Mobile devices now have even more to offer college sports fans, with an app that brings digital interaction and game day experience to a new level. Technology from SIDEARM Sports, the powerhouse behind the digital technology of hundreds of college athletic websites, and LISNR, a company that uses audio technology for advanced communication, have come together to create more engaging apps for college teams.
Exciting news as SIDEARM, @lisnr Announce Multi-Year Partnership Bringing Location-Based Mobile Messaging-https://t.co/yTRMf7hjzX @Learfield
— SIDEARMSports (@SIDEARMSports) August 8, 2016
What makes these apps unique is that LISNR allows for more content to be pushed throughout games using Smart Tones, which can be played form speakers and are automatically picked up by enabled devices. This means teams can deliver timely promotions or in-stadium celebrations during a game. For example, during a Syracuse men or women’s basketball game if the teams score 70 points or more, ticket holders can bring their ticket stubs to a participating Taco Bell and receive a free taco. In this case, when the 70 points are scored, the promotion for a free taco from Taco Bell may pop up on the enabled devices in the stadium reminding fans to get their tacos, while also furthering fan engagement.
The multi-year partnership could also help raise college sport ticket sales, a growing issue across the US, as fans could get offers from the school app for just showing up. It will also help with advertising as companies may be interested in the timely delivery and wider audience of mobile users. Rodney Williams, Founder and CEO at LISNR knows that this technology can change the fan experience, “Partnering with a leading provider like SIDEARM Sports makes sense as we broaden our reach with passionate college sports fan all over the country. We know what we have will cater to their game day experience as our Smart Tones will open up some incredible opportunities for in-venue mobile engagement.”
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The audio technology is also a better alternative to the beacon hardware, SIDEARM Sports CEO Jeff Rubin explains, “Without the use of beacon hardware, proximity-based messages can be sent inside the school apps that we build, creating real-time engagement with fans, while simultaneously leveraging our school’s corporate partners through this instantaneous way to receive data over audio.” Beacon hardware can send a signal that can determine the proximity of an enabled device to the broadcaster, but it doesn’t transmit content, just proximity to beacon, and it also requires the purchase of the hardware based beacons. The LISNR technology can send data directly over audio through Smart Tones and there is no hardware needed, just an audio system. Many professional teams are also already using LISNR, like the Cleveland Cavaliers and Buffalo Bills.
SIDEARM Sports has relationships with college teams all over the US, and with the large array of offerings on their mobile platforms already it will be no surprise to see more use cases coming out of the apps as a result of the partnership with LISNR.