Category: Sports Technology

General Marketing, Mobile, Sports Media, Sports Technology

9 Tech and Digital and Social Elements to Watch at #SB49

Super Bowl XLIX is here and this year’s game in Glendale, Arizona will be the most digitally and socially active, and activated, ever. [Yes, we’ll be writing the same thing about next year’s Super Bowl, and so on.]. University of Phoenix Stadium is equipped to handle it, while media and advertisers are chomping at the bit. Whether you’re reading this before or after the big game, here are nine digital, tech, and social media elements to watch for at the big game this year. [Besides being extra vigilant of the Patriots sideline]:

1) Real-time segmentation of fans and marketing

Facebook, Google, Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter, among others, are seeing huge spikes in activity and engagement during big games and brands are reacting. By segmenting and targeting fans talking about or searching about the game in real-time, advertisers can know they’re reaching the same fans watching the game, and ads, on TV. Also, I won’t elaborate here, but the preparedness of brands for real-time marketing opportunities is always worth watching during big sports events.

2) Narrative and native advertising

As fans are glued to their TV, and their devices, for the four-plus hours comprising the Super Bowl, the opportunity for brands to tell stories through their ads and/or extending consumer engagement is ripe, but not often executed on. In last year’s Super Bowl, 91% of fans used their smart phones during commercials. Whether it’s telling a story on TV, across channels, across days, we can certainly watch for brands engaging fans throughout the game, and then some.

3) Mobile fan engagement – at the venue, at home

During last year’s Super Bowl, 59% of fans used their smart phones during the game, so mobile devices are very much a part of the game experience for fans. That number will likely be higher this year and, as proliferation grows, a trend to watch will be what, exactly, fans doing on their devices? Are they using messaging apps to correspond with friends, sharing content on Facebook or Twitter, watching video highlights on websites or YouTube, commenting on Facebook and Instagram, posting their snack setup on Instagram and Pinterest, and Snapchatting, well, everything along the way? Let the data start to divulge some insights during this year’s big game.

superbowlpost-2

4) The platforms – which social nets win?

Twitter and Facebook are game, as always, Tumblr is making a run, YouTube is ready, and there will no doubt be a live Snapchat story on Super Bowl Sunday. But which social network will Monday Morning Quarterbacks be lauding before, during, and after the game? There will be no single answer, but there will be data, discussion, and healthy debate!

5) Lots of data, but what is it doing?

During the Seahawks-Panthers game earlier this NFL postseason, the Seahawks reported that 2.7 terabytes of data were processed on its venue’s network. It’s also notable that, oftentimes during games’ biggest plays, the number of uploads exceed downloads. Fans are doing a lot and, during the exciting times, are sharing out what they’re witnessing. So how is the mobile experience being integrated into these trends? It’ll be something to watch – should mobile be more about watching replays and unique camera angles or about communicating and consuming and sharing content?

6) Battle for iPhone vs. Android, upload vs. download

That same Seahawks playoff game saw an astounding 2-to-1 ratio of iPhone-to-Android users among fans using the WiFi or DAS networks on their mobile devices. While this split is telling, in particular, about fans living in the greater Seattle area, for the most part, the Super Bowl will offer an insightful look into a unique fan base of rich, famous, and otherwise influential attendees of the big game. Maybe this crowd will be rocking their Windows Phones?

7) Ad Activations

While I love the football just as much, many fans eagerly anticipate the commercials that run during the Super Bowl even more than the game. The huge audience that annually keeps their eyes peeled on commercials, with their mobile device in-hand now too, is an opportunity for brands to activate that second screen with calls-to-action on TV. It may be extended content, a contest/sweepstakes, or even where to find more info about a deal or product; the best brands want more than just a view of their commercial – they want action. But, with just 46% of consumers expected to engage with ads they see on TV during the Super Bowl, something to watch will be which brands are successful with engaging ads. [There is another discussion to be had with teams and media activating sponsors with mobile content]

8) Data collection efforts [beyond those logged into stadium WiFi]

Brands and teams are getting increasingly savvy when it comes to making the most of their ad spending. There are countless methods to make sure fans that engage with your brand, in any way, are accessible after the day of the big game. Some of the ways to watch include: entering a sweepstakes [Twitter cards may help], getting a website visit [where a re-targeting pixel can be fired], a newsletter subscription, a coupon download/redemption, and so on. This is where E-surance’s promo shined last year.

