The following interview is part of our ongoing Expert Series that asks C-level professionals, team presidents, league executives, athletic directors and other sports influencers about their latest thoughts and insights on new technologies impacting the sports industry.
Name: Josh Decker
Company: Tagboard
Position: Chief Executive Officer/Founder
Josh Decker is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tagboard, a social search and display platform company that uses hashtags to search for and collect public social media within seconds of being posted to social platforms like Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, among others. The Seattle, Wash.-based company gives its partners the ability to select specific posts to feature on websites, during linear broadcasts, on large displays and in-arena, too. Since its founding in April 2011, Tagboard has worked with teams and properties such as the Baltimore Ravens, New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State Warriors, Seattle Mariners and UFC, to name a few.
1) What utilization of technology in professional or college sports has recently blown you away and why?
We recently became the first official display partner with Snapchat. We already knew the value social media displays bring to game day; the addition of Snapchat took it to a whole new level. In October, the Minnesota Vikings became the first NFL team to bring Snapchat Stories to their stadium video boards on game day. Shortly after that, the Baltimore Ravens wanted in on the action. Teams feature their own content and include a “Snap To Add” snap code that gives fans access to their Snapchat Stories within seconds. This is a whole new way to engage fans! Tagboard is honored to be an approved Snapchat display partner, and the work we’re doing with the Vikings and the Ravens and dozens of other teams — here in the U.S. and around the globe — has been a real game-changer. The Vikings even took it a step further and utilized amazing content from their Snap Spectacles at their last home game.
2) As a sports fan, what sports-related service, app, product, etc., could you not live without and why?
Twitter is my go-to app for sports discussion and entertainment. I log on to post emotional celebrations. And I must admit that it’s the perfect place for a good celebration of a win or reaction to a loss. But it’s also a great news source, especially when I’m at a game as opposed to watching it from home. For example, if a player gets injured, or there’s a questionable call on the field, I open my Twitter feed and get the scoop almost instantly, including replay videos and GIFs. I love other channels such as Instagram and Snapchat to consume unique content, but from a real-time reaction standpoint, there isn’t a better service than Twitter.
3) How is Tagboard changing the way sports teams present content, share on social and engage with fans?
From day one, Tagboard has strived to build community; it’s the very reason we built social media engagement tools for fans at every touch point. Teams in every major sports league around the world have used our products to engage with their fans in stadiums, concourses, and retail stores, as well as on their websites and mobile apps. They’ve even integrated Tagboard into live broadcasts. We’ve created a 360-degree approach to fan engagement so that no matter where a fan is, he or she can connect with their favorite team, engage in the conversation and have their voice be heard. This has had a profound impact on conversational volume. In fact, we see an average of a 10x increase in social mentions of a team’s hashtag when a Tagboard is on display in their stadium. Our clients have dubbed it the “Trend maker” and we see events top trending lists nationally and globally on a regular basis and that is across multiple networks.
4) If you had to project 20 years into the future, how will most fans watch their favorite sports teams?
I believe that the fan of the future will be able to consume content anywhere and from any device their heart desires. We will see the breakdown of the media silos, and content will continue to be freed from the old school way of distribution like cable boxes, even exclusive distribution rights will be a thing of the past. Fans in the future will also attend games and matches differently. Instead of just being spectators, technology will enable new dimensions of engagement and influence. Whereas now we understand concepts like “home field advantage” and “crowd noise,” the future will bring new ways for fans to participate in the contest itself. It will bring new meaning to “arm-chair quarterbacking.”
5) Give us your bold prediction about a form of technology that will be integral to digital/social over the next 12 months and why?
The next big thing in social is already here, and it’s live video. I’ve been saying this for the past year, and I will continue to spread this message. We recently saw Instagram jump into the ring with their live video offering, so now we have several major players, each with a unique spin on the feature. My bold prediction for 2017 is that we will soon see Snapchat release a live streaming tool…and new products like the coveted Snap Spectacles will be the lens (pun intended). Imagine the amazing content that could be captured! By breaking free from the 10-second limitation on Snapchat, we could see even richer content added to the distinct lineup Snapchat is already popular for.