This week, Hashtag Sports hosted its inaugural Hashtag Sports Fest, drawing digital leaders from across the country to the new Brooklyn Expo Center in New York City.
Technology leaders and content owners and creators dove deep into topics currently resonating throughout the industry: mobile experiences, social media, virtual reality, and more. There was plenty to learn at this two-day conference, but here are some key takeaways from the show for video-production professionals, in particular, to take note of.
SVG Mobile: Download Our New App Today!
1. Digital Is All About Mobile First
Recent numbers on mobile usage have been staggering, and some data dropped at Hashtag Sports Fest only raised more eyebrows.
Digital, particularly in sports, has migrated rapidly away from the desktop computer (and even the tablet) to the mobile device. It's a factor that sports leagues and teams have taken note of.
Barclays Center Chief Marketing Officer Elisa Padilla echoed that sentiment, noting that mobile, once the third screen, is now the first. And that's true for more than just in-venue users.
According to Danny Keens, head of sports partnerships at Twitter, 90% of the video posted on the social-media platform is consumed on mobile devices. Bleacher Report GM Dorth Raphaely noted that 80% of his site's traffic comes from mobile and, at peak sports moments (like last Saturday's conclusion to the Michigan-Michigan State game), that number can jump to as high as 90%-95%.
So content creators and digital experience designers need to stop - if they haven't already - building platforms around the desktop experience. Users and consumers are around a television set or desktop/laptop computer for only a finite period, whereas a mobile device rarely leaves their side.
2. SnapChat Is Growing
As image-focused social-media platforms (Instagram, Pinterest, Vine) continue to grow, SnapChat has gained significant momentum, embraced by a generation even younger than millennials.
Media companies lie USA Today and SB Nation have actually made SnapChat a social priority, designing and distributing content that most would find a little too casual, even silly, for their traditional platforms but that are appropriate for the target demographic (ages 18-24) that currently uses the social platform.
Sports leagues, most notably Major League Soccer, see SnapChat as a valuable storytelling tool and a great way to connect with its younger, more digitally savvy fan base. Said MLS VP, Digital, Chris Schlosser, SnapChat does such a nice job of curating not just the official stuff but behind-the-scenes [content] that we are putting out, and it complements the TV broadcast really well.
3. Social = Video and Facebook Is Still King
With all the talk about SnapChat at Hashtag Sports Fest, it made Facebook seem like the graybeard in the social-media room, but some major content creators were quick to jump to its defense.
For obtaining reach and impressions through video, Facebook is currently the best. A recent study by social-analytics firm Locowise shows that video was, by far, the best type of content for extending reach in September, and that has been the trend for the entire year, according to other analysts.
Fox Sports SVP, Content, Mark Pesavento noted that, as a video-production network, Facebook is the top social-media platform of choice when it comes to getting maximum digital exposure for its video content. Mike Allen, SVG , digital products and emerging technology, NBA, agreed, noting that videos blow up for the league on Facebook.
4. The Industry Is Hot on Esports
Many attendees representing startups were bullish on esports, a market segment that has boomed over the past half decade on digital platforms, such as Twitch. Even YouTube made a play at the market when it established YouTube Gaming, its answer to Twitch.
It makes sense for YouTube because gaming is one of the most popular categories on the site. In fact, according to data released by YouTube this year, the 100 most popular gaming channels on YouTube garner around 3.5 billion views. Most of that is on-demand content, so the move to live to match Twitch's huge audience (which broke the 100 million mark for unique monthly viewers in 2014) is a logical one.
When looking for the next great sports stars, talent agencies and sponsors are looking at esports celebrities and their massive social-media followings and their ability to attract viewers for live events.
5. VR Will Change How Teams Tell Their Story
Virtual reality had a strong presence at the show as the market continues to zoom toward an inevitable showdown at January's Consumer Electronics Show.
More than ever before, teams are looking to give fans insider access, and virtual reality offers exciting opportunities to do just that. The sports market has already seen properties create VR content, such as 360-degree social videos to take a viewer into a unique or exciting moment, or headset devices take viewers into the locker room and into the best seat in the house in real time.
It was noted that virtual reality is coming of age but it is still a teenager, and that's important to note. The technology is still young, but it's growing at a blistering pace.
6. In-Arena WiFi Turns Fans Into Brand Ambassadors
Most professional (and some college) stadiums and arenas have made the necessary investment to offer free WiFi to fans attending games.
As any small business will tell you, the best form of advertising is word-of-mouth, and, if your fans in the stands are posting pictures and videos of the great time they are having at your game, they instantly become your best advertising tool (or, as they were referred to throughout the conference, brand ambassadors ).
Padilla acknowledged that, if we didn't have free WiFi at Barclays Center, it would be a
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
15/10/2025
Across the world, early-career reporters are interrogating systems that shape daily life, from mortuaries and classrooms to the corridors of legal education and...
15/10/2025
St. Louis Blues Pay Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne in New Pregame Open VideoThe NHL franchise worked with production firms 2WEI and 4th Floor CreativeBy Mark J Burns,...
15/10/2025
Cobalt Digital, G3DVu, Proxima Vision, and Telos Alliance Renew Premier Sponsors...
15/10/2025
By Paige Bethmann
Before my grandmother passed away in 2019, I went to visit her in the hospital where she'd been for a few weeks. When I arrived, the nurs...
15/10/2025
Two years ago, Spotify set out to grow the entire publishing industry by making ...
15/10/2025
People turn to DJ for a listening experience that feels personal, dynamic, and j...
15/10/2025
Las personas recurren a DJ para vivir una experiencia de escucha personal, din m...
15/10/2025
Rock legend Bruce Springsteen and luminary actor Jeremy Allen White came togethe...
