NC Broadcasting – Radio, Television and Film (BRTF) alumna Shannon Burns continues to expand her presence in the entertainment and digital media space, most recently covering the Winter Olympics in Milan through a creator partnership with TikTok.
Burns has also grown a strong following as a social media content creator, which helped lead to her involvement in Olympic coverage alongside her broader work in entertainment media.
The partnership came about after TikTok reached out asking if she would like to attend the Olympics in Milan. Her relationship with the platform had been developing over time as her audience grew, becoming one of TikTok’s “Canadian Creators,” which connects her with a designated contact for guidance and potential opportunities.
Burns also previously took part in TikTok and NBCUniversal’s creator program for the Paris Olympics in 2024, which helped prepare her for the Milan experience.
While in Milan, her role focused on short-form storytelling across travel, culture, sport, and fan experiences. She was responsible for creating a minimum of five videos, which could cover anything from my travel experience to specific sports and athletes or eating Italian food.
“I wouldn’t consider myself a sports expert, since I primarily focus on pop culture content, so it was exciting to challenge myself and dive into that world,” she said. “The only rule was that we couldn’t capture any ‘field of play,’ meaning no footage of athletes actually competing. It was fun pushing myself to capture all the in between moments instead.”
Her content included features on LGBTQ+ women athletes, her vintage Vancouver 2010 Olympic mitts, and interviews with Canadians attending the Men’s Hockey games.
Burns described the overall experience as both professionally and personally fulfilling.
“My overall experience at the Olympics was incredible,” said Burns. “I’d never been to Milan before, so stepping off the flight and seeing someone in the airport holding a sign with my name on it made me feel like a celebrity! It was the perfect mix of getting to enjoy the city, see the Olympic activations set up around town, and experience sports like Men’s Hockey and Pairs Figure Skating.”
The experience also offered shift from her usual content creation routine.
“The majority of my content is made from my bedroom, so leaving my house, let alone the country, is a big shift from my usual routine,” she said. “Trips like these remind me of all the hard work that got me here. From studying Broadcasting at Niagara College, to moving to a small town for my first on air radio show, to the late nights spent creating content, it all led me to this incredible opportunity, and hopefully more to come.”
Burns continues to work as national midday host on Virgin Radio and as an Entertainment Contributor for iHeartRadio Canada. She also recently celebrated 11 years in radio at Bell Media.
Through each opportunity, Burns continues to refine her content creation approach.
“I learn something new every time I go out and create content,” she said. “Sometimes I learn what doesn’t work and how to improve for the next piece,” adding that she studies trends and audience engagement strategies from other creators and professionals in the space.
Burns is also approaching a major social media milestone, with a goal of reaching one million TikTok followers, currently sitting at approximately 930,000.
Olympic coverage highlights
Burns’ Winter Olympics content is available across her TikTok channel, where she documented her experience in Milan through short-form storytelling focused on travel, culture, and behind-the-scenes moments from the Games.
- www.tiktok.com/@itsshannonburns/video/7604150811190496532
- www.tiktok.com/@itsshannonburns/video/7607249155789966612
- www.tiktok.com/@itsshannonburns/video/7607990758531943700
Follow Shannon’s social media channels
Instagram: itsshannonburns
TikTok: itsshannonburns
