Heineken “StarPlayer” App – Link

• Heineken recognized two common behaviors of fans watching soccer and other live sporting events. One, they drink beer. Two, they surf the web and send messages on their mobile phone or laptop about the game, an activity called dual screening.
• The StarPlayer app can be played on a computer, iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. It is available until the final UCL game at the end of May.
• Users create a simple profile in advance and the app opens for play just before the UCL match starts. The app timer instantly synchs with the timer of the televised game and offers users chances to predict what will happen on the field in the next 30 seconds. Correct predictions earn points, with the earlier the prediction, the higher the points. People can also win points by answering random trivia questions about sports or Heineken-related topics.
• Players can also publish their individual and league results on Facebook.
• Research backs up the trend that TV viewing is no longer passive. A Deloitte survey, conducted in late 2010, showed nearly three-quarters of American adults and teens are multitasking while watching TV.

UFL Announces Draft Picks on Twitter – Link

• The UFL used Twitter to announce their 2011 Draft picks.
• If you watched the NFL Draft and follow some of the analysts and experts on Twitter you know that many of the picks we’re broken on Twitter before Commissioner Goodell even took the stage to announce the picks. Deadspin described this as “more live than live.”
• Many of the players drafted have already played in the NFL so there was some name recognition if you’re a football fan.

3M Sponsors Triple Crown Horse – Link

• MN based conglomerate, 3M has come to an agreement to sponsor a horse in all three triple crown races.
• Mucho Macho Man.
• “The Triple Crown represents quality of the highest level so it’s an ideal fit for our company.” – Jeff Lavers, VP Sales and Marketing for 3M.
• Where’s the connection between 3M and Mucho Macho Man you may be mentioning to yourself?  The company develops, manufactures and markets products across a broad spectrum of animal care ranging from bandaging tapes to wound management solutions.

WTA Strong is Beautiful – Link

• The Women’s Tennis Association has finally bought into the success some of their beautiful athletes have had.
• Strong is Beautiful campaign shows off the many beautiful women of the WTA, and will be putting them in evening gown attire while playing tennis.
• The goal is to attract casual fans (men) to the game.

Unique Sponsorship Activation  -  Link 1 (Hydro Quebec) – Link 2 (Taylor Made) Link 3 (Blake Griffin)

• Teams are finding unique ways of promoting their sponsors.
• Hydro Quebec (Electric Company) uses the zamboni where as Taylor Made uses the foul pole at Petco Park in San Diego. Blake Griffin uses a Kia to win the NBA dunk contest.

Facebook Launches ‘Send’ Button – Link

• Click on a webpage that has the Send button integrated, and you’ll be prompted to share it with any of your Facebook Groups, your Facebook friends, or any standard email address.
• It’s always been easy to share links within Groups, but this lowers the bar even further because you don’t have to leave the page you’re reading — you can imagine people using the button to share book reviews with their book club, close friends sharing new ideas for travel destinations, and so on.

Yahoo! buys IntoNow TV Checkin App – Link

• IntoNow launched just 12 weeks ago. That’s $0 to $30 million (roughly) in just under three months. Second, Yahoo moved fast — really fast — to get this deal done. And they had to — Facebook and Twitter were interested as well.
• They already have between 500,000 and a million users, even though they’re iPhone-only currently. And the amount of content tagged was at a million after just one month, but they’re way past that now.
• What will Yahoo! do with IntoNow?

Yankees employee accidentally leaks personal info – Link

• The New York Yankees accidentally distributed a file containing information on more than 20,000 season ticket accounts. The spreadsheet contains account numbers, names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, and was mistakenly sent to thousands of current clients.

From the Yankees:

• Your name, and the address, phone number(s), fax number, and e-mail address that you previously provided to the Yankees.
• Your seat numbers, Yankees account number, Yankees account representative name, and the ticket package code associated with your account.
• NO OTHER INFORMATION WAS INCLUDED IN THE DOCUMENT THAT WAS ACCIDENTALLY ATTATCHED TO THE APRIL 25TH E-MAIL. THE DOCUMENT DID NOT INCLUDE ANY BIRTH DATES, SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS, CREDIT CARD DATA, BANKING DATA OR ANY OTHER PERSONAL OR FINANCIAL INFORMATION.

Tom Brady’s Alternative to the Royal Wedding – Link

• Don’t care about the Royal Wedding? No problem, you can hang out with Tom Brady and chat about the previous night’s draft picks as well as the middle and late rounds on Friday and Saturday.
• Brady will be making several appearences as a part of his endorsement deal with Under Armour.

