Social live-streaming platform SportsCastr has announced a partnership with STATS to provide fan broadcasters with some of the same real-time data used by professional broadcasters. The partnership will go into effect in January with SportsCastr’s full launch scheduled for the first quarter of 2019.
The SportsCastr Live app is a consumer-facing video platform that allows users to personally select who commentates a game for them, based on fan broadcasters also using the app. The platform is currently in beta testing. Now, by using FanChain, a cryptocurrency token developed by SportsCastr, fan commentators can purchase the STATS integration to receive real-time ‘Bullet Points’ that provide data about in-game matchups.
“The first step available come January will be talking points that allow anyone to basically read script notes that will make them sound and be informed like any professional sports caster,” said Kevin April, CEO of SportsCastr. “It will equip them with the data and talking points they need to have an engaging broadcast.”
Prior to this announcement, users watching broadcasts on SportsCastr were able to see real-time STATS data as graphics. Now, the broadcasters can receive separate data to add new information to their commentary. David Stern, Jim Boeheim, and Vernon Davis are all investors in SportsCastr while the NFLPA purchased a minority stake of the platform in July.
“We’re creating a studio in an app,” April said. “We started with ultra-low latency video so you can call a game when a game was live [from anywhere]. Then we added in real-time score books so that while you’re calling the game people could see real-time stats from the game. Now we’re bringing in these tools [that act like] CliffNotes, the bullet points that allow people to sound professional.”
The SportsCastr beta app is currently available on the web, or can be downloaded for free on the Apple Store. The company is working on designing an Android version. April says that SportsCastr is also working on adding augmented reality features that would allow broadcasters to appear to wear a virtual headset or change a virtual background, to give the appearance that a fan broadcaster is in a professional broadcasting studio or locker room.
“The future is personalization. Now that technology exists to allow people to personalize the fan viewing experience, I think traditional networks are going to have to keep up to provide the same service that we’re providing. They’re going to have to integrate in some way otherwise the viewers are going to go elsewhere,” April added.
SportTechie Takeaway
SportsCastr is attempting to become a Twitch-like streaming service for traditional sports. Twitch streamers such as Ninja have grown huge esports followings and celebrity status through their own broadcasts, so perhaps SportsCastr can provide a similar opportunity and create similar stars through its platform. By partnering with STATS, fan broadcasters will have access to relevant data that makes them more informed during their live streams of games.
The sports broadcasting viewing experience is changing with the addition of more niche, personalized options. Amazon has been an early adaptor in this evolution through its interactive Thursday Night Football stream and by assembling the first all-female duo to broadcast an NFL game.