Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Live From CES 07: Top League Execs Discu Future of Fan Engagement

10/01/2017

When the annual CES took over Las Vegas for the past week, the aisles featured the latest in consumer technology of all kinds, but there was a quiet respite from the hype in the Sands Hall, where Turner Sports provided a showcase not only for its ELeague offering and NBA on TNT but also for leading sports-management executives to discuss the intersection of technology and sports-fan engagement. And one thing is certain: the new sports-fan experience gives leagues, teams, and broadcasters more ways to build strong and lasting bonds.

We are connected to fans in a way never seen before, said NASCAR Chairman/CEO Brian France. There are some nice tailwinds with things like telemetry that can be captured and sent out to fans in smart ways, but there is also a challenge, as the attention spans are changing. It's unprecedented and a great challenge and opportunity at once. But innovation and technology will solve the problems and make NASCAR a greater place for fans to interact all during the day and in different ways.

That is a big change in attitude for France, who confessed that. a decade ago, he was nervous as to how technology would impact the way fans interact with the sport and whether they would keep coming to the track. But, with the telemetry data from the cars and the ability for fans to listen to conversations between the drivers and the pits, the fans in the stands have a more tightly integrated experience with what is happening in front of them.

This is the new frontier, he pointed out, and we need to be as aggressive and smart as we can by using data and other things in ways we never thought possible.

Helping in the efforts of an organization like NASCAR is that the elite drivers are brands of their own, complete with an understanding of marketing prowess, partnerships, and brand extensions.

It gives us a real nice reach, said France. Sometimes, it can backfire with social media, but, by and large, social media is a positive and shows the size and reach of our sport.

Advances in technology are about more than just the fans. Technology has leveled the playing field for the drivers (to the consternation of some purists) with things like new track-drying technology.

Our races are outdoors, so rain is an issue, France noted. But new drying systems have reduced the time it takes to dry the track by 70%. It only takes 30 minutes, and that is huge for retaining the TV audience.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Generation Z is a top priority for the league.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman described one way technology will help improve NHL action.

We are working with a major technology company on something that will determine whether a puck crossed the line, like what they have done in tennis, he said. We're close to doing that, and it will help with the integrity of the sport because, without that, you have nothing.

Bettman discussed Generation Z, those born after 1995, and how they want content on their own terms and personalized. That will also extend into the arena for fans in the stands.

We have to ensure that, wherever you are, especially in the arena, you get what you want, he said. There should not be any aspect of the experience that is better at home than in person. That means replays, data, features, and having more WiFi connectivity at the venues and event, he explained, things like letting you know where the food lines are shortest or where to park the car. It's all part of making sure the fans have the best possible experience.

For example, the NHL is celebrating its 100th anniversary this season and has digitized scoring sheets with the help of SAP. That allows fans to sort data as they want and focus on what is most important to them.

Technology is providing more information about what is happening in real time, said Bettman, like with player tracking that can show how much time a player is on the ice, how fast they are skating, how far the puck has travelled. In our case, that makes the sport more understandable. And then, he added, the fans have a personalized experience on their second or third screen.

Broadcasters are wrestling with how their relationship will evolve with sports, he noted, but things like 24/7 all-access shows and shoulder programming like player features are very important.

If you were a hockey fan five years ago and your team was eliminated, you could not watch any more playoffs, Bettman explained, but our deal with NBC Sports gives us national distribution of all the playoff games and streaming of games out of market. You need to have partners and sponsors that are targeting the demos you want and know how to reach them.

That is one of the reasons for the NHL's outdoor Winter Classic games.

Younger fans are more experiential-oriented and want to do things like the outdoor games, Bettman noted. NBC embraced that and knew it was important. And now we also have a traveling Hall of Fame truck that is going to all markets and big events.

He agreed with France that social media has its ups and downs.

At first blush, he said, a tweet can appear innocent, and then it causes an uproar. But, in general, players like talking about what is on their mind, and social media has been a positive.

It also expands the international presence of the game, enabling players to remain connected with their fans around the globe. Approximately 25% of players in the NHL were born outside the U.S., and video consumption of the NHL outside the U.S. exceeds domestic consumption.

The NHL is streamed to 150 countries to encourage the development of elite players, and one thing we are hearing is the need to have a presence in other countries, whether it is hockey clinics or local talent, said Bettman. You need something that goes along with what is on the device.

While NASCAR and the NHL are focused
LINK: http://www.sportsvideo.org/2017/01/09/live-from-ces-2017-top-league-ex...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

04/08/2024

Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....

03/06/2024

Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...

18/05/2024

If Bundling Is Back, What's the Ideal Bundle?

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. Bundling is back in a big way, with all the major streaming companies and many pay TV operators exploring ways to simplify the consumer experie...

18/05/2024

FCC to Vote on LPTV Rules during June Open Meeting

WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced a tentative agenda for the June Open Commission Meeting schedule...