9) Fantasy, gambling, gaming

It would be an understatement to say that it has been a banner year for the growth of fantasy, from the normal year-long leagues to the burgeoning weekly versions, with revenues, payouts, and investments in the millions. The DraftKings of the world may have a record week surrounding the Super Bowl and the potential value to pro sports leagues will become even more apparent. Also worth considering, it is these early success stories (FanDuel, others, too) are getting the data/info of the most dedicated fantasy gamers. Betting, both online and offline, will be as big as ever, too. Will leagues seek their stake in gambling and gaming? The direction may become more urgent or more visible after Super Sunday.

There’s plenty more to watch in the digital and social space at this year’s Super Bowl. The field is ever-changing, evolving, and advancing. What will you be watching at this year’s big game?

Follow me on Twitter @njh287   Connect on LinkedIn

Fan Development, General Sports Business, Sports Media, Sports Technology, Working In Sports

Episode 32 Snippets: Mark J. Burns Talks #Sportsbiz and Sports Tech

Check out some snippets of episode 32 of the Digital and Social Media Sports podcast, featuring Mark J. Burns, Sports Business Contributor/Writer for Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and @SportsAgentBlog.
Click Here to listen to the full episode or check it out and subscribe in iTunes.

Posted by Neil Horowitz

Follow me on Twitter @njh287   Connect on LinkedIn

Fan Development, Sports Media, Sports Technology

A Quick Lesson About Line

While traveling recently, I met and chatted with Reza, a young man in his 20s whose parents were born in Iran before having and raising him in Japan. It’s not every day you get to meet a Millenial from Japan, so I spoke to Reza about Japan’s hottest social network, the Line app. (accessible on mobile devices and PCs)
Line, which launched in 2011, now boasts upward of 560 million users, including 170 million monthly active users. (Source) The app is available on iOS and Android and works across platforms on PCs. It is a communication/messaging app that allows for sharing of photos, calls, and videos, among other things. It has been embraced by Millenials, in particular, and has been Japan’s most popular social network overall since 2013.
Here’s a quick lesson on Line, courtesy of my friend Reza:

— Many choose to use Line for messaging friends, primarily as an alternative to texting. Why? Because it’s like enhanced texting, with photos, videos, and especially, stickers.

— Users have profiles shown as “Timelines,” which are similar to one’s Facebook Timeline. But, Reza told me, most of his friends don’t use Timeline much and instead utilize Facebook for such a feature.

— Timeline is currently the part of Line where brands are playing; they are not messaging with users, for the most part.

— STICKERS are the main draw for users to Line (and a source of revenue for Line, see: Facebook Messenger plans!?). There is an extensive, and ever-growing, selection of Stickers one can use in their messaging and, Reza says, users love Stickers because they can describe thoughts and feelings so easily with the messages and make the communication more fun than just a normal text or message. He has not seen a need to buy premium Stickers.

— All of one’s friends are on Line. This isn’t a secret, but when a social network like Line reaches a critical mass as it has, it becomes almost a necessity to be on there to remain connected. (kind of like Facebook for some)

A quick takeaway for marketers:

Millenials love the beauty and ease of communicating through images. Consider the way emojis, GIFs, Vines, Instagrams, and the like have recently exploded in social and digital media. Line, and its Stickers, very much reflects this. Whether it’s creating custom emoji for your team/brand, finding novel, unique, and surprising ways to enhance the way your fans communicate with each other (and, secondarily, with you) is the insight to consider for brands. And, of course, make sure to maintain and grow a mobile relationship with your fans.

