The Oscars.
The Grammys.
The ESPYs.
These awards shows reward and are synonymous with excellence in their respective fields. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have celebrated movies for 85 years. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences have showcased music for 55 years. Entertainment and Sports Programming Network have presented sports for 20 years. Each annually personifies greatness at its finest.
Slowly but surely, the amalgamation of entertainment and sports have become one in the same. This synergy has now evolved to highlight how sports and social media interconnect. The NBA launched their first ever NBA Social Media Awards last season—unprecedented among professional sports leagues. This venture took all but six weeks to organize and featured a micro-site on NBA.com and Facebook as well as a Twitter voting system, all of which exceeded page views and ratings projections.
However, the organization that established the preeminent recognition for the internet as a whole prior to the NBA’s iteration is The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences and their The Webby Awards. Categories for nomination include websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile. One of this occasion’s more memorable moments over the years has been when Spike Lee and Jeremy Lin—of course, Linsanity and his power of Sina Weibo would be a presenter—handed Skip Bayless with The Sport Web Award:
This year, though, marked the seventeenth edition this event has honored the best and brightest from across the interweb. And almost in conjunction with their aforementioned social media awards, NBA Digital earned the Webby for Best in Sports Mobile Apps and Handles for NBA Game Time App. This app beat out the people’s voice selection of the BBC Olympics App, ESPN College Football App, and Turner Sports’ other popular app of NCAA March Madness Live. This accolade could’ve been expected due the app’s expansion to three new platforms, like Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and smaller tablets, and built-in access to NBA League Pass subscribers. The interface and user experience caters equally to diehard NBA fans and casual ones, too. It’s invariably a staple for second-screen basketball consumption, which is further supported by still holding a second place standing among free sports apps in both the App Store and Google Play.
The NBA Playoffs are in full effect. Superstars like Kobe Bryant and Russell Westbrook may be out, but NBA Digital maintains as a lock to win awards like LeBron James’ inevitable fourth MVP.