18/05/2024

Matthews Launches New Multipurpose Grip Rail Telescopic Grid Pipe Solution

Matthews Studio Equipment has introduced Grip Rail, which the company said offers a better way to mount equipment on location, in the studio, or on the fly....

18/05/2024

IAB Tech Labs, Google Partner on New First Party Data Solution

In a notable development in the industry-wide effort to address privacy concerns while improving efficacy of marketing efforts in a cookieless ad landscape, IAB...

18/05/2024

TV Tech Weekly Product Wrap-Up

Missed any of our product coverage during your busy week? The TV Tech weekly product and services news wrap-up provides links to all of our coverage from May 13...

18/05/2024

DHD Elevates the Art of Podcast Production

DHD Elevates the Art of Podcast Production Brie Clayton May 17, 2024 0 Comments Hero image: the DHD DX2 base and expansion modules Latest-generation ...

17/05/2024

Aerojet Rocketdyne's Camden Site Leverages Modernization Investments to Accelerate Solid Rocket Motor Production

Aerojet Rocketdyne has worked to modernize facilities at its Camden, Arkansas, l...

17/05/2024

FCC Plans to Revise LPTV Rules

The FCC has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would revise rules governing low power TV stations (LPTV) in a number of areas, including online ...

17/05/2024

Demystifying Post-Production: Introducing Cinema 4D Particles Week 4

Demystifying Post-Production: Introducing Cinema 4D Particles Week 4 Brie Clayton May 17, 2024 0 Comments With the spring release of Maxon One, we&#...

17/05/2024

Takashi Yamazaki Film Godzilla Minus One Graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio

Takashi Yamazaki Film Godzilla Minus One Graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio Brie Clayton May 17, 2024 0 Comments Hero image credit: 2023 TOHO CO., LT...

17/05/2024

Sterling Event Group Streamlines Live Event Productions with AJA

Sterling Event Group Streamlines Live Event Productions with AJA Brie Clayton May 17, 2024 0 Comments Live event productions only happen once, which ...

17/05/2024

Meet the product manager

Muster Ngobi, product manager at LYNX Technik tells TVBEurope how the ever-evolving media industry provides a truly dynamic working environment By Matthew Corr...

17/05/2024

TV, Streaming Schedule for 2024 NFL Regular Season Is Released

NEW YORK As declines in linear TV viewing make the ongoing popularity of live sports, particularly football, central to financial success of the TV industry, th...

17/05/2024

Netflix Ad Tier Hits 40M Monthly Active Users

During Netflixs second Upfront presentation to advertisers, Amy Reinhard, Netflix's president of advertising, walked advertisers through the continued growt...

17/05/2024

Scripps Promotes Jeff Kiernan to VP, Local News

CINCINNATI The E.W. Scripps Company has added to its leadership team for news by promoting Jeff Kiernan a veteran journalist and general manager of Scripps'...

17/05/2024

Survey: New Disney-Fox-WBD Sports Streamer May Hurt Pay TV Sub Counts

Top executives from Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery have consistently insisted that their joint venture to launch the Venu Sports streaming bundle in the...

17/05/2024

Caitlin Clark's WNBA Debut Set Viewing Records

ESPN has announced that its coverage of Caitlin Clark's WNBA debut in the Indiana Fever versus the Connecticut Sun season opener was the most-watched WNBA g...

17/05/2024

ATEM Mini Extreme ISO switcher and Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K

ATEM Mini Extreme ISO switcher and Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K Brie Clayton May 16, 2024 0 Comments Blackmagic Design announced today that Yoic...

17/05/2024

Pixomondo's Virtual Production Academy Expands with Programs at Sony PCL, Vook, and Vancouver Film School

Pixomondo's Virtual Production Academy Expands with Programs at Sony PCL, Vo...

17/05/2024

WBD Upfront Show Offers Peeks at House of the Dragon,' White Lotus,' Biden-Trump Debate

The Warner Bros. Discovery upfront presentation took place Wednesday, May 15 at ...

17/05/2024

The Black Keys, Jelly Roll, Kate Hudson Set To Perform on The Voice' Finale

Season 25 of The Voice wraps on NBC Tuesday, May 21, with performances from The Black Keys, Jelly Roll, Kate Hudson, Lainey Wilson, Muni Long, Thomas Rhett and ...

17/05/2024

CNN Boss Mark Thompson's Plan Includes More News in More Categories on More Devices (Upfronts)

New CNN CEO Mark Thompson spelled out his plan for the struggling news network d...

17/05/2024

Netflix To Launch In-House Advertising Tech Platform

Netflix, a newcomer to the advertising business, said it plans to launch an in-house advertising technology platform....

17/05/2024

Netflix Plots TV Takeover at Upfront Presentation

Netflix shared some programming projects at an upfront presentation in New York. Those include the basketball-themed comedy series Running Point, a Mindy Kaling...