What are your thoughts on Line and what it can teach us about social media? (Learn more)

Follow me on Twitter @njh287 Connect on LinkedIn

Sports Media, Sports Technology

MLB Advanced Media’s Bob Bowman Talks TV Ratings and Digital Media

CEO of Major League Baseball Advanced Media, Bob Bowman, recently sat for an interview with Bloomberg TV to discuss the World Series ratings and media consumption, the present and future of digital media and technology in Major League Baseball, the advantage MLB has over other pro sports, and more. You can view the full interview here. Check out some notable quotes I pulled from the more memorable points made by Bowman —

On low TV ratings for the 2014 World Series:
“Looking at TV ratings in a vacuum…We’ve had hundreds of millions of people online, billions of impressions, hundreds of millions of videos viewed…Nielsen looks at engagement with advertisers. But engagement and advertisers are all over the media map now. TV is vital, but it’s not the only way people are enjoying this World Series.”

“The size of the market [of the World Series teams, SF and KC] is what it is…It’s a testimony to the balance we have in this great game (and competitive balance).”

“Baseball continues to win the nights in the local markets…We’re as much a local game as national. We’re both…Live baseball is vitally important and it generally beats everything else (on TV) or compares favorably…Added to that, the world is changing…(We) clearly understand the digital media is essential to the success of any media, particularly live sports.”

On emerging digital media and other technology for MLB:
“One thing you’re seeing on TV is player tracking…it tells us how fast runners run, how quick their jump is, how strong their throw is…Those kind of data we can now collect on every play and make available to our fans show that technology is not something to be feared, but something we can rely on and make the game a lot more interesting for our fans.” (roll-out to all teams in 2015)

“(Instant replay) has worked extremely well. The umpires want to get everything right…It’s (MLB’s SVPof Baseball Operations) Joe Torre’s vision and ideas. I think we want to get more cameras on first base (because of high number of challenges there). We’re the AV people. We listen to (the baseball people), take their advice, and do what we need to do.”

mlbizl

On MLB’s At-Bat App:
“I hope you’ll see it on the Apple Watch. We’re in every device you can imagine…The nature of baseball, people come and check their team four or five times a day and there’s no better place to keep up with something that important to you than your phone…The At-Bat App tries to feed that need of all of our fans. It is opened five or six million times every day. Hundreds of millions fans are touching the game of baseball through all the digital media…We hope to be on every device so fans can stay in touch with the game.”

“Our job is to make sure technology enhances the effort to see the game, but to make sure we bring the game as it is. It is a great game, a grand game, and it’s ready for this digital age as I hope we’ve been a small part in helping to show.”

On digital media and the other major pro sports leagues:
“Everyone is trying to optimize their multimedia experience, integrated media experience for their fans. I think we had a head start due to the vision of Commissioner Selig and I think we will be able to extend our lead because of the commitment of incoming Commissioner Manfred. So I think we’re in a great spot in a great game.”

Posted by Neil Horowitz

Follow me on Twitter @njh287   Connect on LinkedIn

Social Media ROI, Sports Media, Sports Technology, Working In Sports

Episode 30 Snippets: Mac Slavin Talks @Tigers and #SMSports

Check out some snippets of episode 30 of the Digital and Social Media Sports podcast, featuring Mac Slavin, Social Media Coordinator for the Detroit Tigers. Click Here to listen to the full episode or check it out and subscribe in iTunes.

Posted by Neil Horowitz

Follow me on Twitter @njh287   Connect on LinkedIn

Conferences, General Marketing, General Sports Business, Sponsorships, Sports Media, Sports Technology

#SBJSMS Day 1 Recap of #Sportsbiz Insights

Check out collection of the best tweets, stats, quotes, and observations from day 1 of the Sport Business Journal Sports Marketing Summit, #SBJSMS.

Posted by Neil Horowitz

Follow me on Twitter @njh287   Connect on LinkedIn

Conferences, Fan Development, General Sports Business, Sponsorships, Sports Technology

#Leaders14 #Sportsbiz Conference Summit Recap

Check out collection of the best tweets, stats, quotes, and observations from the Sport Business Conference Summit, #Leaders14.

