In 2024, the Top Rank Boxing social media team set out to redefine how they brought fans into fight night.
Since 2021, Top Rank's Ringside Cam was devoted to capturing the thrill of the boxing with smartphones, delivering raw, real-time vertical content to fans around the globe. With a social media team member positioned on the ring apron, fans were instantly delivered highlights from the best seat in the house. But this year, the team decided it was time to evolve with the goal of increasing quality/engagement and to position themselves better in Instagram's Reel algorithm.
To transform Ringside Cam content, Top Rank replaced their smartphones and moved fully into using DSLR cameras, launching the initiative at a February 2024 event in Tokyo, Japan. The shift immediately generated impact with the first clip shared from @TopRank hitting 6.5M views - the second most viewed ringside clip for the entire year.
As shown by launching in Tokyo, the new approach was not going to be limited by geography for the Las Vegas based promoter. The team set out to delivering this new, increased quality of content to every event, regardless of its location. With this in mind, the implementation spanned 31 events across four continents and seven countries between February and the end of November 2024.
The transition from mobile phones to DSLR cameras required the team to quickly adapt to new equipment, with most members having only prior experience shooting on phones. Training sessions were conducted to familiarize the team with camera settings, lens options, and shooting techniques to ensure seamless operation under the fast-paced demands of live events. The new workflow introduced complexity; instead of simply trimming and sending footage directly from a phone, DSLR content required capturing, transferring, and preparing clips within the 60-second intervals between rounds. This new routine became a precise and highly coordinated effort, maximizing every moment to deliver high-quality highlights within the same timeframe fans had begun to expect over the last four years.
Overall, the Ringside Cam DSLR initiative exceeded expectations, delivering a significant engagement and view boost to Top Rank Boxing's Instagram presence:
This innovative approach not only shattered performance benchmarks but also solidified Top Rank's reputation as a trailblazer in digital boxing content. By leveraging the power of DSLR-quality visuals and Instagram’s Reel algorithm, the Ringside Cam didn’t just bring fans closer to the action—it redefined how they experience it, setting a new standard for engagement for the sport.
(Click HERE to watch the best Ringside action of 2024)
