NBA media marketing. (Blog 1)

NBA media marketing. (Blog 1) 

 The NBA has strong relationship with their fans. For example, The NBA has approximately 24,500,000 Twitter followers in 2017 (NBA Twitter, 2017). The NBA fans are able to watch live NBA games on NBA's Twitter named NBA Live Tv. The NBA works with various kind of companies such as NextVR and Verizon. The NBA has a partnership with Verizon to help their fans upload high quality of contents on social media and fans watch live NBA matches with smartphone application named go90 which made by Verizon. Also, the NBA provides live matches services in virtual reality (VR) from the NBA official website by having a partnership with NestVR.

-Live events with virtual reality

 The NBA fans can have a special experience with virtual reality(VR). The NBA has a partnership with NextVR that is a powerful broadcaster of the live events in VR industry. NextVR is the company that provides live sport events through the VR device. It can allow subscribers to watch live NBA matches of the 2016/17 NBA season. The fan who use the VR device at the first time can watch the match without paying. This characteristic of marketing with new media device might encourage more NBA fans to be involved in the NBA. The people who use the VR device can be available to experience as realistic as possible. It feels as if fans who use the VR device are sitting in the stadium even though they are sitting on the couch in their house. The price of subscription of the Live VR is cheaper than ticket price in order to watch live game in the stadium so that fans will be interested in live NBA match with VR.

Figure 1: VR service for the NBA fan

Source: NBA (2017)

-Partnership with Verizon and developed go90

 After the development social media such as Twitter, Facebook and so on, users upload many contents having copyright issues without permission. The NBA noticed that problem and made a solution about that issues by do having a partnership with Verizon. Verizon is a company to connect their consumers with interactive entertainment, digital media and the broadband internet by using their own award-winning network system. Verizon made a smartphone application that named go90. Figure 2 shows that the NBA solved the problem by doing partnership with Verizon and developed go90 that provides live sport events in HD. There are abundances of positive impacts of using the go90. Firstly, users of go90 and NBA fans can watch the live NBA games with their smartphone. Secondly, fans are able to edit NBA matches with the app. Thirdly, it is possible to edit and share the video via text, Facebook and Twitter. Fourthly, fans can download this app for free. Finally, fans who use this app can upload better quality of edited video by avoiding uploading unauthorised low quality video. This strategy of media marketing is able to satisfy both the NBA and their fans.

Figure 2: How to edit video through go90 

Source: Roettgers (2015)

 -NBA Live Tv on social media

 NBA Live Tv on Twitter is other way of increasing fan engagement. The NBA designed the live streaming of the NBA game on Twitter since last year. Both the fans who already have Twitter account and fans who do not have Twitter account can access the live NBA game through the Twitter for free. The Figure 3 indicates that how to watch the live match on Twitter. This service can be possible for everyone to access NBA sports more easily so that it can result from increasing the number of NBA fan. Also, fans can watch the NBA Live Tv through their smartphone regardless of their location for free.

Figure 3: Live streaming of the NBA match on Twitter

Source: NBA Twitter (2017)

-Managing social media

 There are around 24,500,000 followers on the NBA Twitter in 2017 (NBA Twitter, 2017). The number of the NBA followers on Twitter shows that the NBA manages well their social media with various interesting contents.

 The Figure 4 shows that the NBA wrote an interesting and controvertible content on Twitter. Fans of LeBron and Kyrie can have a heart-to-heart talk each other on Twitter.

Figure 4: Increasing fan engagement

Source: NBA Twitter (2017)

 The Figure 5 indicates that the NBA bring some funny contents from the NBA players’ social media. It can give a chance to increase more followers of that player. 

Figure 5: Funny contents from player

Source: NBA Twitter (2017)

 The Figure 6 shows that fans can get two kinds of information from the one content. The NBA uploaded player’s birthday with his performance during the match.

Figure 6: Information of player and playing ability

Source: NBA Twitter (2017)

- NBA TV Fan Night

 The NBA designed NBA TV Fan Night that was an interesting media marketing by themselves in 2011. The NBA fans could vote which NBA game that they want to watch on Tuesday. The fans could have a vote on NBA official website. After the vote, NBA TV broadcasted the match that received the highest number of votes from the fans on Tuesday. From this media marketing strategy, fans might vote for their favourite team and it would increase the fan engagement.

