How In The Fourth Began

In The Fourth was started from scratch in 2019 with the goal of giving university basketball student-athletes playing in Canada the media exposure that they deserved.

After spending time as a freelance reporter covering U SPORTS, I quickly discovered that elite-level athletes and the potential for entertainment value existed at home in our country, but people just needed to see it.

With a lack of TV broadcasts and a scarce online presence of U SPORTS basketball, I started to film games myself and post highlights of players, starting In The Fourth’s path to providing a new digital experience around Canadian varsity hoops that resonated with a new-age sports audience.

Since In The Fourth’s first season, I have filmed over 325 games and have covered some of the biggest post-secondary basketball events in Canada, including the U SPORTS National and Conference Championships, Oregon Ducks NCAA vs U SPORTS Canada Tour, Capital Hoops Classic, UConn vs TMU, and more.

In The Fourth’s media coverage has not only helped build a stronger interest in the league, but it has also helped players gain exposure to professional coaches, agents, and other basketball decision makers overseas, in the CEBL, and within Canada Basketball’s national teams.

2023 U SPORTS National Championship (Final 8) Coverage

In The Fourth’s 2023 U SPORTS National Championship coverage was a testament to the brand’s niche audience that had been developed since 2019. Over four days (March 9-12, 2023), I produced 38 Instagram posts utilizing live broadcast footage available via CBC Sports and photography content provided by the organizing committees to cut and edit real-time social posts covering both the men’s and women’s championship tournaments.

These posts accumulated over 365,000 impressions, 50,000 social interactions, and 8,700 shares over the four-day period. These results demonstrated how engaged the U SPORTS community can be if the right opportunity to consume Canadian university basketball media content was in place.

The Competitive Landscape of Basketball Media in Canada

The basketball media landscape in Canada has grown significantly over the past 5-7 years. In addition to the major sports networks (Sportsnet and TSN), digital market leaders in Canadian basketball coverage such as Overtime Canada and Uninterrupted Canada currently command a large share of the space. But in addition to these seasoned-brands, the media hoops scene is also filled with individual content creators who were either already established or ambitious to enter the field.

While there is no shortage of digital media coverage surrounding the biggest basketball names and happenings in Canada, an untapped opportunity still exists for media brands to build end-to-end coverage and a community that ties in all levels of basketball in Canada (elite high school, university, and professional). Which is where In The Fourth’s opportunity to grow lied.

Pivoting brand to expand into elite high school basketball (2022-23)

High school prep basketball has played a major role in the evolution of social media sports highlights. Instagram accounts such as @slam_hs and @br_hoops have set the standard with highly engaged communities of over 3 million combined followers, focusing on new generations of basketball prospects. And while these brands have built their markets in the United States, the Canadian basketball media landscape remained dispersed.

In January 2023, I introduced In The Fourth’s first high school post on Instagram. Understanding that the brand was built exclusively around U SPORTS content for nearly three years, my approach in entering the high school basketball media space was to be limited and concise, but at the same time prove that we can provide value to current and prospective audiences.

In The Fourth x Canada Basketball

While In The Fourth found success in launching high school basketball content in early 2023, the growth in engagement remained moderate. Our opportunity to really build our commitment in breaking into this space came in the summer when Canada Basketball’s age group programs participated in FIBA international competitions, known as the AmeriCup and World Cup.

In the months of June and July, Canada’s best prospects were brought together for the U16 and U19 training camp in Toronto, where Canada Basketball granted me access to attend and create content around the players.

Our U19 women’s World Cup content in particular was considerably successful. Led by ESPN #10 class of 2024 ranked Toby Fournier, Canada Basketball had put together one of the best lineups in the national program’s history, and the team carried expectations for a possible gold medal finish at the FIBA U19 World Cup hosted in Spain.

In The Fourth was the only Canadian social media outlet to provide extensive coverage of the tournament, and our content resulted in one of our best months statistically. From a viral reel I posted showcasing the innovative LED basketball court at the tournament during a Canadian match, to graphics and videos showcasing the team’s highlights, I reached over one million accounts in July, while engaging over 77 thousand accounts.

Conclusion + What I've Learned

In The Fourth is a platform that has become synonymous with university basketball in Canada in its first few years of existence, and with the growing success of the brand’s expansion into high school, FIBA, and NCAA basketball coverage, In The Fourth has grown into a unique player in the Canadian sports media landscape.

Pivoting our content offerings into the high school basketball media space was a risky experience, but now, having an expanded audience profile where I have the ability to share some of the best basketball stories in the country with has been a rewarding experience.

Since my university career, I have always had a passion for exploring the intersections of media, content, culture, and building audiences. What I love most is observing the constant evolution of how people consume media in their everyday lives, and the positive impact brands can have on people, regardless of the industry.