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A Whole New (Sports) World: The Future of Live-Streaming Apps
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In the 2015 NCAA tournament, a gritty Wisconsin team went to the Final Four and upset the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats. Sam Dekker drained a tie-breaking three-pointer with under two minutes remaining, a suffocating blow to Kentucky's bid for history. The Badgers never relinquished the lead, and it was over.
But imagine it wasn't over. Sure, there was postgame coverage. There was Twitter conversation, but imagine you could actually follow the team to the locker room and join the celebration in real time—not check out an Instagram video later on, but right then. It could happen, thanks to the magic of mobile live streaming.
Mobile live streaming was in its infancy during the 2015 tournament, but in 2016, it's a full-blown megatrend, evolving further with each passing day. It is the "it" piece of social technology in sports and beyond. Now, fans at home (or anywhere) can remove the shackles of the television broadcast and go places they've never gone, gain access they've never had.
In short, get ready to experience March Madness like never before.
What Exactly is It?
Mobile live streaming is just what it sounds like. Apps like Periscope and tools like Facebook Live allow users to broadcast, consume and comment on live action, anywhere, any time. If you want to take your smartphone to the gym and broadcast a live workout to all your followers, this technology can make it happen.
The big bang of mobile live streaming occurred around March 2015. Meerkat emerged as a major player after making a splash at tech festival SXSW Interactive, and Periscope soon followed. Twitter acquired Periscope and officially launched the app on March 26. Now, there are over 10 million Periscope accounts creating and viewing hoards of content on a daily basis. In fact, the amount of video watched on the app per day amounts to 40 years, according to its official website.
Facebook's initial version of the technology launched in August but allowed only public figures to broadcast. In early 2016, the media giant expanded its feature and incorporated Facebook Live streaming capabilities to include a much more widespread user base.
Stre.am, YouTube Gaming and Kamcord are making headway in the gaming industry, and though Periscope and Facebook Live are made to work seamlessly with big players in social media, apps like Hang w/, Livestream and Stringwire exist as well.
In the ever-competitive technological space, however, expect to see rapid changes and ongoing innovation from these companies and more.
A year after its coming-out party, Meerkat has shifted its focus amid burgeoning competition and will move toward the creation of something more like a "video social network," CEO Ben Rubin told Kurt Wagner of Re/code. Meanwhile, tech startup Livit and camera manufacturer 360fly are already giving mobile live streaming a new twist in the form of 360-degree virtual reality.
A Rocky Start
When Meerkat and Periscope first hit the scene, there was some concern from the sports world. What would the technology mean for broadcast rights? What about team privacy during practices and workouts?
In April, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly issued a memo cautioning media members against streaming from inside arenas during games. In May, the New Orleans Saints revealed on Twitter (h/t the Daily Dot via The Verge) the NFL had banned its teams from using live-streaming apps.
And as millions paid the nearly $100 pay-per-view fee to watch the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao bout on May 2, thousands of others caught the action via live streaming, per Zolan V. Kanno-Youngs of USA Today.
"I think for any new technology, there's always going to be a gradual adoption process for anybody, and we definitely saw that with sports leagues and teams," Danny Keens, director of North American Sports Partnerships at Twitter, told Bleacher Report.
As time went on, however, and mobile live streaming became more common, some of those concerns appeared to lessen. UFC issued several takedown requests to Periscope in 2015, per Kanno-Youngs, but there were several indicators at UFC 196 that the organization has embraced live streaming.
UFC broadcast Miesha Tate's open workout, utilizing Periscope's new GoPro integration, and light heavyweight Corey Anderson hosted a live Q&A after his fight.
Creative Utilization
Part of the ideological shift from leagues and teams occurred as the primary benefits of mobile live streaming became more apparent. Many began to consider how the technology can work for them, not against them. Keens pointed out most applications of Periscope in sports occur outside the live broadcast window, helping to quell the concerns about broadcast rights.
"Fans can now get closer to the action than they previously could, and it's generally the sort of complementary angles that allow fans to see things that they previously couldn't see," Keens explained. "Everybody now understands just how powerful that real-time access can be."
