It’ll be compelling TV that attracts viewers (some 5.7
million people watched the quarterfinal victory over Japan), and it’ll be a
quality broadcast, because the Fox Sports on-air and production team has been
pitch perfect so far, delivering access and information with criticism and
insight when appropriate.
Still, one thing tonight’s match might not deliver -- at
least overtly and regularly -- is an on-screen social media connection. And that’s
not an oversight.
While Fox Sports takes pride in its social media efforts,
the network’s plan does not include a consistent on-screen presence for handles
and hashtags for Facebook and Twitter during live broadcasts.
That’s really not unusual for any sports broadcaster. While
it seems like a missed opportunity, those who conduct social media research and
engage users on a regular basis insist the plan has merit. That’s because an
often-referenced “second-screen experience” for sporting events -- an
interaction by users or viewers with both the TV and a computer or smartphone --
is not necessarily a reality.
“We always want to have a second-screen experience. Facebook
and Twitter are high-traffic places for live events, and we try to be in front
of the conversation,” said Josh Baird, director of social media for Fox Sports.
He adds a caveat, though. “The assumption that there is a huge overlap that are
watching TV and the people on social channels is a bold one.”
Baird thinks an opportunity exists to drive viewers from
broadcasts to social media channels. However, that’s not his overriding goal, or that of
his team.
For the Women’s World Cup, the Fox Sports social media team includes two people
embedded in Canada, one with the network's studio crew in Vancouver and the
other traveling with the U.S. women’s national team. An editorial and social
team at the network’s headquarters in Los Angeles complements and oversees the
work of the two staff members in Canada.
Overall, Baird sees handles and hashtags as keywords, a way
to curate content and engage a community. He does not see them as necessary
standing elements of a live broadcast -- and that’s apparently standard
convention across most networks with live sports, because viewers watching
closely will invariably not see any on-screen social media indicators or signals for action.
Baird is proud of the network’s social media footprint. On
Twitter that includes 1.28 million followers for Fox Sports and 538,000 for Fox
Soccer. He said measuring viewership as a result of social media remains
the “toughest nut to crack” for social media.
Still, if the women’s soccer game tonight draws nearly 6
million viewers, and if a broadcast can make some impact in terms of awareness or impact for social media
channel, a consistent on-screen presence for handles and hashtags would seem
beneficial.
If even a small portion of those millions of viewers would
give social media a chance, the number of people for whom Baird curates
content, and with whom his team engages, would seemingly increase. And that
would be an added delivery of impact and value for Fox Sports.
