The Jazz have partnered with Vidpresso to allow real-time Facebook posts, Tweets, and Instagram photos to be integrated into the club?s live game TV broadcast, as well as on the video display system throughout EnergySolutions Arena. The endeavor points to the growing sophistication of sports marketers in finding ways to keep the experience fresh for fans.

?The cool thing about this is that it could work for big brands like the Jazz as well as smaller ones,? said Randall Bennett, founder of Vidpresso, Ogden, UT. ?It could also be used in corporate events, conferences, conventions, etcetera.

?The Jazz are just using it on a much larger scale,? he said.

By including the hashtag relevant to the current game in social media posts, the home crowd can connect with fans watching elsewhere through social media discussions displayed over the television broadcast and EnergySolutions Arena?s screens.

Facebook posts and Tweets constantly stream across screens to propel discussions, while Instagram photos of fans watching the game can be chosen to be featured full-screen during the broadcast.

Vidpresso so far has implemented its software into three Utah Jazz National Basketball Association pre-season games, and each of the team?s regular-season match-ups. The campaign will continue through the remainder of the season. 

The home opener saw success with #HOUatUTA (Houston at Utah) trending at #6 during Game Seven of the World Series, Mr. Bennett said. The next night, #UTAatDAL (Utah at Dallas) saw similar results, but the previous game still ranked higher, further solidifying the impact of broadcasting social media on both TV and arena screens.

Testing began during the Oct. 7 Utah Jazz preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers, but Vidpresso?s feed wasn?t implemented into the EnergySolutions Arena?s screens until the next game against the Los Angeles Clippers. 

During this match, social posts with #LACatUTA (Los Angeles Clippers at Utah) were displayed over the Root Sports television broadcast and the arena video display system. 

As a result, #LACatUTA trended nationally at #3, a vast improvement on the first game where #PORatUTA (Portland at Utah) trended at #9. 

Vidpresso attributes this advancement to the constant flow of content on both at-home and in-arena screens.

Historically, producers have relied on expensive, complex hardware that required a lengthy operating process to implement live social media feeds into broadcasts or arena screens. 

With Vidpresso, all that is needed is a computer and a subscription to its software. Broadcasters or event producers then simply plug the computer into their existing infrastructure, and can almost instantly begin pulling real-time social posts and display them live on screen.

The technology underscores the importance of bringing all fans together to form one communal conversation. By merging social media and on-air broadcasts, fans are now able to engage with one another no matter their location. 

A new feature allowing fans to vote on discussion topics also emerged during the season opener, giving them a choice in what they want to talk about. 

From a marketing standpoint, the approach builds engagement with the brand by creating a viral loop.

?Marketers can solicit a hashtag on their social media platforms that is related to the game,? Mr. Bennett said. ?From there, viewers and audiences can incorporate that hashtag in their posts. 

?Their followers see that they're talking about a brand and watching the game, so it influences them to turn on the broadcast and see what all the fuss is about.

?It's basically useful because it directly engages viewers and directs their eyes toward the screen with the incentive of seeing their own thoughts.? 

Integration of mobile programs across multiple platforms in sport is increasing because sports at its core is fan-driven.

?We all like to feel like we're a part of the action,? said Yoni Solomon, marketing director for Chicago-based Vibes. ?Cheering for a sports team involves so much passion and emotion that it's only natural for us to want to use our smartphones, the digital extensions of ourselves, to interact and make an impact on the game in any way possible.?