For example, Oregon basketball used Periscope to give fans a live look-in of the Pac-12 tournament by broadcasting pregame happenings from its mascot's perspective. (Talk about a complementary angle.):
Utah offered up a live feed on Selection Sunday, bringing fans into the room as the team watched the bracket unveiling. Instead of a quick snippet on the television broadcast, Utes fans could hang with their team during the entire process, virtually sharing the anticipation:
Beyond the college game, all four major American professional sports leagues now use Periscope in some way to further fan engagement.
NHL teams use the app to give fans a peek at warm-ups, and the NBA enhanced its AllStar Game coverage with broadcasts from Zack LaVine's Slam Dunk Contest presser. Fans can actually experience a surfer catching a wave or view spring training from inside a catcher's mask thanks to GoPro integration.
Facebook Live has broken into sports as well. The Players' Tribune used those capabilities to give fans a look into the New York Mets spring training in mid-March. Included were shots of outfielder Curtis Granderson's youth camp and even pitcher Matt Harvey working a grill:
These and other instances of creative utilization have helped illustrate the practical uses of live streaming. Indeed, the NFL lifted its ban on mobile live-streaming apps in early 2016, thus allowing teams to use them for non-game activities such as training camp and workouts, according to Bob Wallace of Patriots.com.
Access to Athletes
Leading up to Wimbledon in 2015, seven-time champion Roger Federer treated fans to a tour of Centre Court. He spoke with Wimbledon CEO Richard Lewis, looked in on live practices and responded to real-time fan questions.
That type of engagement goes beyond simple Instagram photos and traditional social media interaction. Periscope's comments feature provides a way to achieve instantaneous, two-way communication. Not only was Federer able to give fans behind-the-scenes access, but he was also able to tailor the content according to their questions and live feedback.
Keens explained, "Photos were always one way. Periscope is a way back—a way to engage in real time, taken to the next level."
Federer's Wimbledon tour was an excellent example of athlete-fan interaction, and many sports figures have gone even more personal with their live-streaming utilization. For example, FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique is active on Periscope and has even broadcast live from the team plane.
"As technology progresses, you peel away more and more layers of what used to be the divide between the player and a fan," said Keens. "It was huge—it was a magazine, or a journalist or a television program — now it's just a piece of technology."
Exercising Caution
Peeling back that divide is fantastic in some ways, but it can be dangerous in others. For instance, the other side of the Pique coin shows his use of Periscope during team
travel could compromise privacy. Spanish news outlet Diario Sport reported (via ESPNFC) team officials asked Pique to reduce his usage for that reason.
Or broadcasting could put the athletes themselves in precarious positions. Paris SaintGermain FC suspended defender Serge Aurier in February after he made disparaging remarks about his teammates during a live Q&A.
Then again, the idea that athletes need to be mindful on social media is nothing new, nor is it exclusive to live streaming.
"It's not going to be different than other social media outlets," Keens said. "Athletes just need to be smart everywhere, and that's on social media, in television interviews and on Periscope."
Though many initial concerns regarding mobile live streaming in sports have calmed, it's evident there are issues left to sort out, as there would be with any new technology. It could be that teams and leagues might end up instituting usage guidelines. In fact, Mundo Deportivo (via ESPNFC) reported FC Barcelona has reached out to La Liga President Javier Tebas in search of such a document.
The Future of "Live"
Sports are the ultimate reality TV, and social media has capitalized on fans' desire to hone in on what's happening right now. The moment Stephen Curry drained that 32footer to beat Oklahoma City in February, people rushed to Twitter to talk about it.
"The real match made in heaven here is 'live,'" Keens offered. "The future is doubling down on those live moments. When we think about the sports business, it has to be doubling down on that live action. That's where the connections happen."
Technology has altered the sports fan experience in ways few could have predicted. Change breeds concern, but it also breeds excitement, and the possibilities of where future innovations will take sports seem virtually endless. Today, it's a live feed from a GoPro-clad mascot. Tomorrow, it could be the X Games in live, 360-degree virtual reality.