A sport on the rise
Soccer was growing fast in the US, but the Champions League still felt distant to many fans. After acquiring the competition’s rights, Bleacher Report needed to bring Europe’s biggest club tournament closer to American audiences.
Stories behind the passion
American sports fans love an inside story. From die-hard supporters to global stars, the human side of the game offered a powerful way to connect audiences with football’s culture and intensity.
Fans at the heart of the game
‘Superfans and Superheroes' is a series spotlighting some of America’s most devoted supporters – from a Real Madrid fan travelling the country to Liverpool terrace anthem creators – alongside candid interviews with Neymar and Pep Guardiola.
A new wave of fandom
The Neymar and Guardiola films reached more than 400k views, but it was the fan stories that truly took off. The campaign helped fuel soccer’s growing popularity in the US – a 2022 Washington Post poll showed soccer closing the gap with baseball (8% vs 11%) as one of America’s favourite sports to watch.
Collaborators
Richard Makinson – Producer / Director
Patrick McCarvey – Producer / Director
Tom Nicklin – Illustration (Kaka)
Andras Ferenczy – Illustration & Cell Animation (Kaka)
