Sports Media Report
15 Seconds of Fame (15SOF), a breakthrough technology and social media platform, today announced a multi-year partnership with MLBAM that will, for the first time in broadcast history, deliver personal video content never before available to fans – their appearances on live baseball game telecasts – through a simple download of the 15SOF app.
The partnership with MLBAM, the interactive media and Internet company of Major League Baseball, will begin with this year’s regular season and include game broadcasts from all 30 MLB ballparks. The revolutionary 15SOF app will seamlessly deliver fans’ own TV moments in high definition video directly to their smartphones following the conclusion of each game. This one-of-a-kind content can then be shared instantly across social networks. Fans can download the free 15SOF app using iTunes and Google Play, and can view the best fan highlights on the app and at 15sof.com.
The agreement also provides 15SOF the ability to capture and deliver fan footage from special “jewel” events such as the MLB All-Star Game and Postseason. It also gives the three-year-old company access to scoreboard video moments from participating MLB ballparks, where teams will be able to integrate 15SOF through the free MLB.com Ballpark app. 15SOF will have the rights to sell sponsorships to fan content that it distributes.
“This partnership is a major milestone for our company but, most importantly, for generations of fans who have never had a way to capture and share some of the most memorable moments of their lives,” said Brett Joshpe, CEO of 15SOF. “Our proprietary technology will not only deliver the ultimate takeaway from a game experience for fans, but also offer an unprecedented opportunity for all live event and broadcast licensors and sponsors to connect with consumers.”
Armen Keteyian, an 11-time Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, who is on the Board of Directors of 15SOF said, “I was thrilled about joining the Board of 15SOF because I thought this was the best idea for in-stadium fan engagement I’d ever encountered. Capturing and finding ways to deliver and monetize live moments has become the Holy Grail in sports and live events, and after an incredible amount of hard work and IP development, we have created a game changer for fans and business partners.”
15SOF will process more than 5,000 MLB telecast feeds each season and will use its groundbreaking proprietary technology to deliver personalized video directly to fans. 15SOF has created the first and only platform to bring scoreboard moments to fans through agreements with a variety of teams in the NFL, NBA, NHL and NCAA, and its platform can be used in virtually all live event settings, including concerts and races. Because of the personal nature of this content, 96 percent of 15SOF users share these valuable video moments.
Founded in 2014, 15SOF’s proprietary technology uses unique algorithms to ingest, sort, clip and deliver crowd video and images from any type of camera feed. The technology was first beta-tested live in 2015 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for basketball, hockey, football, and a student-athlete graduation. The technology then debuted in the NBA last season, including in Cleveland during the 2016 NBA Finals.
