In recent years a subsection of the NFL media landscape has emerged. Away from the shadow of the establishment, independent creators have started utilizing Youtube as a platform for their own Football based content. Allowing them to amass their own fanbase and build their own brands, free of censor-ship. One issue though is omnipresent. An NFL season only lasts for less than 6 months, but that doesn’t mean independent creators get the rest of the year off. Content creation is a year round gig that demands constant attention.

Being free from the shackles of an established brand allows content creators to produce work that puts their vision, sense of humor, and quirkiness front and center. Displaying a uniqueness that would struggle to see the light of day if they were under contract with the likes of NFL.com or ESPN. By being independent, creators can carry the title of sports journalist, without compromising on what makes them special.

Being a content creator is easier than it has ever been today. Good quality equipment can be found for reasonable prices, as long as you have the passion and willingness to learn. One creator that has gone down this path is Brandon Perna, the man behind the youtube channel, ‘That’s Good Sports’. An NFL based channel that toes the line between legitimate discussion, and comedy, and it just recently surpassed 400k subscribers.

Brandon Perna has managed to turn making funny videos about the NFL into a legitimate career. However, like many other youtubers that focus on the NFL, he talks about a sport that takes place for less than half of the year.

During the year, creators can create content that they’re familiar with, such as game previews, game reviews or power rankings. But when they can’t fall back on that, they must get creative.

“I do think the videos need to be more creative”, says Perna, “I think the videos have to be better, but it’s nice since I’ve got a little more time to work on them. I also use this time to try and do different kinds of videos and see if they do well”.

Being an independent content creator has its fair share of positives and negatives. On your own, you have complete control over your content, allowing you to produce work that you want to do as opposed to fitting it around a company’s mantra.

However, while you don't have executives breathing down your neck, you still have to be wary of the content you put out. For instance with Youtube, you have to feed what the platforms algorithm wants, otherwise, you jeapordise what you've worked so hard to get.