SMARTER STRATEGIES

Racing to a Greater Fan Experience

Dennis McCafferty | Date: 06-01-10 | Comments

The Indy 500 broadcast is only the beginning for a more tech-savvy sports fan experience.

It�s no secret that auto racing makes much use of technology to make cars go faster. Major manufacturers and racing teams work together in lab-type settings to simulate laps on computers, analyze chassis designs and increase aerodynamic performance, as well as create the most powerful engines possible. On the track, the cars themselves are essentially computers on wheels.

NASCAR star Ryan Newman even has a degree in engineering. �There are a lot of smart people out there,� he once told an interviewer. �But I know, from having an engineering degree, that I can say I�m one of them.�

But tech in racing is about more than building faster cars. IT innovations are constantly being sought to better engage an audience. Streaming video, e-commerce and online interactions among drivers and fans are all key factors in this equation. And for this year�s Indianapolis 500�auto racing�s most revered tradition�organizers significantly boosted the viewing experience via solutions from SportsMedia Technology.

Based in the heart of racing country in Durham, N.C., SportsMedia is a top provider of graphics, statistics, and video-enhancement software and services for TV broadcast partners. The winner of 17 Emmy awards, the company pioneered the first-ever real-time scoring and wireless data solution for golf. This data solution is now used in games and events such as the Super Bowl, the NCAA Final Four and the Kentucky Derby.

For the recent Indy 500, however, SportsMedia elevated its game to take the fan experience to another level with what it calls the �GOTO Board��a solution that could change viewing experiences for all sports, as opposed to just racing. For qualifying events, the TV network, Versus, used GOTO to deliver the first-ever interactive analysis of qualifying races from the new IZOD Performance Pit Center on top of a hauler on pit row. GOTO provided greater analytics of key details such as on-track weather conditions, pole-qualifying results, racing-technology updates and the starting grid. It even maintained a feed for biometric information�using a customized firesuit worn by driver Ryan Hunter-Reay, driver of the IZOD-sponsored No. 37 car�as an experiment to determine what kind of data could be useful for fan-intended analysis.

For years, broadcasters depended greatly upon their producers for the kinds of information �feeds� to make them look even more informed than they actually were. But GOTO served up data that went beyond the human capacity. During broadcasts, on-air commentator Jack Arute tapped into a 55-inch outdoor interactive touch screen to educate racing fans on the action. Now that the Indy 500 is over, SportsMedia is looking to expand GOTO technology for pro golf, baseball and football, as well as other top sports broadcasts.

�This is an entirely new way to provide the audience more compelling information,� says Patricia Hopkins, vice president of marketing at SportsMedia. �Our new technology keeps the broadcast fresh and exhilarating for fans. Our goal is to enable the on-air talent to provide the best broadcast possible.