
Watching live sport creates an experience unlike anything else. Whether fans are watching via traditional TV, digital stream or attending an event in person, they're showing that they're some of the most passionate audiences out there.
With sports continuing the dominate trending conversation on social media, there are great opportunities to reward loyalty and capitalise on the engagement.
Research by Katz highlights that live specials and sporting events have the power to generate an audience far above and beyond regular viewing, bringing people together to watch and comment on the action (and the advertisements) in real-time.
Double the excitement, double the ratings! The Power of Live is taking over...#PowerOfLive #BrandRecognition #GetNoticedhttps://t.co/Uadh81NbAX pic.twitter.com/cMPAi7JPVA
- Katz Media Group (@katzmediagrp) March 19, 2019
We take a look at some of the ways broadcasters, brands and organisations are employing strategies to make social interactivity a key aspect of their sporting event and how it's leading to increased viewership, loyalty and revenue.
Stadium Interactivity There is enormous potential to celebrate the buzz from fans by displaying messages, photos, videos as well as running interactive polls and competitions within the stadium. UEFA used our platform STORY to gather, moderate and display posts from fans, VIPs and celebrities during the Champions League Final.
We encourage clients to bring a brand onboard to sponsor the format, for example by encouraging fans to use a branded hashtag to take part.
Social Commentary Including messages of support from viewers is a great way to involve them in the broadcast.
Channel 4 used STORY to include Tweets from the audience as well as athletes and people at the stadium in their coverage of the World Para Athletics Championships.
Second Screen Polls and Quizzes With growing numbers of viewers now using a second screen device while watching TV, networks are looking more and more to facilitate participation via the second screen whether that's social media or an organisation's own app. Running interactive elements such as quizzes and polls gives fans at home the opportunity to participate alongside the main event.
Social Q&A Viewers watching the Tour de France could ask questions using the dedicated ITV hashtag and have them answered on-air by commentators in a live Q&A. Fans were enthusiastic about Tweeting their questions during the broadcast and loved being able to interact with the hosts and cycling professionals. Some viewers even shared photos of their message on air back to their own social networks.
Thank you for answering my question #itvtour pic.twitter.com/pNLpzHs2Tc
- Aaron Chahal (@AaronChahal) July 5, 2017
Commercialise Social Engagement Sponsored segments could include a branded poll or competition, or something completely unique. We worked with Turner Sports on a Sprint-sponsored segment to power a real-time Twitter race, the first of its kind. The 60-second race, billed as the shortest race in NASCAR history , ran during the live Wide Open coverage of the last 30 laps of the race. Fans were asked to Tweet their favourite driver's car number, along with the hashtag #Sprint60 with the volume of Tweets determining the speed of the cars.
In-Studio Participation We know that people appreciate getting the opportunity to have their voices heard or have their few seconds of fame. We've also seen that social engagement can drive viewership - for example, Irish broadcaster RTE asked the audience to help them decide on Ireland's Greatest Sporting Moment. The format was driven by votes and comments shared live across social platforms and resulted in the show trending on social media and an increase in viewing share.
Put Social Reactions in the Presenter's Hands never.no's Prompter tool gives sports presenters the ability to access team and player info, read out comments from viewers and discuss poll results live during a game.
Competitions Social competitions give audiences an added incentive to tune-in or participate. Competitions can be run on-air, on outdoor screens, via digital or on social via Facebook Live. See how Channel 4 ran an interactive competition for PlayStation which led to the hashtag trending across Europe that evening.
Digital and Streaming The same formats used by traditional broadcasters can now easily be extended to live streaming and digital signage. This is great news for those using streaming services such as Facebook Live, Twitch and YouTube who can now benefit by integrating live engagement from their audience in to their broadcasts.
Hashtag United, a team founded on YouTube who have 7 million fans globally used our HTML5 social graphics for their football match live stream to include reactions from viewers.
At never.no we believe in the importance of celebrating fan engagement and making audiences feel valued. We're seeing clients use the power of traditional TV, digital, social and events to connect with fans and innovative and exciting ways. Get in touch to learn more.
Related: 8 Reasons to Include Viewer-Generated Social Content in your Broadcasts
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
15/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/04/2026
Strategic Alignment With the Riedel Group for Innovation and Growth
Thomas Riedel, founder and owner of Riedel Communications and the Riedel Group, has acqui...
15/04/2026
SDVI, the leading platform provider for cloud-native media supply chains, today announced that the company's Rally platform has been deployed by Iyuno Media...
15/04/2026
Frequency, the engine behind many of the worlds leading streaming television channels, has become the platform of choice for leading U.S. broadcasters bringing ...
15/04/2026
New Service Simplifies Integration of AI Applications with Exceptional Reliability and Security
SAN JOSE, Calif. April 14, 2026 Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) t...