15/10/2025
At Spotify, we're all about supporting rising talent and helping them connec...
15/10/2025
New SBS Documentary Series THE CANCER KILLERS Premieres 4 November on SBS & SBS ...
15/10/2025
SBS celebrates the Festivals of Lights with bold, illuminating stories across th...
15/10/2025
One of humanity's most profound questions continues: Is there any place in our galaxy suitable for life beyond Earth? NASA intends to find out, with the hel...
15/10/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
15/10/2025
Scality, a global leader in cyber-resilient storage software for the AI era, today announced the advancement of its comprehensive AI ecosystem certification pro...
15/10/2025
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today unveiled key highlights of the 2026 HPA Tech Retreat, scheduled for Feb. 15 19 at the Westin Rancho Mirage Go...
15/10/2025
At NAB Show New York 2025 (Stand 244), Interra Systems will showcase the future of media QC, monitoring, and captioning, highlighting its award-winning, AI- and...
15/10/2025
Grass Valley today announced that RMC BFM, part of the CMA-CGM Group and France's third-largest private media group, has chosen Grass Valley's productio...
15/10/2025
Appear, the global leader in live production technology, will demonstrate how its powerful hardware and software innovations are shaping the future of hybrid, s...
15/10/2025
Rakim to Join Berklee's Hip-Hop Hall of Fame at Signature Series Concert The rap icon becomes the latest inductee, following luminaries such as Roxanne Sh...
15/10/2025
Berklee Brings Live Music to the Head of the Charles Student artists will perform on multiple riverfront stages during the 60th anniversary of the world's...
15/10/2025
CobbTV, the government access television channel for Cobb County, Ga. recently acquired an automated playout system from Pebble, a global provider of automation...
15/10/2025
OSLO, Norway Appear, the global leader in live production technology, will demonstrate how its powerful hardware and software innovations are shaping the future...
15/10/2025
NEW YORK The NBA is making major changes to the NBA App and NBA TV as it takes control of them from TNT Sports, which has long managed the league's digital ...
15/10/2025
SAN MATEO, Calif. In what promises to be a major expansion of interactive features and personalized content on the DirecTV platform, the operator and Glance hav...
15/10/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. Roku has launched changes to its user interface (UI) that the streaming platform says will better showcase original programming on the platform...
15/10/2025
LOS ANGELES Software-defined data storage and data services provider OpenDrives has elevated Alex Dunfey to chief technology officer, responsible for driving th...
15/10/2025
Abu Dhabi, UAE October 15, 2025: Space42 (ADX: SPACE42), the UAE-based AI-powe...
15/10/2025
Sheldon Nichols and Will Trickett to find and prepare more classic cars for budget conscious would-be owners from Wiser Films
UKTV have recommissioned the clas...
15/10/2025
Wednesday 15 October 2025
Nick Cave
JPEG (275 KB)
Explore the creative univer...
15/10/2025
Wednesday 15 October 2025
From breaking up with your partner to quitting your job - new polling shows some messages are just too scary to send
Over a fifth (...
15/10/2025
Rohde & Schwarz unveils compact MXO 3 oscilloscopes with 4 and 8 channels: Advan...
15/10/2025
Back to All News
Revenge Series The Resurrected' Captivates Audiences Across Asia
Entertainment
15 October 2025
GlobalTaiwan
Link copied to clipboard
...
15/10/2025
Back to All News
Bringing the Best in VFX and Virtual Production Together as Eyeline
Jeffrey Shapiro
CEO, Eyeline
Business
15 October 2025
GlobalCanadaInd...
15/10/2025
Deployed by Astound Business Solutions, Harmonic's Primary Distribution Solution Ensures Outstanding Video Quality and Seamless Ad Insertion at the Edge
SA...
15/10/2025
Collaboration extends a trusted relationship as RMC BFM invests in scalable, fut...
15/10/2025
Series coming in 2026 stars Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Justine Mitchell and Jason O'Mara released today
RT today released first look images of new comedy-drama ...
14/10/2025
SVG Europe Summit 2025: All Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAYNetworking event that preceded IBC2025 shone a light on elite live sports innovation acro...
14/10/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Author Rich Podolsky on Writing Madden & Summerall: How They Revo...
14/10/2025
SVG All-Stars: Michael Reiners, Coordinating Producer, FloRacingThe Illinois State grad steers a vast schedule of motorsports events at tracks across the countr...
14/10/2025
Content protection: Getting the right management for your DRM By Neal Romanek
Friday, October 10, 2025 - 10:11
Print This Story
Eluvio power the EPCR'...
14/10/2025
As League Takes Over Ops, NBA TV and NBA App Add 60 Games, Weekday Studio Show, ...
14/10/2025
Time and effort: World's largest student-led broadcast prepares to go On Air...
14/10/2025
(L-R) Guest, Kimberly Robinson Jones, Geeta Gandbhir, Pamela Dias, and Takema Ro...
14/10/2025
Lossless ist jetzt mit Spotify Premium verf gbar.
Verlustfreies Audio war eine...
14/10/2025
La qualit Lossless est disponible sur Spotify Premium.
Le format sans perte de...
14/10/2025
For the seventh edition of Spotify and FC Barcelona's artist jersey series, ...
14/10/2025
Spotify is committed to bringing the best listening experience to all our users, and that includes parents and families. That's why we're expanding mana...
14/10/2025
Since its debut, the Spotify Original podcast Caso 63 has been more than just a story; it's been a cultural sensation. The science fiction thriller captivat...
This week, Hashtag Sports hosted its inaugural Hashtag Sports Fest, drawing digital leaders from across the country to the new Brooklyn Expo Center in New York City.