Dallas Mavericks Augmented Reality Playoff Tickets – Link

• AR refers to a display in which simulated imagery or graphics are superimposed onto a view of the real world. In the case of these basketball tickets from the future, viewing on your Android will allow you to play an interactive game.
• I spoke to Paul Monroe, VP of Marketing and Communications for the Mavericks:

“Sports fans are familiar w/ players, mascots and logos on tickets. We wanted to do something new and different. Partnered with Qualcomm and Big PlayAR to bring the tickets to life. They are the first pro sports team to introduce AR on tickets. The way it works: Ticket turns over and the “Mavatar” comes to life.
Used a barrier to entry as only fans who purchased the tickets could play the game. Created six “AR Zones” around the arena for fans without Android phones to play around with the tickets as well as talk to Mavs staff.
Ideas for future use: Newspaper/Magazine ads where you can receive a special offer or game or even a coaster at a bar sponsored by Budwiser where Mark Cuban buys you a round of drinks.”
Time to Fear The Fork! – Link

• ASU Re-branding
• Two Videos
• Chicago Street Gangs – Satan’s Deciples

Value of Cross-Platform Social Integration – Link

• It is estimated that social media accounts for 22 percent of time spent online.
• Cross-platform marketing campaigns that use Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, and YouTube to promote a common message are most effective in developing a lasting marketing message.
• This consistency across platforms, in both appearance and message, effectively unifies the team’s social media marketing campaign.
• Heat –  leverage this Facebook popularity to promote their YouTube channel with a ‘YouTube’ tab on their Facebook page.  This is a great example of a team leveraging a popular site to drive traffic to their less popular social sites.
• Raptors – There is no incentive for fans to go elsewhere, and, more importantly, there is no attempt by the team to drive traffic elsewhere

TV Check In – Win a Pepsi – Link

• Consumers download the iPhone check-in app IntoNow and hit it while the commercial plays on TV. Audio-fingerprinting technology then recognizes the ad and a coupon gets downloaded to your phone for a free 20-ounce bottle of Pepsi Max.
• Pepsi has agreed to honor as many as 50,000 such coupons as an experiment in both driving trial of Pepsi Max, as well as the potential for interactive TV ads.
• IntoNow’s fingerprinting technology knows not only what consumers are watching, but also if they’re watching it live or delayed on a DVR or some other kind of recording device, key information for advertisers. It will even work on the YouTube clip of the ad.

Blueshirts United – Link

• NY Rangers have launched this social media platform and fan page.
• Different levels to join with several benefits. Top level is $1,994 (Last Stanley Cup.
• A presale on 2011 Rangers playoff tickets
• Two invitations to a private cocktail reception for you and a guest with iconic Rangers Legends
• Two (2) invitations for a NYC Harbor Dinner Cruise with select Rangers Players, Alumni and Coaches
• Two (2) Suite Tickets to a 2010-11 Rangers game along with fellow Blueshirt Legends members
• Skittles.com style multimedia.

MLB Always Epic Promotion – Link

• MLB Targeting a younger demographic with marketing campaign surrounding several players showing off their personality.
• In one spot, viewers are invited to visit the microsite for “a journey inside” the bushy beard of the reliever Brian Wilson of the Giants.
• In a second commercial, the pitcher Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners, who won the Cy Young Award last year, is shown winning all the stuffed animals at the Milk Jug Toss booth at a carnival.
• This promotion is tied together with the MLB Fan Cave promo.

Cleveland Indians Social Suite – Link

• The Indians Social Suite presented by Time Warner Cable is a one-of-a-kind social media experience providing attendees both stunning views of the on-field action and the ability to network in their own private, Wi-Fi enabled suite.
• Fill out the application for a chance to be a part of the Indians Social Suite—the first interactive Major League ballpark experience!
• This is a great way of incentivizing social media engagement by fans, while simultaneously bringing social media fans together.

YouTube enters live streaming – Link

• Limited to partners only, slow roll out
• No HD, simpler than Ustream, etc…

Why? Content ideas

• New construction
• Exclusive places not normally seen
• Seats, clubs, suits
• Practice, team travel
• Arena, Stadium during events

iPhone app – 360 Panorama – Link

• Uses gyroscope (iphone4, iPad2) to make one seamless photo
• Git link to tweet/fb etc…
• Interactive flash viewer for web – Oscars Example by @DanaBrunetti
• Interactive viewer for mobile

Microsoft PhotoSynth – Link

• Creates a 3D navigate-able pano experience
• Website based, not mobile
• Take lots and lots of photos, every angle – Video Link
• “Create Synth” online, and upload
• Or use Microsoft image compositor editor

These are just a couple of the most modern tools for creating these 360 experiences. If you have used one of these to make panos, or something else we want to hear about it, send us an email at fans@rowshow.com or tweet us @rowshow and we will talk about it on the next show.

MLB Plans to Stream live games on Facebook – Link

• Major League Baseball is letting fans watch one spring training game live each day on its Facebook page.
• Designed to drive new users to MLB.tv
• This may continue into regular season

Sports Illustrated Front Row App – Link

• SI will showcase its photography with ad-supported Front Rowas an app on the iPhone, Android devices with Adobe Air, on Chrome through its web app SI Snapshot and, on the iPad, as a featured section on Flipboard.
• Front Row is based on the notion of a container app where the content can change regularly without rebuilding the basic app or having to resubmit multiple versions for App Store Approval.
• The apps have scores but he says the intent is “to have the last word, not the first word.” The Flipboard version includes SI‘s writers via Twitter.

