often well-entrenched and have their own social norms and expectations. “Inside them, they’re not a niche. From the outside, you might think so. But the people there, they’re a whole community of obsessed people, like a family,” said Pacer’s Ugbome. “The brand has to come in in an authentic way because even though it looks like a niche sport, it’s built for the people who live in this space.”
The importance of player personality
If the commercial opportunities of emerging leagues are rooted in timing, their cultural power is driven by personality. “Creators increasingly serve as distribution channels, tastemakers and cultural translators. They can make emerging sports less intimidating, more entertaining and more accessible to new audiences,” Gilbertson said. This translation layer is also where business value is unlocked. For example, Adidas’ partnership with Sidemen has become one of the brand’s strongest content streams on TikTok, surpassing its Premier League content.
For the E1 series, the appeal of the people is as important as the cars. “We have 20 incredible pilots who all have amazing backstories,” Copas said. “One is a health and safety professional, we have people from Formula One, people with a powerboating background and even people who are former dirt bike riders and stuntmen.”
It also explains the strategic use of the celebrity ownership model. “The conspiracy is huge,” said Kuzma, who regularly posts about the E1 series to his 5 million Instagram followers. “It’s not necessarily the easiest TV show to watch, but it’s interesting and aspirational. It’s about the personality and the lifestyle, the level of people involved and where it’s happening. When you have that momentum, it works.”
