We're coming to the end of a very eventful year in both social media and sports marketing. From emerging platforms to new technology to a multitude of memes, we've come a long way since our predictions for 2012. Let's take a look back at this past year in sports social media.
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We've come to the end of 2012 and what an interesting year it was for sports and social media. From "Linsanity" to the London Olympics to the rise of new social platforms Pinterest and Instagram, #Sports has delivered the top news and trends to its subscribers' inbox everyday.
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The most clicked stories from this week's #Sports include: the biggest sports social media moments from 2012, the Sacramento Kings new social media headquarters, 5 NBA teams to follow on Google+, college teams making money from social media, and a pricing model for Facebook sponsorship executives. (more...)
Since the beginning of organized sports and the creation of a fan base, we have lived and died by the success of our favorite teams. There is an inexplicable connection we feel to their outcomes on a daily basis, and yet as a fan, we have been forever disconnected to the individual athletes. Until now.
The rise of social media has ushered in a new era of fan loyalty that has expanded beyond the team to the individual athlete more than ever. Moreover, research shows that 80% of sports fans peruse social media sites while watching TV and 60% do it during live event seeking a more interactive experience.
Twitter and Facebook, in particular, have allowed fans to follow an athlete in their daily life creating a lasting off the field connection. Social media enables athlete's to become more accessible and this connection has made fans feel apart of an athletes life. Some athletes understand the intrinsic value of giving back to their fans through social media.
In fact, our #LooseBall scavenger hunt featuring Rajon Rondo (referenced in the infographic below) was the first Foursquare promotion ever by a professional athlete and brought fans closer to the Boston Celtics' franchise point guard during the 2010 NBA Finals.
Social media's role in the rise of NFL quarterback Tim Tebow and NBA Point Guard Jeremy Lin cannot be forgotten. During Tebow's surprising touchdown pass (a completion - Gasp!) in the Denver Bronco's playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Twitter recorded 9,000 tweets per second. Meanwhile, Jeremy Lin gained more than 550,000 followers in a single month after he earned the starting point guard role with the New York Knicks.
The following infographic, courtesy of KT Tape, visualizes social media's role in sports and how it has positively and negatively affected the career of an athlete. Here's are some highlights (and "lowlights"):
- MLB saw a 36% surge in All Star voting when it launched a Twitter # campaign
- Soccer star Kaka has 9,862,492 twitter followers - most of all athletes globally
- Arizona Cardinals reciever Larry Fitzgerald offered a 10 cent donation to Breast Cancer Research for every new Twitter Follower and generated $15,000
- NFL running back Larry Johnson insulted his Kansas City Chiefs coach on Twitter after a bad game and after some bad interaction between Johnson and Twitter followers, 32,000 fans petitioned for him to be released of his contract and the Chiefs agreed
The most clicked stories from this week's #Sports e-newsletter include: the coolest job in sports social media, Twitter's role in the NBA's business strategy, Seattle Seahawks use of social media, how the Dodgers should reinvigorate the brand, and Fox Sports Net's social use for MLB coverage.
For these stories and more, read below and subscribe to #Sports.
1. Did This Guy Just Land the Coolest Job in Sports Social Media?
Meet Austin Schindel, sports fans. You’re going to wish you had his new job. For the next year, he’ll travel around the country to some of the country’s funnest sporting events — starting with Major League Baseball games and the NFL and NBA drafts — to tweet his behind-the-scenes experiences from the @XFINITYSports Twitter account...
2. Twitter Takes Even Bigger Role in NBA's Business Strategy
If you want to see some best-in-class uses of social media for branding, look no further than the National Basketball Association, which has been more forward-thinking in embracing digital and social media than any other professional sports league...3. How the Seattle Seahawks Used Social Media to Show Off New Nike Uniforms
The NFL unveiled its new partnership with Nike on Tuesday in New York City with a grand unveiling. For some teams, the changes were minimal. Others, however, went far beyond normal. The Seattle Seahawks made the most dramatic change of any of the NFL teams. Never shy from playing by their own set of visual rules, the Seattle franchise used Pinterest to display all of the new combinations of uniforms and apparel...4. Should Dodgers Look to Social Media to Reinvigorate Brand?
The purchase of the Los Angeles Dodgers for $2.15 billion, plus millions more for improvements may be good news for sports teams as it appears valuation continues to rise but the team needs to resurrect its standing among the LA sports world...5. Fox Sports Nets Get Super Social With MLB Coverage
The emphasis on social media during the average sports telecast has grown exponentially in recent years as networks look to capitalize on the buzz created by fans on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media. This year, all 15 Fox Sports regional sports networks will take this effort to the next level at MLB ballparks across the country, with several of them integrating a dedicated social-media reporter and/or producer into their live coverage... Other articles that you may enjoy:- Alex Hout: London 2012 will be the first Social Media Olympics
- Major League Baseball Uncorks a Social Media Homer
- The Most Engaging Athletes on Twitter
- Nike Gets it Right
- 79% of Sports Fans Use Mobile: Study
- Samsung in search for Olympic bloggers
- How Twitter Got March Madness [INFOGRAPHIC]
- Jeremy Lin Tweets Knee Surgery Recovery Photo
- London 2012 Olympics: Twitter action at Games could be every bit as competitive as the sport
The most clicked stories from this week's #Sports e-newsletter include: a look inside the NY Giants marketing playbook, Milwaukee Bucks drive sports teams on Pinterest, how the Dallas Mavericks connect with fans through social media, Nike's new unveiling and how NFL players will help NFL dominate social media.
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