Cover Story
Game not over : Fan engagement
With most sports having to take place behind closed doors since March , clubs , governing bodies and rightsholders have been taking advantage of technical innovations to give supporters and enthusiasts a level of engagement and immersion . Colin Mann looks at some recent fan-friendly initiatives .
Back in the autumn of 2019 , when the Euromedia editorial team was looking at topics to cover in its 2020 editions , the scheduling of two major sporting events seemed the perfect opportunity to look both at the complexity of delivering these to a global audience and the opportunities now available to offer a deeper , more immersive experience .
The emergence of the pandemic has seen the Tokyo Olympics and the European Football Championships rescheduled for 2021 . Although some elite sports have resumed their competitions , the crowds are missing .
It is to be hoped that the topic will be revisited in 2021 , but in the meantime , we round up developments aimed at enhancing the home fan experience .
UK multiplay telco EE has unveiled Match Day Experience features on the BT Sport app , available for new customers taking their exclusive Full Works iPhone plan with the new 5G iPhone . Through a set of what it claims are ground-breaking new BT Sport App features that make the most of its 5G network , and optimised for the iPhone 12 ’ s functionality , Match Day Experience will provide customers with ‘ a revolutionary new way to watch sport .’
At launch , the full set of Match Day Experience features will be available for BT Sport ’ s live Saturday lunchtime Premier League match . Selected features will also be available for additional BT Sport programming including the UEFA Champions League , UEFA Europa League , the Emirates FA Cup , Gallagher Premiership Rugby , with availability expanding throughout the season .
• Watch Together - is a only service allowing fans to watch , see and chat with three other friends , alongside any BT Sport broadcast , thanks to a split-screen interface . EE 5G iPhone 12 customers with the Full Works
With the latest NFL season kicking off , Verizon Media announced the launch of two new features , Watch Together and Sports PlayAR , for fans watching games through the Yahoo Sports app .
The new Watch Together is a co-viewing experience designed to innovate live events by providing fans the ability to co-watch , interact and immerse themselves in entertainment events ranging from sports to music . Leveraging Verizon Media ’ s technology , Watch Together creates a personalised fan community of friends and family . The NFL is the first launch partner for Watch Together .
Verizon Media says that at this unprecedented time in sports , Watch Together for NFL Live on
Yahoo Sports will give fans the ability to invite up to three family and friends to watch live local and primetime NFL games on their phones through a synchronised livestream , creating an interactive , virtual experience that lets viewers feel like they are watching the game together .
“ Watch Together is a result of Verizon Media and NFL ’ s innovative spirit to deliver nextgen experiences that create connection and community ,” said Guru Gowrappan , CEO , Verizon Media . “ Leveraging Verizon Media ’ s ecosystem , technology and streaming capabilities , we have the unique ability to create powerful and immersive entertainment experiences of the future like no other .” Meanwhile , Sports PlayAR will provide fans with the ability to see graphical replays of key plays across all games in near real-time by layering the
NFL ’ s Next Gen Stats proprietary tracking data on-screen with enhanced games stats for players who are part of the play .
Separately , Verizon Media has announced a series of new Media Platform enhancements designed to evolve the live streaming
“ We have the unique ability to create powerful and immersive entertainment experiences .” - Guru Gowrappan , Verizon Media .
experience . These include several new capabilities that provide deeper fan engagement for live sports and services that address every streaming need . Additionally , the company has launched Smartplay Prebid ’ s first integration with the Verizon Media Ad Platforms ’ OTT Smart Auction .
Verizon Media has partnered with Phenix Real Time Solutions , marrying Verizon Media ’ s global network , edge computing , and ad insertion expertise with Phenix ’ s real-time streaming technology to enable sub-second latency for live sports at scale . This capability has been critical in developing new services required by broadcasters , rights owners , sports teams and leagues to deliver live sports in the stadium and to people ’ s homes .
First , multi-camera viewing makes remote sporting events more like in-venue experiences with the ability to see plays from any angle , immersing fans into the action . Real-time streaming also provides viewers with brand new ‘ watch together ’ social experiences , such as co-viewing synchronised live streams , ingame trivia , and even wagering , allowing fans to host virtual watch parties with family and friends . Yahoo Sports is an early example of a Verizon Media customer using these real-time streaming features .
“ The global pandemic has limited in-person attendance for most major events , yet sports fans remain hungry for live sports ,” said Ariff Sidi , general manager and chief product officer , Verizon Media . “ Sports broadcasters and teams are really working hard to engage their die-hard fans and maintain engagement and loyalty in the face of competing at-home entertainment options .”
10 EUROMEDIA