Vixens and Playbk Sports launch multi-year partnership

The partnership will initially focus on bringing the established Train Like a Vixen program onto the devices of netball participants across Victoria, with the longer-term goal of bringing the Vixens brand to new markets through a series of unique content experiences and online learning courses.

The Train Like a Vixen program has been delivered with great success for a number of years, engaging young netballers through a full-day clinic at the Vixens’ training base in Parkville. The digital version will complement this experience and expose more young Victorians to the skills and mindset of their favourite Vixens stars, all from the comfort and convenience of their home or local courts.

“Technology allows us to scale our reach as an organisation – releasing a digital version of Train Like a Vixen in partnership with Playbk Sports will allow us to service a wider range of participants across Victoria and beyond,” said Netball Victoria CEO Andrea Pearman.

“We want to share the best of all things Melbourne Vixens with our fans and participants, and this product will give them unprecedented access to our players, with the goal of improving their performance.

“We need to meet young people where they are – in the current landscape, this means online. By leveraging digital technology, we can make it easier for fans to get closer to their favourite players and encourage them to attend matches and support these athletes in person.

“This approach signals a new era for elite netball teams. We’re excited to pioneer the use of technology and digital content to showcase the best of our sport, increasing our reach and community impact.”

Playbk Sports co-founder Damian Hecker has supported the Vixens through the planning stages of the partnership and senses the Vixens are one of the first professional teams to unlock the power of content, technology, and brand in an ever-changing landscape for new fans and revenue streams.

“The Vixens realise that there is untapped potential to repurpose assets and programs in an economical way to reach more fans,” Shepherd said. “Train Like a Vixen already exists, and our team will simply help organise the content in a way that will be a vibrant online learning experience for young netballers.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg though when we look at the great knowledge and stories that sit within the Vixens organisation – from coaches and players, to staff and alumni – there is rich content the netball and wider community will benefit from. Our goal is to identify and share this content in a way that grows the Vixens brand to reach more fans and generate new revenue streams.”

Importantly, the Vixens’ technology ecosystem and content is owned entirely by the organisation, providing the flexibility to deliver on state-based strategic objectives, be more agile with content curation and release, and explore sponsorship options with new and existing commercial partners.

Train Like a Vixen will be ready for release as a digital offering in mid-2023, with more content expected to be released later in the year.