SB Nation.com, a social-media collective of 300 sports communities, already rates as one of the sports industry’s most innovative mobile applications. And increasingly, it is edging into the arena of breaking major sports news.
On Oct. 3, SBNation.com moved an exclusive that Madonna has signed on to perform at halftime of Super Bowl XLVI. While that may seem like a fluffier scoop than most hard-core sports fans really care about, the Madonna story ranked No. 1 under sports news on Google Results through Oct. 4.
SB Nation’s ability to move exclusive news ahead of traditional sports outlets is a trend worth watching because it could make or break the sports social media start up. In fact, the traditional media, including the NYTimes, views SB Nation as a blog network with attitude, and Wall Street and others typically value the company as a blog content play. However, SB Nation has more going for it than traditional media and Wall Street give it credit. SB Nation’s publishing platform is specifically designed to make it easy for sports fans to comment and interact. It is certainly an easier place for the average sports fan to get noticed than ESPN, CBS Sports or a hometown newspaper website. So, if SB Nation is consistently able to break exclusive sports news, while continuing to provide social media services superior to established media companies, it could emerge as an unstoppable force as sports on mobile devices and iPads grows and evolves.
On the other hand, if Madonna is a no show for Super Bowl XLVI, as she has been twice previously, then SB Nation’s credibility is thrown into question. Sports fans are serious about their league and team news. And, if SB Nation misses the mark on enough of its newfangled sports news exclusives, consumers may come to consider SB Nation as no better than a secondary source for sports news. In other words, sports fans may continue to choose to interact on SB Nation, but content billed as news on the website would simply drive the audience to other sources for verification.
No matter what happens, the sports social media start-ups are clearly chasing journalistic legitimacy. The Madonna story was reported and written by SB Nation editor Andrew Sharp, one of a growing number of in-house journalists SB Nation has added. And, SB Nation is not alone in its attempt to build a legitimate news operation. Competitor Bleacher Report Inc. has recently stepped up to hire big-league journalists as part of a “lead writer program” launched in August.
Big dollars are involved. In October, 24/7 Wall Street listed SB Nation as the eighth most valuable blog in America at $30 million, behind Perez Hilton at $32 million and ahead of FunnyorDie at $24 million. Gawker Properties was No. 1 on the 24/7 Wall Street list at $240 million.
Could be a cool halftime show — she could bring up on stage all the athletes she’s been with over the years
A-Rod
And Rodman