Enhancing the Sports Fan Experience

Alex participated on the “Enhancing the Sports Fan Experience using Virtual Environments, Social Networking and User Generated Content” panel during the New York: Media Information Exchange Group’s breakfast this morning. He joined Lou Borrelli, NEP Broadcasting (moderator), Glenn Adamo, VP Media Operations/The National Football League & The NFL Network, Tom Buffalano, Vice President & GM of Digital Media/CSTV and Bill Rasmussen, Founder of ESPN and currently CEO/Collegefanz, in a lively discussion about social media’s place in the sports industry.

Here’s a write up about the event on Les Blatt’s blog.

Social media is a powerful channel for sports teams, leagues and media companies to engage with their audiences beyond a game or event (leading to new revenue opportunities from advertising and ecommerce). What better way to engage sports fans than to provide them with the ability to share their passion through user-generated content, social networking (have you ever met a fan who doesn’t really have much to say about their favorite or least favorite team?) and content syndication.

Teams and leagues have an unparalleled opportunity to create compelling and very sticky experiences by integrating ‘unique’ content that fans wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else with the user-generated videos or photos. For example, having exclusive interviews with coaches and players about an upcoming game alongside video commentary from fans about the game and opposition, with coaches commenting back.

Great examples of KickApps sports affiliates include:
- The Arena Football Leagues’s MyAFL community
- KWCH 12 in Kansas’ high school sports community, Catch it Kansas
- Cycling TV’s community, The Innertube
- Bunkershot.com’s golf community
- Mixed Martial Arts community, Training for Warriors
- RodeoUP, the video community of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Associations
- Animated sportscast, Flash Sports Tonight