A better way to watch sports – Link

• Thuuz, analyzes live feeds of play-by-play statistics, measuring factors like the pace of the game, the closeness of the score and other factors. It then rates games on a 100-point scale, and allows users to sign up to receive alerts whenever their personal threshold for excitement is reached.
• The company also incorporates that other essential of sports — team loyalty — and is developing ways to identify unusual events that do not necessarily show up on the scoreboard.
• Links to places to watch the game online.

Pre Play Sports – Link

• Interactive real time fantasy sports.
• Predict the play before it happens, get it right and you’re rewarded with points.
• Every button represents a possible outcome for the next play. If you press RUN<5 you are predicting a run of less than five yards for the next play or on 3rd down you predict whether or not the team will get a 1st down.
• In some ways, it looks and feels like a video game layered over the sports broadcast.

The next 2 sport athlete? – Link

• Sporting KC offers Chad Johnson (Ochocinco) a chance to try out for the team.
• Publicity stunt? Maybe, but will we see more NFL players pursuing other endeavors due to the lockout?
• What sort of social media opportunities may exist?

Skweal – Link

• Get instant fan feedback “In Real life”
• Keeps negative reviews off social networks
• Allows you to solve problems directly

Walk through from fans perspective

• Signage “Speak directly to a manager, visit skweal.com on your mobile”
• Asks for location, Pick business to give feedback
• Write comment, rate with stars, contact info
• Submit, thank you email, auto responce…

Walk through from business perspective

• Sign up and claim location – phone verification
• You will get emails immediately now
• Inbox of feedback
• Contact details, social influence rating
• Reply – logs all communications, like a ticket
• Make notes
• Give special discount voucher/code

So far free, look for premium features to be added at a price.

If you try out skweal we want to know, hit us up at fans@rowshow.com or send us a tweet @rowshow. and as always if you have any tips, or questions contact as well, and we help you out on the next show.

• Dashboard
• People Reached
• Schedule to reach more
• Follower growth
• Influential Followers
• Top Retweeters
• Follow builder
• Download Reports

Limited number of Beta invite codes HERE

TweetPerView – Link

Death of the Branded Website – Link

• Do expensive brand websites have a role in the age of social media?
• Bacardi’s unique visitor numbers fell 77 percent between 2009 and 2010 – it is understood that the company will be shifting up to 90% of its digital spend to its presence on Facebook in the next one to two years.
• Modern consumers are engaged by real-time, social digital experiences which transcend device and are powered by location.
• Household names like Nike, Skittles, Bacardi and Honda have already made this change of direction with their online precense with minimal if any loss of brand recognition.
• Rather than ditching the standard platform we will likely see a move to incorporate new media into already existing platforms.

YouTube Wants To Stream Live NBA And NHL Games – Link

• YouTube’s goal to stream longer clips, which it believes will keep viewers on the site longer and attract more advertisers.
• Last year YouTube streamed cricket matches from the Indian Premier League, which garnered an audience larger than 55 million people.

• Both the NBA and NHL charge consumers nearly $200 per season to stream games live online, and have their own television networks starved for more viewers.
• YouTube has been content to take a few games last minute, so that it wouldn’t cut into any of the aforementioned businesses. However, that might not leave enough notice to attract advertisers. Their best bet is probably international markets.
• The NBA had preliminary talks with YouTube but—and this is important—for Asia only. Any deal would be geotargeted to exclude the U.S.
• The NHL has denied the the story.

New Jersey Devils Control Room – Link

• Manned by a staff of die-hard Devils fans called the Devils Army Generals, this control room is a place for the team to manage all of their social media communications, especially Twitter and Facebook.
• The room is filled with televisions, computer screens and iPads, providing all the resources that the Generals will need to push out their own content and actively engage in conversation with other fans.
• First digital command center for a team and arena.
• Allows Devils to track all social traffic involving the team and arena.
• Game updates, inside info, contests/mini games and a ton of other capabilities let the team connect with it’s fans in an unprecedented way.

Milwaukee Bucks Give Away Tickets for a Like – Link

• Bucks began an experiment in which they offered two free tickets to Facebook users who “like” the Bucks and agree to take an online survey.
• The Bucks described the move as an effort to see how people interact with them on facebook.
• 1,500 fans took the plunge, “liked” the team and took the survey to be able to get two free tickets to Wednesday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets.
• The Bucks have research that shows 57 percent of people who come to Bucks’ games had visited Facebook in the previous 30 days. With that kind of connection, the Bucks want to tap into that and solicit more fans to go on Facebook and, ultimately, go to games.

I’ve always wanted to dunk… – Link

• Subway lets you dunk like (as) Blake Griffin!

#SBCHAT – The Business Of Sports Blog, by Russell Scibetti is putting together a sports business chat through twitter. Every Wednesday at 8pm EST.

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