
It's one of the biggest challenges facing the sports business today and was the magic word at this week's SVG Connected Sports Conference: engagement.
The American (and global) public has more sports and entertainment video content available than they could ever consume. So how do leagues and teams engage with their fans so that they keep them consuming more? That was the big question as 130 professionals gathered on Wednesday at the Helen Mills Theater in Manhattan.
Jayne Bussman-Wise, Brooklyn Nets & Barclays Center
We want fans coming to our games, we want to sell tickets, but we also drive a lot of content to fans at home watching on TV, said Jayne Bussman-Wise, digital director for the Brooklyn Nets and the new Barclays Center, a venue widely regarded as one of the best in the country in terms of mobile connectivity. So how do we on the digital side create applications, products, and engagements so that we can reach those fans whether they are in the building, they're at home, they're not in front of the TV? It's that 360-degree view and being with our fans wherever they are and whatever platform they are on.
The National Football League faces one of the more unique challenges in the industry. By the far the most popular and profitable of the major sports leagues, it must also tackle issues related to keeping fans in the stadium happy as ticket prices continue to skyrocket.
One of the biggest risks to our business is that the media experience at home has become so good, said David Healy, director, media strategy and business development, NFL. You have to work really hard to make sure that the stadium is still the best place to watch the game.
David Healy, NFL
The key for the NFL is mobile connectivity in the stadium via digital antenna systems and WiFi.
There's no magic bullet; you have to have strong connectivity in both places, noted Healy. As part of our technology partnership with Verizon, there is a sponsor deal and a content deal but also a commitment by Verizon to help innovate around the technology. They've made a commitment to help clubs improve the digital antenna systems in the stadiums at no cost to the club.
The New York Giants have taken steps to improve the in-venue video experience at MetLife Stadium, offering their own mobile app that enables fans to access - among other things - multiple camera angles and replays they wouldn't normally get watching one of the stadium's four videoboards.
Don Sperling, New York Giants
What we try to do at the stadium is create a home-field advantage, said Don Sperling, VP/executive producer, New York Giants. We don't have a problem selling tickets. That's not an issue for us. However, we do have a problem keeping those fans who have bought the tickets highly motivated and highly interested and wanting to fight the traffic and go through everything that it takes to get inside the stadium on a game day. We are competing with the 50-in. screen in their homes. That's obviously a big issue for the league. [Commissioner] Roger Goodell has talked about that at pretty much every event we've been to. So what we try to do is give everybody inside the stadium what they have at home.
Mark Fratto, St. John's University
For some, the digital world has brought about opportunities that never existed before. Colleges, for example, are able to achieve a much broader reach and gain significantly more exposure for their brand thanks to social media and digital video platforms. As a result, schools are able to compete in the crowded sports-media landscape.
It really changes the game for us on the Olympic- and women's-sports level, said Mark Fratto, senior associate athletics director for communications, St. John's University. We're able to produce games and actually sell them to ESPN for ESPN3 distribution, and, when Fox is ready with its Fox Sports Go product, we plan to work out some things with them where we're actually able to generate money for our budget and educate our graduate and undergraduate students. We're also able to generate a whole lot of exposure for our athletes and teams that they don't normally get from television.
Most recent headlines
13/03/2025
(L-R) Stephanie Suganami, Tatanka Means, John Malkovich, Ayo Edebiri, and Juliette Lewis attend the premiere of Opus at Eccles Theatre in Park City. (Photo by...
13/03/2025
Spotify took center stage at the London Book Fair this week, reaffirming our commitment to the audiobook market and showcasing our impact on the publishing indu...
13/03/2025
At Spotify, we work every day to lift up new voices, giving creators the opportunity to live off their art. Through Spotify Audiobooks, our in-house publishing ...
13/03/2025
Every time airborne law enforcement (ALE) teams fly, they expect their equipment to perform. Whether airborne units are conducting support for ground teams, bor...
13/03/2025
Sunday February 9 saw the annual return of the US' biggest television event, the Super Bowl LIX. Jamie McCombs, Fox Sports Audio Consultant / Sr. Audio capt...
13/03/2025
On Sunday March 2, stars across the film industry gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 97th Academy Awards. Production Sound Mixer Paul Sandweis...
13/03/2025
WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications will feature its new StageLink family of smart edge devices, Smart Audio and Mixing Engine (SAME) and Virtual Smart Pan...
13/03/2025
TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...
13/03/2025
DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...
13/03/2025
FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...
13/03/2025
CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...
13/03/2025
he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...
13/03/2025
MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...
13/03/2025
Srividhya Srinivasan, co-founder and chief customer success & innovation Officer at Amagi, tells TVBEurope how staying ahead of the latest trends is essential f...
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
13/03/2025
Roku Debuts NWSL Zone' Within Roku Sports to Spotlight Live Games, Content Feature marks Rokus first women's league-branded zone within service By Bra...
13/03/2025
Pixels, Images, Video, AI - and Us: A Perspective on AI from NDI Inventor Andrew...
13/03/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Lighting Design Group's Steve Brill, Dennis Size ...
13/03/2025
IOC, Comcast NBCU Ink $3B Media-Rights Extension for Olympic Games Through 2036;...
13/03/2025
NCAA March Madness Live Returns with Expanded Availability of MultiView Vertical...
13/03/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Cosm's Devin Poolman on What It Takes To Deliver the Immersive...
13/03/2025
Sky Business, Sky's B2B division, providing connectivity and content to busi...
13/03/2025
Rohde & Schwarz launches R&S NRP140TWG(N) thermal power sensor: A new benchmark ...
13/03/2025
We asked the questions, analysed the answers and now we're excited to share the results of the fifth edition of the ICG Marketing Survey.
Our 2025 survey p...
13/03/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. - March 13, 2025 Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced a breakthrough in video streaming innovation with the launch of new origin capabilitie...
13/03/2025
Haivision Showcases Mission-Critical Video Solutions at SOF Week 2025
Haivision's video wall systems, ISR technology, and DoDIN APL-certified video distri...
13/03/2025
Company Leads the Way with New Software-Based Production Platform, 12G Switcher,...
13/03/2025
A new Apple Immersive concert experience, Metallica, is coming to Apple Vision Pro this Friday, March 14. Filmed in Mexico City during the sold-out second-year ...
13/03/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
Shake your Shamrocks, Patrick Kielty will be...
13/03/2025
This St. Patrick's weekend, RT invites you to celebrate all things Irish, showcasing the very best of Irish sport, entertainment and live coverage from the...
13/03/2025
What's next in AI is at GTC 2025. Not only the technology, but the people and ideas that are pushing AI forward - creating new opportunities, novel solution...
13/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
By combining T-Mobile's robust network, Thal...
13/03/2025
Bundle up - GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library.
Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genr...
13/03/2025
AI is leveling up the world's most beloved games, as the latest advancements...
13/03/2025
PC game modding is massive, with over 5 billion mods downloaded annually. Mods p...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....
12/03/2025
Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
High-capacity switch enhances existi...
12/03/2025
DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...