-Justification

  Sport industry can make more fans all around the world through the internet (Baker & Esherick, 2013). The development of the technology attracts more global fans to engage in the sports because television, radio, internet and social media disseminate the news of sport event instantly world widely (Trenberth & Hassan, 2012). It is possible to interactive communication with sport fans, players and agents through social media such as Twitter and Facebook (Baker & Esherick, 2013). Also, the development of media encourages more sport fans to watch sport events and the global communication media through the internet helps the sports organisation extend their market to the world (Beech & Chadwick, 2007). Social media lead to build a deeper relationship with sport fans and players. Also, sport organisation can promote their ticket  sales on the social media (Baker & Esherick, 2013). All NBA teams have their own social media now (Xu, Yu, & Hoi, 2015). However, the NBA was not always good at dealing with social media in 2009 because the NBA did not allow coaches and players to use social media 45 minutes before the match began and before finishing a post-game interview (Xu, Yu, & Hoi, 2015). Also, players who use social media before the match can perform the play better than players who do not use social media before the match (Xu, Yu, & Hoi, 2015). This is because using social media before the game can motivate the players (Xu, Yu, & Hoi, 2015). In addition, social media can collect fans opinions as a research and development tool and get various feedback for their service, product and customer support (Xu, Yu, & Hoi, 2015).

-Referencer

Baker, R. E., & Esherick, C. (2013) Fundamentals of sport management. Champaign, IL: Human kinetics. 

Beech, J., & Chadwick, S. (2007) The marketing of sport. Harlow, England: Prentice-Hall.

Kelley. (2016). Verizon Launches Stream Pass, a Free Sports Package for go90 That Includes Free NBA League Pass. [online] Available: http://www.droid-life.com/2016/10/25/verizon-launches-stream-pass-free-sports-package-go90-includes-free-nba-league-pass/. [Last accessed 14th Mar 2017].

Kiernan, T. (2015). Why The NBA Is Better For Social Media Than Any Other League. [online] Available: http://www.sporttechie.com/2015/11/24/trending/nba-better-social-media-league/. [Last accessed 14th Mar 2017].

NBA. (2015). Verizon, NBA announce new content and marketing partnership. [online] Available: http://www.nba.com/2015/news/11/04/verizon-nba-reach-new-marketing-agreement/. [Last accessed 14th Mar 2017].

NBA. (2016) Experience the game like never before. [online] Available: https://watch.nba.com/page/vr. [Last accessed 14th Mar 2017].

NBA. (2016). NBA Digital and NextVR to deliver one live game per week in virtual reality. [online] Available: http://www.nba.com/article/2016/10/20/nba-virtual-reality-stream-league-pass. [Last accessed 14th Mar 2017].

NBA. (2017) NBA Twitter. [online] Available: https://twitter.com/NBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor. [Last accessed 23th Mar 2017].

NextVR. (2017) We are NextVR. [online] Available: http://www.nextvr.com/about. [Last accessed 20th Mar 2017].

Roettgers, J. (2015). Verizon Mobile Video Service Details Uncovered: To Be Called Go90 (Exclusive). [online] Available: http://variety.com/2015/digital/news/verizon-mobile-video-service-details-uncovered-to-be-called-go90-exclusive-1201548130/. [Last accessed 20th Mar 2017].

Soper, T. (2016). Here are the live shows the NBA will stream on Twitter, as 2016-17 season tips off today. [online] Available: http://www.geekwire.com/2016/live-shows-nba-will-stream-twitter-2016-17-season-tips-off-today/. [Last accessed 14th Mar 2017].

Trenberth, L., & Hassan, D. (2012) Managing sport business: An introduction. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Verizon. (2016). Introducing Stream Pass: The best premium live sports in HD for Verizon customers. [online] Available: http://www.verizon.com/about/news/introducing-stream-pass-best-premium-live-sports-hd-verizon-customers. [Last accessed 18th Mar 2017].

Verizon. (2017) Verizon is one of the largest communication technology companies in the world. [online] Available: http://www.verizon.com/about/our-company/who-we-are. [Last accessed 18th Mar 2017].

Verizon. (2017). Verizon copyright alert program. [online] Available: https://www.verizon.com/support/consumer/account-and-billing/copyright-alert-program. [Last accessed 14th Mar 2017].

Vibe. (2011). NBA TV Fan Night: Vote For Which NBA Game You Want to See Next Tuesday Night. [online] Available: http://www.vibe.com/2011/03/nba-tv-fan-night-vote-which-nba-game-you-want-see-next-tuesday-night-2/. [Last accessed 14th Mar 2017].

Xu, C., Yu, Y. and Hoi, C. (2015) Hidden in-game intelligence in NBA players' tweets. Communications of the ACM. 58, (11), pp.80-89.