UK Sport is thrilled to announce the launch of GRIPPED, an Urban Sport newsletter for all of us.
This pilot initiative, delivered in partnership with creative studio Weirdo, aims to explore how to increase the visibility, engagement, followership and understand how the fandom of different urban sports crossover, by working together with four sports (Climbing, BMX, Skateboard, 3X3 Basketball) to create creative content that culturally crosses over, showcases the elite side of the sports, and enables collaboration with different communities.
UK Sport funds over 60 different Olympic and Paralympic programmes. Urban Sport provides a unique opportunity to better connect and engage with a younger audience. GRIPPED was created to spotlight the energy, creativity, and cultural relevance of urban sports in the UK.
With 3x3 Basketball, Skateboarding, BMX, and Climbing gaining momentum both at grassroots and elite levels, GRIPPED provides a unified platform to tell their stories, celebrate their communities, and build new connections between sport and society. By curating content that crosses cultural boundaries and showcases athletic excellence, GRIPPED aims to grow fandom, drive engagement, and support the long-term development of urban sport nationwide.
GRIPPED is initially working with four sports to create a unique storytelling platform to tell, and curate, culturally relevant stories about urban sport. At the core is a newsletter, directing people to Urban Sport content that is hosted across a range of accounts and platforms to maximise our reach.
The newsletter will have fortnightly editions; to balance attention and anticipation and maximise opportunities learn for an initial period of six months. Each edition of GRIPPED will be curated with the goal of forming and deepening a new fandom for urban sport in the UK. Each edition of GRIPPED will feature all four sports and test which sports, collabs and crossovers deliver the strongest click-through, watch time and engagement. The content will cross over different cultural spheres, showcase the elite side of the sports and enable collaboration with our engaged community.
Sign up for the GRIPPED waitlist - first edition drops on 30 October!
Simon Morton, Director of Events, Sporting System and External Affairs at UK Sport, commented: UK Sport is proud to support GRIPPED, a pioneering editorial initiative that brings together four dynamic urban sports under one unified platform. GRIPPED represents a bold step forward in how we engage communities, celebrate elite performance, and amplify the cultural relevance of urban sport across the UK. Through this collaboration, we aim to inspire new audiences and foster deeper connections between sport and society.”
Neil Ellis, Head engagement at Skateboard GB, said: “Skateboard GB are stoked to be a part of GRIPPED. This platform will help the growing engagement with urban sports, looking through the lens of culture, creativity, and community. Supporting the thriving skateboarding scene in the UK is at the forefront of what we do and partnering with GRIPPED will be a great addition in enabling this to continue.”
Daisy Vollans, Consultant Digital and Comms Director at GB Basketball, said:
“GB Basketball are proud to be a part of GRIPPED. Cross-sport collaboration is an exciting opportunity to continue to grow engagement around our respective sports and celebrate the fantastic communities, participants and athletes at the heart of them. With GRIPPED, GB Basketball have the opportunity to showcase what is already a rapidly growing 3x3 basketball community and highlight how others can get involved too."
Jon Dutton, CEO at British Cycling, said: “In recent years, we have seen the stratospheric rise of urban sport in the UK, with passion for BMX Freestyle Park reflected in our popular national series and grass roots clubs, all the way to Olympic success. Being part of the GRIPPED project is a fantastic way to collaborate with other national governing bodies to celebrate and support the rise of these sports that are incredibly accessible, provide a deep sense of community and offer people the chance to experience something different.
“This project gives us a chance to shine a light on these sometimes lesser-known sports through the people that embody their uniqueness and contribute to the positive and welcoming culture that they offer. The project also feeds into British Cycling’s’ wider strategic ambition to reach and engage wider and more diverse audiences and harness the ever-increasing success and growth of BMX Freestyle Park in this country, to bring the joy of cycling, in all its forms, to even more people.”
Dr Laura Needham, Head of Performance at the British Mountaineering Council, said: "Climbing has grown rapidly across the UK, with more people engaging through indoor walls, community clubs and international competition. Its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 - and the announcement of its inclusion as a Paralympic sport for LA28 - has helped accelerate this momentum, but it is the human stories behind the athletes and communities that truly bring the sport to life.
GRIPPED is such an important opportunity to work alongside other urban sports to showcase these stories in new ways, celebrating the people and cultures that make this collective so distinctive. Climbing is unique, sitting naturally in both the urban environment and the great outdoors, offering opportunities for participation at every level. By placing storytelling at the heart of how we share elite performance, we hope this project will help our sport connect with new audiences, inspire more people to take part and help drive the continued growth of climbing across the UK."