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Australian Open 2012 Embraces Social Media

January 18, 2012 by

Do you miss the days of Evonne Goolagong and wooden rackets? Do you have no idea what the first sentence meant but like watching tennis and regret that the Australian Open is half a world away and so difficult to catch much of the action live?

Well the 2012 edition of the famed tournament has stepped up in the digital and social media space and presents a number of methods in which a fan can either catch live action or at least get a steady stream of comments and updates, easily and from a desktop or a mobile device.

As noted in Mashable this could be the most advanced use of social media in a tournament and that there is a wide variety of tournament sponsored avenues in which fans can follow the action, as well as comment on the action as it occurs. This has been a growing tradition at the tournament and one that others sports events can learn from as a tool to heighten fan engagement.

The official site has a range of tools that can meet fans needs on a variety of levels. Want to see video replays of highlights, player interviews or of the most popular players in action? They have that. Want to listen on the radio; there is a feature for that when the matches are being broadcast live.

There is a core feature called Fan Central that brings input from fans into the game. It contains what is called a ‘Social Leaderboard’ that contains a pool of 40 players that were selected due to their popularity. Fans can tweet about one of them using a hashtag that relates to their name, or ‘like’ content on australianopen.com that includes them and with every tweet or like they get points to rise in a leaderboard. You are not limited to just following these 40 as the site enables you to follow any player, popular or not.

The most active tweeters will have the opportunity to become ‘Fanbassadors’ that will be recognized on the tournaments official web site.

But it is not just fan twitters that are available. The tournament has staffed @AustralianOpen, a 24 Twitter feed. For the less serious, or more I guess, there is a feature for predicting outcomes as well as one that enables you to put captions onto photos. You can even submit a short film about the ‘Tennis Essence’ with the winner being played at the tournament.

Of course you can follow on Facebook, but if that is too static there are mobile apps for both Apple iPhones and Android based smartphones. There will also be the more traditional information you would expect-draws, schedules, how to get tickets and an overall event guide.

Filed Under: Android, Apple, Apps, Athlete to Follow, iPhone, Live sports via mobile, Live Sports Video Consumption, Mashable, Smartphone, Twitter Tagged With: , , ,

Who Will Build a Kindle for Sports? Millions of Fans Await the Answer

January 12, 2012 by

One great comment I heard at CES in Las Vegas this week was that tablet computers are “the killer app for watching video.” To that I would add a caveat: Tablets could also become the complete killer app for watching sports in a mobile fashion, if and only if the leagues, cellular providers and broadcasters could come to some workable agreement on viewing rights. What could make all that happen quickly? Why not something like Amazon’s Kindle, but instead of books, have it devoted to sports?

The real revolution started by the Kindle isn’t the cool technology behind the device itself. Instead it’s the simple pricing and content procurement method which eliminates the need for consumers to care about the cellular connection and simply allows them to pay for the books they want to read. If only sports could be so simple.

In the real world, we know it’s far from easy to get sports content on your mobile device. Just trying to definitively describe how you could get Monday’s BCS Championship game to show live on a mobile device took a weekend’s worth of reporting and numerous email exchanges with the supremely helpful ESPN folks. It’s not all ESPN’s fault that its mobile offerings are so constricted, but the fees ESPN charges cable providers play a part in the snarl of rights and access barriers that make mobile sports viewing such a pain in the rear.

The hope here at MSR is that all parties concerned learn some lessons from the digital music business, where a simple store and powerful simple device — iTunes and iPod — led to an explosion in sales of music, videos, podcasts and now books too. The Kindle is an extension of the iPod/iTunes simplicity to the mobile ecosystem, eliminating the concerns about how much data you’re downloading and whether or not you are exceeding your monthly mobile limits. Why not build one tailored for sports, with the connectivity costs and rights fees built in? If half a million people went through the maze of tasks necessary to watch the BCS game online, what could the size of that audience be if folks could walk down to Best Buy, pick up a “KindleSports” and start watching immediately?

At another CES panel I heard representatives from the major motion picture houses talk about how mobile video is no longer a future thing, but a booming business already grabbing millions of viewers and the associated advertiser interest. It’s time for sports entities to get into the game in a similar big way, and a KindleSports would be a great way to start. I would be just one of the millions waiting in line to buy one.

Filed Under: Apple, Apps, AT&T, BCS, ESPN, ESPN3, iPad, iPhone, Kindle, Live sports via mobile, Live Sports Video Consumption, NCAA Football, Tablets, WatchESPN Tagged With: , , , , ,

Looking For the BCS in 3D? ESPN Has Your Back!

January 9, 2012 by

The Sports network, long a backer of 3D, pulls out the stops for the broadcast

Did you splurge on a 60-inch HDTV and a set of 3D glasses but have already seen Avatar 4 times with your kids? Then tonight’s huge BCS Championship game between LSU and Alabama is your chance to see your system strut its stuff.

While the broadcast, with ESPN lead broadcasters Brent Musberger and Kirk Herbstreit handling the main announcing duties will be available in both a regular broadcast mode as well as in 3D, marking ESPN’s 39th 3D football broadcast in the last 2 years.

Aside from the commentary from the 2D broadcast the rest of the 3D show will be just that, 3D. There will be a total of 11 3D cameras at the event including one in the SkyCam to go with the 2D cameras that are present there.

However that is just the tip of the iceberg. There will be a 3D Ultra Slo Motion camera on a cart that moves along the sideline, that was developed for use by Fletcher Chicago with technology and cameras from I-Movix using Vision Research cameras for ESPN 3D.

