FORT WORTH, Texas, Jan. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Digital Seat Media and Learfield IMG College today announced a multi-year relationship aimed at improving fan experience and increasing engagement with sponsors at live collegiate sporting events, all while providing real-time ROI to brands and universities. As part of this relationship, Digital Seat's platform will be installed at select college venues nationwide, such as Virginia Tech, UConn and SMU.
Learfield IMG College and Digital Seat aligning comes on the heels of Digital Seat's successful program earlier this month with the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in New Orleans, in which 55 percent of attending fans with the "Playoff Premium" package engaged with the platform.
Digital Seat Media's platform utilizes uniquely programmed digital tags that deliver custom content – all the way down to the individual seat level – as opposed to the traditional method of delivering static content to each fan at an event.
"More than ever before, sponsors are demanding data-driven and real-time ROI," said Cameron Fowler, founder and CEO, Digital Seat Media. "We've created a platform that provides brands and schools with these analytics, while dramatically enhancing the in-game fan experience. We couldn't be more excited to partner with Learfield IMG College, the unquestionable leader in collegiate sports marketing and solutions."
For fans, the Digital Seat Media platform has the capability of providing access to live game stats, real-time game insights, instant replays and video, as well as the ability to purchase merchandise directly from any seat in the venue. For sponsors, the Digital Seat platform can deliver targeted and custom offers and content to individual seats within a venue – while also measure in real time which fans are viewing, downloading and ultimately redeeming. As many sporting events still take place in low bandwidth environments, Digital Seat makes content easily available for sports fans in stadiums and arenas and complements school gameday apps.
Digital Seat also combines multiple technologies, such as NFC and QR codes, into one platform that can be updated in real-time, and it provides social media integration.
The Digital Seat Media and Learfield IMG College relationship comes at an opportune time for universities and brands, as evidenced by a recent survey by Scrum Ventures. More than 100 sports industry professionals and influencers point to fan engagement technologies as the technology type most likely to have the biggest impact on sports in the next 12 months. This trend is at the core of Learfield IMG College's fan-centric business approach as Digital Seat will be integrated into the company's broader fan engagement platform, which delivers experiences and opportunities for fans from best-in-class technology and industry-leading partners.
"We see great value in aligning with Digital Seat as we're committed to bringing new innovations for enhancing the fan experience to our school partners," said Learfield IMG College EVP/Managing Director of Media and Partnerships Rick Barakat. "The Digital Seat offerings are unique, targeted and engaging. Not only are the seat tags customized to accommodate the objectives and guidelines for any venue, but they become an instant connectivity solution for fans in facilities with limited cell service or Wi-Fi. We are also excited to pair up Digital Seat with our solutions and services available from SIDEARM."
SIDEARM Sports, the leader in collegiate athletic digital solutions and a Learfield IMG College-owned company, works with many athletic departments to power their official athletics websites and apps. When Digital Seat engages at schools where the athletic multimedia rights are represented by Learfield IMG College, there will be shared fan and brand opportunities across both platforms.
About Learfield IMG College
Learfield IMG College unlocks the value of college sports for brands and fans through an omnichannel platform. The company's extensive content and commerce solutions create unique opportunities for fan engagement. The Learfield IMG College suite of services includes licensing and multimedia sponsorship management; publishing, audio, digital and social media; ticketing, ticket sales and professional concessions expertise; branding; campus-wide business and sponsorship development; and venue technology systems. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, the company has long had the privilege of being an advocate for intercollegiate athletics and the student-athlete experience. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield IMG College Directors' Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.
About Digital Seat Media
The Digital Seat Media platform connects fans to brands inside of a venue on their mobile device, in low bandwidth environments without the need to download an app or wi-fi. The Digital Seat platform works on all major smartphones, regardless of brand, or wireless carrier. The platform works by simply placing a small, non-intrusive tag on venue seats, armrests, or bleachers, enabling fans to engage with offers, content, and activities in real time on their mobile device. The custom analytics dashboard provides real-time ROI performance metrics allowing brands and content providers to see how many times tags were scanned, downloaded to their digital wallet, and ultimately redeemed.
SOURCE Digital Seat Media
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