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In 2015, Ryan Kavanaugh’s company Proxima Media acquired Triller, the fast-growing AI-powered social media platform that has quickly become TikTok’s biggest competitor, with over 250 million downloads worldwide. Already a pioneer across film and entertainment finance as a media mogul and record-breaking film producer, Kavanaugh has been pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for consumers’ experience on social media.
Tyson on Triller, the massive live-streamed event that took place on November 28 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, was the product of Kavanaugh’s efforts to break new ground for social media platforms and the launch of Triller’s live events. The event featured 8 rounds between boxing legends Mike Tyson and Roy Jones, Jr., as well as six undercard matches, and A-list musical performances from Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, French Montana, YG, and Ne-Yo, who sang the national anthem. Boxing superfans were also treated to commentary from boxing icon Sugar Ray Leonard and Israel Adesanya, the current UFC middleweight champion.
The event streamed exclusively on Fite.TV and TysonOnTriller.com, and over 300,000 people tuned in by purchasing the $49.99 ticket. No physical tickets were sold, as live audiences are still restricted due to Covid-19 safety precautions, but the virtual event was treated like an epic in-person show. The event did not stream directly from the Triller app, but its users had access to special content only available on Triller that the boxers and celebrities involved shared from their accounts, including a documentary showing Tyson and Jones training for the upcoming faceoff. Triller also generated income from merchandise, sponsorships, and advertising, and their logo was hard to miss in the boxing ring and around the event.
Kavanaugh has stated that this is just the beginning of the large-scale, star-studded virtual events users can expect from Triller, and with his long history in multiple branches of the entertainment industry, he is just the man to deliver on such promises. Kavanaugh’s goal for Tyson on Triller was to create an event with mass appeal to multiple audiences and generations, and being able to bring together stars of boxing, music, and influencers alike under one ticket is not a feat just anyone could accomplish.
Triller’s new approach to live entertainment is just one of Kavanaugh’s innovations that’s been gaining attention for the popular app. Triller’s licensing partnerships with major music labels, an unprecedented move, allows users, labels and artists to all profit from content creators’ use of licensed content on Triller, something no other platform has done. Additionally, Crosshype, Kavanaugh’s brand growth program that calculates a social media campaign’s value based on cost per impression, is yet another way he has smartly defined monetization in the relatively new world of influencer marketing.
With Ryan Kavanaugh at the wheel, the face of live entertainment is continuing to evolve at a time when traditional in-person access is unavailable to consumers. Undoubtedly, these changes will have a lasting impact long after the COVID-19 crisis is over, and we can only expect more innovation to follow.
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