Sports Media Report
We hadn’t heard from Chicago-based digital first sports provider 120 Sports in a while since its explosive launch about 18 months ago, but recent developments seem to point to a louder shift in engagement for the venture co-owned by MLB, the NHL, Time Inc. and some other notable investors.
First came the news that 120’s evening show “The Rally” will be the show of choice streamed at night on Twitter come September, bringing quick highlights and social engagement to a wide audience. Then today they announced that they have brought in Abby Hornacek, the daughter of Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek and a rising star in the millennial sports engagement world, as a new correspondent for both broadcast and social. Hornacek, a USC grad and former beach volleyball player, has built a solid following on traditional TV, and now will help migrate more fans to 120’s digital first platform, especially when “The Rally” makes its streaming debut on twitter.
“We welcome Abby’s fresh voice and engaging personality to 120 Sports,” said Joe Riley, Executive Producer at 120 Sports said in a release. “Her passion for sports and digital media makes her the perfect fit for our talent team as we continue to grow our audience and expand our network’s reach.”
A few moves in the digital space along with the push from its deep-pocketed and forward-thinking investors may make 120 a property to again watch as we did when it first launched. The timing for engagement with some new social first faces seems to make great sense, and grabbing a young face with a pedigree and a name in big markets can’t hurt either.
