It has been a very busy year for the Pac-12 conference: it secured the largest TV rights deal in college sports history and is preparing to launch six regional networks later this fall. Yet the conference is always trying to stay on the innovate cusp of delivering information to its fans. Fox Sports also made an interesting move during it’s Men’s Basketball Tournament last weekend when Laura McKeeman was assigned to be the Social Media Reporter for the entirety of its on-air coverage. Fox Sports called the project “a first for TV sports event coverage – a dedicated ‘social media reporter’ popping up to report on relevant social media postings.”
Incorporating fans via Twitter has been a strategy most utilized in studio shows by the major networks, but hardly at all during live telecasts. McKeeman’s presence led Fox Sports to judge which schools were trending during the entire three-day tournament. Numerous former players from all the participating schools routinely tweeted in and supported their school. While the takeaway from this project was likely minimal this time around, it was another step in Twitter’s growing presence during sports broadcasts. Collegiate and professional sports teams have even started advertising their Twitter handles directly on their playing surfaces!
The key going forward is how to further cultivate this interest in getting more viewers and viewers that watch for longer periods of time. The Pac-12 has definitely taken a crucial step toward developing a truly “social broadcast” (recently seen in the pros), making the viewing experience of the future available today.
Where else have you seen Twitter when you watch sports?