Comcast Sports Group is now offering Web-based interactive features supporting baseball games broadcast on the company’s regional sports networks. The audience participation application, called In Game Live, was developed by OneTwoSee.
Comcast is playing on a subtle shift in the interactive TV habits of viewers. As more people adopt the use of tablets and other Web-enabled handhelds, many prefer having interactive features on their companion screens over having them on their TV screens. To that end, Web-based interactivity designed for second screens is growing attractive.
“We know that the majority of our viewers are looking at any number of devices during our live telecasts,” said Eric Grilly, executive vice president and chief digital officer of Comcast Sports Group. “Offering our audience a complementary second-screen experience that includes great stats and creating a new, relevant community to interact with during the game serves to make our coverage more engaging and entertaining. This product helps enhance our coverage and deliver exposure and value to our sponsors.”
In Game Live offers head-to-head statistical match-ups for pitchers and hitters, breaking team and local sports news, in-game statistical analysis, trending player coverage from Facebook and Twitter, and fan photos.
In Game Live is free to all users and is available on Comcast SportsNet websites during all televised broadcasts. Comcast’s various regional sports networks own coverage rights to several Major League Baseball teams, including the Phillies, Mets, Cubs, White Sox, Giants and A’s.
Comcast SportsNet is offering advertisers the opportunity to become an exclusive advertiser for the entire platform.