Picture some of the largest stadiums in the world on game day: Rungrado May Day Stadium in North Korea, Michigan Stadium in the United States, and Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia. Now, picture them with no fans. Not quite the same image, is it?
Fans are what keep sporting events alive; without them the sports industry would quickly cease to exist. Not only do ticket holders want a view of all the game day action, but fans at home are just as eager to see every play and cheer along. Mi9, one of Australia’s leading digital media companies, understood this desire from fans so teamed with Brightcove to deliver an enhanced experience for Australia’s annual State of Origin rugby series.
The State of Origin series is a huge event in Australia that draws more Australian TV viewers than any other athletic competition. This year, Mi9 took their on-demand viewing experience to a new level by extending the functionality to its responsive website and mobile phone app, 9jumpin. During the games, fans could choose from up to five different camera angles of key plays along with up-to-the-minute reports, player profiles, statistics, and more. They also added social features with Tweet of Origin, where fans could cheer on their favorite team and watch to see which team was getting the most votes.
Mi9, which already leveraged Brightcove Video Cloud online video platform, worked with Brightcove to tailor the platform to further drive the on-demand experience. Mi9 Product Manager Ed Harvey shared his thoughts, stating, “Come game day, the multi-camera functionality is what gets us the viewership. No one had done something of this nature before.”
Hear from Mi9 in the video below as they demo the new technology. To learn more about how Mi9 and Brightcove worked together to redefine the fan experience, view the full case study.