Filling the Gap: Exclusive Interview with Sports Hospitality Content Creator “The Padded Seat”

Finding a niche in this saturated digital space of sports coverage is difficult. However, Kyle Mattison, the founder of “The Padded Seat” YouTube channel believes that all it takes is curiosity, a camera, and a bit of luck. When he started in 2022, he observed little to no coverage of the sports hospitality industry.

Following that astute observation, Kyle decided to film and review the hospitality services at Chelsea’s museum hospitality package at Stamford Bridge and uploaded it on social media. The video was later uploaded on TikTok, and much to his delight, it reached a million views within a few days.

In an Exclusive interview with the Sports Gazette, I asked him about the milestones in his journey as a content creator. Referring to his first video, he said “It was an early milestone, but one that proved proof of concept almost immediately,” with his reviews of the Euros 2024 venues, other Premier League stadiums, and American sports venues being a few other highlights in his content creation journey.

What makes his hospitality reviews so appealing?

Having personally followed his work since its inception, I believe the “Point of View” camera angle is the channel’s biggest advantage. It offers a real sense of immersion to those who might never have been in a hospitality lounge and aspire to be able to afford it soon. Not to mention that most of his videos are just a minute in length and offer some stunning ambience and infrastructure of the many famous sporting venues he has reviewed.

The content is layered further by Kyle giving a simple yet comprehensive review for viewers to understand its worth. The reviews are decided by the performance of the staff inside these lounges, the quality of food served, features and ambience unique to the VIP area, and finally the financial value of the package. By ranking every category out of five stars, “The Padded Seat” gives an average overall rating to that specific hospitality experience.

Involving viewers in the decision-making

Upon being asked about the value of viewer feedback and its integration, he went on to say that it is “vital.” “Viewers are the best at suggesting where we go next and offering their opinions on experiences and our videos.” This little detail makes a huge difference, as the viewers feel more involved, they feel their voices are heard, and thereby engage more with the content.

It is one of the easiest ways of building a loyal community, and it is through this that Kyle and his team have managed to amass over 1.2 million followers across social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube in just three years.

Reviewing football hospitality was just the beginning

From reviewing Tooting and Mitcham Football Club to Manchester United’s “Seat of Dreams” Package and the Euros in Germany, the man behind the lens has arguably seen it all in football. However, to vary his content, Kyle decided to branch out to other sports like Formula 1, Rugby, Cricket, Snooker, and even Darts.

This decision meant that traveling to faraway grounds was not a luxury, but rather a necessity. What followed were videos of him reviewing the Seattle Seahawks (NFL) in Washington and a Rodeo hospitality review at the “Cowton Coliseum” in Texas amongst others. This helped him keep the content fresh and offered his viewers valuable insight into lesser-known sporting cultures around the globe.

Unique award-winning content, but not without its challenges

“The Padded Seat” ended up winning three awards in 2023 alone, with the UK Start Up award being one of them. Kyle’s content has managed to attain recognition in the hospitality and marketing industry. However, it would be unfair to think that creating content about a niche is easy to deliver.

Who knew making videos about comfort and luxury would have its challenges? After being asked about some of the obstacles he had faced, he replied “Logistics! Trying to coordinate travel, shooting, editing, and managing a life outside of this is often a struggle. It is a privilege to do what we do, but it is not as easy or straightforward.”

Advice for aspiring content creators

In today’s digital world, success is not as simple as a product of consistent efforts and time. It requires novelty, reinvention, constant education about the ongoing trends, and finally, the conviction to step out of your comfort zone.

So finally, I decided to ask Kyle for some advice about content creation, as he has arguably ticked all the above boxes and cracked the code. He simply replied, “Do not overthink it – start with what you are most curious about and keep it real. Finding a niche is not about picking what is popular; it is about picking what you enjoy and something you can stick with. If you’re just starting out, remember: done is better than perfect!”