15/04/2026
During the 2025 off-season, VIDI completed a major upgrade of the broadcast infrastructure across all 36 stadiums in Germany's 1st and 2nd Bundesliga. The p...
15/04/2026
Clear-Com announced significant updates to its award-winning Arcadia Central Station as well as enhancements to the Eclipse HX Digital Matrix System now runn...
15/04/2026
Shotoku Introduces the World to Aura P2 PTZ Prompter Panner at NAB SHOW 2026
Brie Clayton April 15, 2026
0 Comments
New system removes PTZ pan restric...
15/04/2026
LiveU Announces Expanded Collaboration with Sony at NAB Show, Adding Direct File...
15/04/2026
This 24-Hour Performance Art Piece Needs Your Participation Keefer Glenshaws latest project is about collaborating with the Berklee community and beyond.
Apr...
14/04/2026
ToolsOnAir and Omnistream Bring Mobile SRT Contribution into Professional 24/7 P...
14/04/2026
Haivision has announced the Falkon X4, a 5G mobile video transmitter for live broadcast and remote production. The device will be showcased at NAB Show 2026.
...
14/04/2026
Founded by veterans of the production-truck world, Stripe TV was born out of a d...
14/04/2026
Grass Valley has expanded its partnership with Studio Berlin, supplying 12 LDX 135 UHD/HDR camera systems and 12 LDX 180 Super 35mm cinematic cameras, including...
14/04/2026
LTN has announced two senior appointments ahead of NAB Show 2026: Mark Romano as Vice President, Multichannel Platforms, and Edward Cox as Vice President, Sales...
14/04/2026
Sennheiser and Italian rental company Agor have begun preparations for their Eu...
14/04/2026
DAZN and ADI Predictstreet have announced a partnership to integrate ADI Predict...
14/04/2026
Deltatre has announced the completion of a direct-to-fan website and app for Leg...
14/04/2026
Daktronics, will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 in partnership with Grass Valley at Booth C2408, Las Vegas Convention Center, April 19-22.
Daktronics will showcase a...
14/04/2026
Backblaze will host a series of partner presentations at NAB Show 2026 (Booth N1259, North Hall), open to all exhibition hall badge holders. Showcase partners i...
14/04/2026
BRAHMA AI will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W2415, West Hall), demonstrating its Enterprise AI Content Platform for media, entertainment, sports, and technol...
14/04/2026
Bridge Technologies has announced that its VB440 production probe has been integrated into NEP Platform, NEP Group's software orchestration system. The inte...
14/04/2026
Clear-Com will introduce new products and demonstrate its communications ecosystem for broadcast and live production at NAB Show 2026 (Booth C5807, April 19-22)...
14/04/2026
EZDRM will use NAB Show 2026 (Booth W2260) to introduce the Revenue Security Prism, a framework for combining multiple security technologies to protect streamin...
14/04/2026
Telos Alliance will introduce the following products at NAB Show 2026:
TV and Media
Telos Infinity MK2 Panels: A new generation of hardware control panels for...
14/04/2026
Panasonic Video and Audio Systems North America will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (Booth C3509), demonstrating IP- and IT-based production solutions for sports, bro...
14/04/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
14/04/2026
Blackmagic Design will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (Booth N2502). CEO Grant Petty s product announcement livestream is available at youtube.com. The company announ...
14/04/2026
The deal establishes a close strategic alignment' between the iconic cinema...
14/04/2026
BIGSHOT Media, with support from Teradek, produced untamed African mountain-bike race' with daily coverage and highlights show
The 2026 Absa Cape EPIC, an...
14/04/2026
The Sports Video Group (SVG) today announced the launch of the SVG AI Innovation...
14/04/2026
Captures a trio of renowned polysynths
The latest software to join AIR Music Tech's extensive catalogue captures the sound of three sought-after polysyn...
14/04/2026
Free offering includes 10 powerful plug-ins
United Plugins have announced the launch of a new bundle that brings together 10 of their pro-audio plug-ins, an...
14/04/2026
Julian Coryell joins virtual session player line-up
Announced at NAMM 2026, Celemony's Tonalic kits DAW users out with real performances by world-class ...
14/04/2026
WESCAM MX -Series EO/IR Systems Provide Critical Visibility During NASA Re-Entry Operations....
14/04/2026
DiSCO reduces uncertainty during the fog of war in modern threat environments an...
14/04/2026
GOES-19 imagery captured by L3Harris-built Advanced Baseline Imager technology helps forecasters issue life-saving weather warnings. Credit: NOAA/NASA...
14/04/2026
For decades, understanding the physical world from space has required a trade-of...
14/04/2026
Ruiz has helped fuel growth for both client-side and media companies, including, most recently, TelevisaUnivision.
He will spearhead transformation, innovatio...