Ticket sales for SEC football games may not be floundering, but with mattress-sized, high-definition television screens becoming the norm in American households, and an extensive television contract with ESPN still in its honeymoon stage, two SEC West schools are turning to social media in order to get fans off the couch and into the stadium.
Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi officially announced at their games on Saturday that they have each updated their social media rewards programs, and, thanks to C Spire Wireless, both universities will be able to better engage their fans during games through their smart phones.
C Spire will be offering rewards and give-aways in addition to the social media rewards programs, Hail State and Ole Miss Social Rewards, already in place. The partnership is the first of its kind in the nation.
Dave Miller, C Spire media relations manager, said the ubiquity of cell phones and the increasing use of social media as a primary line of communication, utilizing the two at something like a sporting event is a natural. C Spire wanted to, “harness and direct that power to make the experience for the fans more intimate,” he said.
“The reality is we use these devices in all aspects of our lives.”
Miller said C Spire’s customer base is saturated with sports fans, particularly football fans, and though the wireless company has been partnering with both universities for several years, this project really hits all of C Spire’s high points.
“This is right in our wheel house,” he said. “These fans are already passionate, and we get to facilitate that interaction, and make the game more social.”
Rebel and Bulldog fans will not only be able to earn points by “checking-in” to a C Spire Wireless retail location, “liking” C Spire Facebook statuses and re-tweeting the wireless providers tweets, but they have also made it possible for fans to tweet photos that can be seen on the stadium jumbotron. Soon, fans will also be able to request songs, vote for the player of the game and even tweet their seat section for in-game contests.
MSU Athletic Director Scott Stricklin said in a release on Friday that the university is happy to be expanding its partnership with C Spire.
“We want to give our fans the best possible experience when interacting with Mississippi State and C Spire’s participation in Hail State rewards program helps us do that,” Stricklin said.
Ole Miss Athletics Director Ross Bjork concurred.
“It’s all about making (the games) more engaging and interactive, as well as just plain fun,” he said. “Our partnership and the sponsorship from C Spire is a historic one and will most likely be emulated by universities across the country.”
Bulldog Sports Properties, a Learfield Sports’ property and multimedia rights holder for MSU athletics, secured the partnership with C Spire on behalf of the university.
For more information visit www.cspire.com
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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