One 3D camera on each goalpost, 3 lightweight miniaturized handheld, also developed for ESPN 3D, one of which transmits wirelessly enabling greater access for the technology. A 3D game camera on a 28 foot high mast on a cart that moves along the sideline provide shots close to the action and last but not least a 3D First Down Line that was developed by ESPN Technology.

This is a time to see what 3D can really do if you do ot have a 3D enabled television it could be worth your while to call a friend and volunteer to bring the wings and beer to get the experience watching an event that is capable of showing it off in all its glory. All that is missing is a holographic image of yourself on the sidelines.

Filed Under: BCS, ESPN, Live Sports Video Consumption, NCAA Football Tagged With: ,

ESPN: BCS Bowl Games Averaged 288,000 Online Viewers; But No Comcast ESPNWatch Access for Championship Game

January 5, 2012 by

Though TV viewership for the BCS Bowl Games only increased slightly this year, the online audience is reaping record viewer numbers for worldwide sports leader ESPN, according to figures released by the network.

In a press release ESPN said that it averaged 288,000 unique online viewers during the first three BCS bowl games this season, including the Rose Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl and the Sugar Bowl. According to ESPN the average viewer spent almost 80 minutes online watching games, adding up to a total of 23.1 million online minutes. The time-watched stat is up 73 percent from last year, while the unique-visitor number is up 31 percent, ESPN said.

What should be interesting to see is how much those numbers stack up for Monday’s BCS championship game, the rematch between LSU and Alabama. Unfortunately, Comcast cable customers still won’t have access to the ESPN3 ESPNWatch service, even though the cable giant signed a deal earlier this week with ESPN to provide the ability to watch ESPN online sometime down the road.

According to an ESPN spokesperson, only customers of Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks and Verizon’s FiOS service will have access to the full WatchESPN app and system for the BCS game. Though ESPN couldn’t officially confirm the reason, basic network knowledge says that there probably just wasn’t time to configure the authentication systems needed to give Comcast customers access.

However, anyone with a broadband provider who supports ESPN3 access (see a long list here to check if your provider allows it), which includes Comcast broadband customers, should be able to watch the game on the ESPN website. (If you are confused by the whole ESPN3/WatchESPN thing don’t feel bad. We’ve had multiple emails and phone calls with the kind ESPN folks today and still don’t think we’ve explained it fully.)

If you have more questions the WatchESPN FAQ is a good place to start. We will put together a brilliant how-to-watch-the-BCS online by Monday that hopefully explains this more clearly.

Filed Under: BCS, ESPN, ESPN3, Live Sports Video Consumption, NCAA Football, SEC, WatchESPN Tagged With: , ,

Hallelujah, Sports Fans: Comcast Customers Get WatchESPN

January 4, 2012 by

Screen shot of ESPNWatch TV ad with the cowboy in the horse trough -- note the disclaimer text.


Under the terms of a far-reaching content agreement announced today is a huge win for Comcast customers: The ability to watch ESPN content in a mobile fashion, via the WatchESPN service and app.

As the biggest provider of cable services Comcast was previously shut out from the WatchESPN service — only customers from Verizon’s FiOS home-fiber service, Time-Warner Cable and Bright House Networks cable had authorized access. But the content licensing deal announced today between Disney (parent of ESPN) and Comcast clears the decks so that when Comcast customers click on that “Watch Live” button on the ESPN site, they’ll actually get to see something.

Though cable providers are starting to grumble publicly about the per-viewer rights fees ESPN is charging — easily the highest per-customer in the business — the fact remains that live sports is by far and away the most compelling content out there, so signing deals to make it as available as possible is good business for service providers like Comcast. It’s also likely that Comcast’s decision to launch its own ESPN clone sports network (a rebranding of the old Versus channel) played a role in bringing the two sides closer together.

The good news for sports fans is, more access for the same amount of money you are already paying for content. And that is always a reason to celebrate.

Filed Under: Comcast, ESPN, ESPN3, Live sports via mobile, Live Sports Video Consumption, NBC Sports, Xfinity Tagged With: , ,

Comcast Sportsnet Northwest to Stream Trail Blazers Games

January 3, 2012 by

The deal will give fans multiple on-line options

The Portland Trail Blazers have expanded their broadcast reach with a deal with partner Comcast Sportsnet Northwest that will enable fans in remote areas of the team’s NBA-approved area to now have the option to pay to get streaming live video of games in areas that Comcast does not broadcast.

The deal involves the NBA, the Portland Trail Blazers and Comcast and will permit the cable company to have a pay-per-view streaming option for fans that are in the parts of the state that Comcast does not have broadcast rights.

The deal, which is free for a trial period that runs from Jan. 1 to Jan.11 after which CSN games will be $2.99 a game or $69.99 for the season. The team has also been streaming the games that have been broadcast by partner KGW/Channel 8 last year and has continued this year. Each game is available for $2.99.

Comcast has had some difficulty in getting some TV providers in the territory to carry its broadcasts including DirecTV, Dish Network and Charter Communications. This will now enable fans in those areas to watch games.

Fans outside of the territory have the option of subscribing to the NBA League Pass that provides TV and streaming access as well as mobile for $169. The league also offers mobile only and streaming only options.

Aside from Portland the Philadelphia 76ers and the Chicago Bulls also stream cable games for their fans. I expect that this will be a tool that other teams will use to fill in gaps in their broadcast map going forward.

Filed Under: Comcast, Live sports via mobile, Live Sports Video Consumption, NBA Tagged With: , ,
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