17/05/2024

Plex Geek Week Sale Offers 20% Off Plex Lifetime Pass

Plex is offering movie and music collectors a 20% discount off its Lifetime Plex Pass as part of its Geek Week sale....

17/05/2024

GroupM Names Toby Jenner as President, GroupM Clients

Giant media buyer GroupM said it named Toby Jenner as global president, Group M Clients, a new position at the company....

17/05/2024

Clients of Independent Agencies Boost Programmatic Buying

Smaller advertisers are increasingly buying connected TV programmatically, according to a new report from FreeWheel, Comcast's ad-tech unit....

17/05/2024

TCLtvPlus Adds Streaming Music Channels From Vevo

TCLtvPlus, the streaming app on smart TVs made by TCL, has added live linear channel from music-video programmer Vevo....

17/05/2024

StackAdapt Adopts Data From Samba TV for Programmatic Campaigns

StackAdapt said it made a deal to integrate data from Samba TV into its programmatic advertising platform....

17/05/2024

Tonight on House of Zwide: Dorothy is blown away by Ona's sketches for her wedding dress

Tonight on House of Zwide: Dorothy is blown away by Ona's sketches for her w...

17/05/2024

Tonight on Scandal: Dintle has a visit from her past that leaves her very unsettled

Tonight on Scandal: Dintle has a visit from her past that leaves her very unsett...

17/05/2024

Save Time and Money with WO Traffic v24.0

WO Traffic provides a solid foundation from which stations can manage, execute, and scale end-to-end ad trafficking and sales, both today and into the future. W...

17/05/2024

Broadcast Innovation in India: How AI and Automated Production Helps Smaller Sports Grow

Broadcast Innovation in India: How AI and Automated Production Helps Smaller Spo...

17/05/2024

SVG Sports Cloud Production Forum Gives Refresher Course on Cloud-Based Tools, Ecosystem

SVG Sports Cloud Production Forum Gives Refresher Course on Cloud-Based Tools, E...

17/05/2024

WNBA Tip-Off 2024: Scripps Sports Constructs New Studio for Second Season of WNBA Friday Night Spotlight on ION

WNBA Tip-Off 2024: Scripps Sports Constructs New Studio for Second Season of WNB...

17/05/2024

SVG College Summit 2024: Auburn's War Eagle Productions Breaks Down How They Produce Live Gymnastics Broadcasts

SVG College Summit 2024: Auburn's War Eagle Productions Breaks Down How They...

17/05/2024

Netflix & Shondaland Announce the Song List and Soundtrack for 'Bridgerton' Season 3: Part 1

Back to All News Netflix & Shondaland Announce the Song List and Soundtrack for...

17/05/2024

Skeem Saam: Thursday's episode, 16 May 2024 [video]

Skeem Saam: Thursday's episode, 16 May 2024 [video]Missed an episode of Skeem Saam? No problem! Watch the latest episode of your favourite South African soa...

17/05/2024

Prison Journalism: Letter to my mothers

Prison Journalism: Letter to my mothersThabo Mthembu was incarcerated in Pollsmoor Prison from 2014 to 2019. Read Thabo's story by Thabo Mthembu 17-05-20...

17/05/2024

Paul McCartney becomes UK's first billionaire musician

Paul McCartney becomes UK's first billionaire musicianMusic icon Paul McCartney has become the UK's first billionaire musician, according to the Sunday ...

17/05/2024

Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: Sakhile advises Tiny against sabotaging Petunia

Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: Sakhile advises Tiny against sabotaging PetuniaDon't miss Friday, 17 May's riveting episode of South African soapie Smoke ...

17/05/2024

RT'S Operation Transformation comes to a close after 17 seasons

RT has today announced that Operation Transformation (OT) is to end after 17 seasons. As series come to an end each year, RT undertakes an editorial review to...

17/05/2024

Studio One: Your Binaural Beats Lab

By Craig Anderton When I heard about binaural beats, I was interested-I like beats, and I'm into binaural audio. But this has nothing to do with either o...

17/05/2024

May 16, 2024

Scripps Research chemist Donna Blackmond elected to the Royal Society of the U.K. Blackmond's wide-ranging work has shaped origin of life theories, our unde...

16/05/2024

Power Provokes Vital Questions About the Role of Police

PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 18: Director Yance Ford introduces the Power premiere at Library Center Theatre. (Photo by Chad Salvador/Shutterstock for Sundance F...

16/05/2024

Mental Health Matters: Embrace Self-Care With These Audiobook and Podcast Listens

May is Mental Health Awareness month, a time to recognize those living with ment...

16/05/2024

ABC and SBS bring digital radio (DAB+) services to the Gold Coast

ABC and SBS bring digital radio (DAB ) services to the Gold Coast 15 May, 2024 Media releases ABC and SBS today announced that audiences on the Gold Coast ...

16/05/2024

Clear-Com Communication Solutions Enhance Oregon State University's PRAx Building

eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...