Barstool Sports has adopted an unconventional strategy to expedite the sharing of viral content on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), in comparison to other media companies.
As revealed by a report from The Daily Beast, the popular sports entertainment media brand has been utilizing burner accounts to circumvent copyright laws and post copyrighted sports highlights and other viral content.
By doing so, Barstool’s primary accounts can subsequently share these videos on their own X pages without triggering any Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) complaints.
The report disclosed, “A new investigation by The Daily Beast found over 40 more anonymous Twitter accounts that give every indication of being controlled by Barstool. This network has laundered incalculable amounts of copyright-protected sports and entertainment videos and reaped billions of views over at least the last four years.
For example: One anonymous account’s ripped video of The Weeknd’s Super Bowl LV performance racked up 36 million views for Barstool in less than 24 hours.”
The report also noted that to post content and accumulate views without risking DMCA strikes, Barstool would employ burner accounts to share its own content containing copyright-protected music.
On X, an excessive number of DMCA complaints can lead to an account suspension or even permanent banning.
Barstool Sports appears to be following in the footsteps of their cherished Patriots, willing to go to great lengths to gain an advantage.