Posted by Neil Horowitz

Follow me on Twitter @njh287   Connect on LinkedIn

Fan Development, General Marketing, Sports Media, Sports Technology

#Sportsbiz Stats Worth Sharing and Considering, Part 3

Every episode of the Digital and Social Media Sports podcast includes a “sharable stat,” a compelling statistic related to the digital and social media sports world. Here, I present part 3 (part 1 here; part 2 here) of some of these sharable stats for your easy enjoyment…and sharing and learning! THE STATS –

44% of Twitter users have never sent a single tweet

This compelling statistic means a lot of things, but a couple of takeaways include 1) The Twitter sentiment and vocal fans do NOT represent anything close to a majority so don’t treat it as such, even if this crowd is more vocal (influential?) than average; and 2) Don’t always think about fishing for retweets, favorites, or even (to some extent) link clicks; instead, be mindful of what Twitter CAN deliver: brand/message awareness, web traffic, connecting with influencers, and more!

Instagram garners 58x more engagement than Facebook and 120x more engagement than Twitter
Per Forrester Research report 2014

Do NOT take this as a grand statement about the three big players in social media. For one, Instagram engagement (consisting of likes and comments, much of which is spam) is equivalent to its Facebook and Twitter brethren, let alone its reach. Prioritize what ‘engagement’ means for your brand, for your campaign, for your individual post when evaluating the most effective platform for each given case with your organization.

85% of all tweets sent during “primetime” hours are about sports
From the SBJ Activation Summit

Not too much of a shocker here as sports comprises so much of live primetime viewership. This not only serves as a reminder for why Twitter is essential for your sports team, but also reinforces the powerful, potential two-way nature Twitter allows during live sports. The fans, more than at any other time, are active and aware during these primetime hours and can be reached with engagement, with relevant messaging (amplified by TV and other ads simultaneously), and calls-to-action. Sales funnel movement, etc. can also take place at this time of heightened activity (and emotion).

100% of NHL  First Round Draftees on Twitter

In the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, every single player drafted in the first round (which included players from inside and outside the U.S.). The phenomenon of players using social media in sports is far from the novelty it once was; it is now something to be managed, analyzed, and optimized at all levels, whether a player trying to project an image or brand (from the first day their notoriety hits), a team presenting a voice and outlet for fans, and more. The generation coming up now, and those to come, ARE on social media, for better or for worse. Be prepared. Be excited.

60,000: The NBA’s Orlando Magic collected 60,000 names for their database by offering free WiFi in-arena during the 2013-14 season
(via Orlando Magic VP Anthony Perez at SBJSFF)

One of my favorite stats — WiFi at the arena is not only about creating a better, connected experience for fans, while also presenting possibilities for incredible interaction with fans and venue, it is about DATA. Provision of WiFi opens up an incredible opportunity to get data from fans, learn more about what they want and use and need, and, ultimately, creating better offers, better experiences, and developing a more comprehensive, genuine picture of your fans and their experiences.

Engagement on tweets with photos was 110% higher than tweets with links (next “best” type of tweet)
via Simply Measured

Confirming what many of us have already known and suspected! But don’t get excessive by forcing photos as this will only alienate users. A couple of other considerations — pull quotes/big text can make effective tweet visuals, too, and it remains to be seen how tweets with Twitter cards will compare to more traditional tweets with a photo and link. It also remains to be seen how tweets with multiple photos, Vines, etc. compare.

45.4% of respondents said ‘“sponsored content” agreed is a form of advertising that can be more relevant to me’
via Hubshout

When the right brand makes the right content with the right partner, it can be harmonious. It starts with quality content and knowing your fans. Give them more of what they want and, sponsored or not, it will be welcomed!

90% of consumers would recommend a brand to others after interacting with them on social media.
via (Internet Advertising Bureau / IAB)

Biggest takeaway from this stat — Consumers like brands that INTERACT with them. Engage, listen, answer, respond, acknowledge. If your organization’s Twitter timeline is heavy on broadcasting and short on responses and connections, you may want to reconsider. Don’t miss out on the positive activity and sentiment that stems from each and every interaction between brand and customer, team and fan.

 -0.4%;, total MLB attendance was down 0.4% YOY for the 2014 regular season

With dwindling attendance falling across all sports, pro and college, perhaps Major League Baseball can be less desperate when it comes to attendance and focus more on driving revenue from these fans, creating more digital assets and content, and trying to reach and engage fans of new and emerging demographics. The most important question for MLB is the profile of fans attending, and following, games. Tracking these changes over time are essential for any team, league, and brand. Value the longtime fans while fostering the next generation of them, too. Of course, easier said than done.

