On the Hardwood: Golden State Warriors Connect Team, Chase Center to Fans at Home Through Dub Hub Experience Digital platform provides unique camera angles, live video chat room By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor Monday, January 25, 2021 - 11:00 am
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The doldrums of 2020 may be in the past, but 2021 is still presenting challenges to in-venue production teams. Now out of the Orlando bubble, NBA organizations are hosting games in their home arenas and navigating the continuing difficulties of the pandemic. Like SVG's At the Ballpark and On the Gridiron series, On the Hardwood will take a look the hardships, creative ideas, and teamwork of NBA franchises.
When people flipped on the TV and watched games being played in the NBA bubble last summer, virtual spectators on an LED screen became less an eyesore and more a part of the overall viewing experience. The Golden State Warriors are adding the same fixture inside Chase Center, the league's newest venue, to bring fans together through a multilayered digital platform called the Dub Hub.
The idea came from the NBA bubble, notes Jen Millet, SVP, marketing, Golden State Warriors. The great thing about the league and teams is that best practices are shared and encouraged. We saw what the NBA did there, and, while we hoped to have fans in our building [for the start of the season], we said that we would consider doing this if we couldn't welcome fans back to Chase Center.
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In the Splash Zone: Four Exclusive Camera Angles, VIP Tunnel Access, Digital Prompts From the beginning of the bubble, the Warriors gained inspiration from its operation at the Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando. Through a partnership with the league and its teams, playoff-bound franchises could spice up the neutral setting with team-centric content and virtual fans watching from home. With California's strict protocols that disallow gatherings of large groups, the organization decided to take a stab at this technology, using the bubble as a reference and leveraging a relationship with The Famous Group.
We could put our full attention to what was actually happening from an entertainment and execution perspective [in the bubble], says Millet. As the pandemic progressed, we talked about what functionality we would want within the experience and put a lot of emphasis on three key things: maintaining our connection with the fans by giving them access, establishing a home-court advantage for our players, and creating value for our corporate partners and integrating their brand with our platform.
The Dub Hub allowed four unique viewing options: the linear broadcast, behind the basket, the LED screen in Chase Center, and a quad box with statistics.
With technological backing by The Famous Group, the Warriors developed a digital-first environment with plenty of amenities for supporters of all ages. A selected group of 120 fans (season-ticket holders, important groups in the Bay Area, etc.) are able to enter the virtual gathering an hour before tipoff. When camera and microphone capabilities are checked, fans are able to watch pregame warmups, chat with other members in real time, and listen to an exclusive game-day mix from team DJ Derrick DJ D-Sharp Robinson.
During the game, users are able to toggle among four unique viewing options: the linear broadcast on NBC Sports Bay Area, a bird's-eye shot of the Dub Hub videoboard in Chase Center, POV cameras behind each basket, and a quad view that brings together each available angle as well as a screen with statistics on both teams. Fans awarded VIP access receive an additional perk as the players run to the court.
Along with the courtside screen, we also created an experience in the player tunnel, Millet explains. Fans are lined up on screens in the player tunnel, and they're able to have two-way interactions with the players as they take the court. We've seen the players embrace that and become more accustomed to it during our homestands.
Fan participation and the physical screen provide a backdrop for local telecasts and for national games played on ESPN and TNT. The goal is to allow fans to show their support with various digital reactions that flash across their designated box in the mosaic. The selections include a wavy Warriors banner, a three-point hand signal after a made attempt, Warriors-themed thunder sticks, a traditional D # graphic when the players are in the defensive end of the floor, and a cable-car bell symbolizing San Francisco's history and the new pregame tradition at Chase Center. Since the operation is two-way, the fans get to interact with favorite players like Stephen Curry and rookie James Wiseman through microphones in the tunnel and have their chants heard in the venue via speakers behind the bench. Periodically, in-arena host Franco Finn joins the video chat to fuel the high energy.
The biggest driver of this project was to unite the community for its common love and passion for the Warriors. Whether it's with friends or complete strangers, the platform has given fans a chance to enjoy basketball in a new way.
When we host a community or corporate group, they all know each other, and they're able to watch the game together, adds Millet. When we bring average fans together that don't know each other, the thing that we've been most excited about is how there's still a ton of interaction.
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