I’m a big Ohio State football fan.
Whenever I get a chance to watch my Buckeyes crush opponents on television these days, I always catch myself checking my Twitter stream or Facebook feed in between plays and during commercial breaks. I may catch a commercial here or there, but for the most part, I am too busy socializing online about the game to pay attention.
Social media has become a regular part in my sports-watching experience. For kids growing up now, it’s a whole new ballgame than the one we grew up where we had to bear through every single advertisement impatiently wondering if there will be another first down. The geniuses at Espresso’s Infiltrators capture this essence perfectly in the deck below. They go through the age of sports that us ‘old folks’ went through and compare it with the new age of social media: sports 2.0.
Those who know me know I am very passionate about social media and its potential on the sports industry. Even today, I feel like we are only at the tip of the iceberg in terms of how social media can change our experience with sports. How has social media personally affected how you enjoy sports? I would love to hear your comments below.
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The larger sports franchises & events have come to understand how important Social Media is to engage & educate their fans … and hopefully the proof that has been shown will have some of the minor level leagues (AHL etc.) adopting these strategies.
I successfully ran a campaign for a national contest in Canada (Kraft Hockeyville 2010) and the use of Social Media was huge … Along with many other communities I used traditional media, as well as running great events to excite supporters … but to really engage & educate them, it was all social media – and we did that better than anyone … and we won!
These strategies can be picked up and drop shipped into any business … unfortunately it will only be the early adopters who will gain all the momentum!
I with out a doubt find my self heading to twitter to share my take or hop into the conversation on particular sporting events. I’m wondering if the actual sporting event could integrate social media better. It would definitely hold viewers attention and ease the “commercial-tune-out” concerns of major TV.
I have come across some sporting events that have a “host” fielding questions and driving the conversation. The problem is all the comments are filtered. So there is no real time, anything goes flow to it. For now Twitter seems to be the best place for my sporting event/ social media relationship.
Excellent Lewis! If you havent heard it before and your looking for a compliment, I consider you the guru of Sports 2.0. I’m a member of the SEA and I follow the industry and information that you supply closely so I hope that this comment makes it to you. I am huge on the potential of social media in sports as well so I love to receive tips here and there while I formulate and try to create my vision each day.
Thanks for the great content, keep it up.
Ryan Parr
Founder/CEO
Fantazzle Weekly Fantasy Sports Games
http://www.fantazzle.com