WHICH SHARABLE STAT IS MOST COMPELLING TO YOU? SHARE IT!

Posted by Neil Horowitz

Follow me on Twitter @njh287   Connect on LinkedIn

Conferences, General Sports Business, Sports Media, Sports Technology

#NYVCSports (NY Venture Community Sports) #Sportsbiz Event Recap

On October 2, 2014, New York Venture Sports Community brought together execs from ESPN, WWE, and more to discuss emerging topics and trends in sports, media, business, and finance.

Posted by Neil Horowitz

Follow me on Twitter @njh287   Connect on LinkedIn

Fan Development, General Sports Business, Sports Media, Sports Technology

#Sportsbiz Stats Worth Sharing and Considering, Part 2

Every episode of the Digital and Social Media Sports podcast includes a “sharable stat,” a compelling statistic related to the digital and social media sports world. Here, I present part 2 (part 1 here) of some of these sharable stats for your easy enjoyment…and sharing and learning! THE STATS –

After launching their mobile app during the 2013 NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs were seeing 5,000 mobile app downloads/week

Every brand, team, and media outlet needs a mobile application these days and, once launched, the burden falls upon said team, brand, or media outlet to: create custom content, make other content optimized for a mobile environment, draw frequent return use, monetize engagement on the app, collect data from app usage, and more. Creating the app and prompting fans to download it is merely the beginning of what absolutely must be an all-in commitment from top-to-bottom and not a ‘launch it and forget it’ mindset.

There is an average 98% open rate on SMS messages

Teams and organizations, excited as ever about so many digital and non-digital fan touch points, must not forget that nearly everyone has a phone and knows how to send and receive text messages (and data availability is increasingly less of a concern). Even the biggest modern-day Luddite will send and receive texts. Campaigns utilizing this medium, if not abused or done excessively, can still be incredibly powerful to drive fan action and disseminate messaging/content. 98% open rate says it all, if you can find your way into the inbox, that is.

(After Scribble Live partnered w/ Football League in UK on a social media hub) – Thus far the dwell time has seen an increase from the mentioned 1min 20secs to a much more impressive 3mins 42secs. – 178% increase

I’m by no means a strong advocate of the huge ROI/value of social media hubs; in fact, I’m more a skeptic than anything else. They can often be visually appealing, cool for a social media manager or die-hard fan or reporter, but the traffic, and the ROI, often leave a bit to be desired. Every social aggregation and display platform seems to think their hub is the best, but none seem to be able to take a strong foothold in the  space (though physical display has done better). Does this Scribble Live success story change your mind or at least get you thinking?

67% of sports fans supplement their TV viewing experience with a second screen

Still not convinced sports fans like to augment their live TV viewing experience with a second screen of some sort? This stat says it all and is likely even higher in certain sports and in certain demographics. Are you serving content they want at this time? If fans aren’t consuming your content during the game, they’re consuming content from another source, to be  sure.

Only 6% of NFL fans have actually attended a live NFL game. (@NationalSportsForum)

This is an astounding stat that may either encourage or discourage sports marketers. On the one hand, there is an issue of getting more fans out to games (and clearly there are several that have yet to go). And, on the other hand, there are millions of engaged fans, largely on digital and social, that can be monetized and engaged! How do you see it?

From 2008-2013, live consumption of news dropped from 98% to 70% whereas live consumption of sports maintained, going from 98% to 97%.

This is why live sports is THE valuable commodity left in TV / media. Smart TV’s and DVR’s will continue to proliferate, thereby driving down even further the live consumption of TV, but sports will remain. Don’t let partners (and yourselves) forget it.

Sports comprises 1.5% of TV programming, but accounts for 50% of activity on Twitter

A popular stat, that may have even increased since it was a first cited, which shows just how much sports on TV and Twitter go together. Is there a plateau, however, as the number of domestic Twitter users hits a ceiling? Regardless, sports will continue to be THE king of dual screen media consumption now and in the future.

Posted by Neil Horowitz

Follow me on Twitter @njh287   Connect on LinkedIn