Blake Griffin and In-Game Predictions Platform WinView Games Flip the Script by “Taking Shots” at Fans Predicting Live Sports
WinView and NBA All-Star Blake Griffin partnered to promote their sports tech platform that allows fans to predict during live sports events and action. To play the contest, simply make in-game predictions and win cash money prizes. This new sport marketing partnership features a 3-part series of video clips that are funny, informative and help define the now, in terms of how a modern day fan can interact through the app on each play they predict. The business model between superstar athlete and products is a proven method to get the word out as was done by Joe DiMaggio plugging Mr. Coffee back in the 70s’ when I was a kid and now by Griffin in 2018 when my son is about the same age. The Sports Techie community blog first wrote about Blake as a Kia Social Club blogger. Today, he’s evolved to promoting a one-of-a-kind sports technology application I have played around 40 times and thoroughly enjoy both the entertainment value and winnings. Fan IQ is at the heart of this campaign’s messaging.
WinView
Europeans believe In-game sports play on mobile devices is the real deal. The unsubstantiated claim that this form of gaming has surpassed daily fantasy sports for now since DFS is relatively new across Europe is telling. Time will tell but here in America, the platform has its work cut out to catch the amount of DFS players in the United States. That’s why they are in business.
The notion that unlike daily fantasy experiences that end when the actual game begins, WinView offers live in game play known as a game of skill, not chance, is certainly compelling. Thus, fans can follow along with the action in real-time, talk with each other and win money.
To play, users are required to partake in the live prediction format during televised NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA, PGA and MMA action. “Will your favorite player score double digits the next quarter?” “Will there be at least four completions on this drive?” “Can this golfer par the hole?” And so forth.
Players enter contests and compete against other fans to see who has the best iQ. Whoever answers the most questions correctly in a quarter-long contest wins cash prizes, ranging from a few dollars to thousands. The WinView Games app is available on iOS and Android mobile devices.
“Our real-time sports technology platform is uniquely primed to offer hundreds of thousands of sports fans a compelling, live, in-game experience to predict the plays. Now is the perfect time to spark consumer awareness and drive downloads behind Blake’s popularity and huge fan base,” said Eric Vaughn, CEO of WinView. “Whether you’re a fan of NBA, NHL or NFL, this is one of the most exciting times of year for sports fans, and we’re excited to launch this overarching campaign and introduce more fans to the WinView experience.”
Commodification and Gamification
The theme of this innovative campaign is to show the future of televised sporting events while increasing fan engagement as they watch a basketball or football game on TV or via numerous mobile devices. The terms “commodification” refers to how athletes are more of a commodity to the general public fandom, general managers and owners, than they are real human beings with actual feelings. “Gamification” signifies where our society is at in terms of gamifying everything from purchasing about anything school and voting.
Episode 1 – Blake Vs Todd – Presented by WinView Games
This unique video content series starts with episode 1, “Blake vs. Todd.” Insert your name in for Todd because it could be you, me or anyone else around the nation that shouts at the screen when a team or player does an outstanding play or partakes in a blundered opportunity. Admit it, I do it.
Here we have a random office worker viewing a televised NBA game while working in his office and playing WinView. He successfully predicts the outcome Blake misses his free throw. Is there more to it than meets the eye as is often the case? Might that one decision have also won him a fantasy basketball game, or did it result in Todd winning his side sports bet? Perhaps he was from Detroit like my Dad and just wanted the Pistons to win the game. None of these reasons are it however. As a WinView user, Todd was easily able to predict the missed shot and could have won some extra cash just in time for the holidays. The scene takes a turn for the surreal when Griffin first makes eye contact with Todd through the screen after he celebrates the clunker of a free throw.
Fast forward to the next day and the entire staff meets the office’s new regional manager, Blake. Of course, the two characters lock eyes once again and the game has officially begun. In this case, the Winview app ecosystem springs to life and they start to predict what each other will do next at work. This exchange of predictions eventually escalates into pandemonium as the next episodes portray.
“I’m excited to partner with WinView because they’re pioneering new ways to watch and enjoy sports,” noted Blake Griffin. “I really liked being part of the creative process on the campaign and content series because it allowed me to invade a fan’s life and turn the tables, predicting what would happen in their day-to-day lives. WinView provides a new and engaging way for fans to predict action live and get rewarded for their Sports IQ.”
Sportsbiz
OBB Pictures wrote and directed the sketches. The first episode was released yesterday through Blake’s social media network (BlakeGriffin.com, Twitter/Instagram @BlakeGriffin23, Facebook BlakeGriffin32) and via WinViewGames.com, as well as pushed across a multi-channel advertising campaign using digital, TV and radio assets. Look for the next episodes every other day, culminating with the release of a fourth “bonus” episode starring Blake and his brother Taylor.
Pro athletes pay special attention to social media, fantasy sports and branding. Blake offers the trifecta to companies looking for high-profile endorsement.
Kevin Durant used a burner handle on Twitter to defend himself anonymously until his calculated responses were revealed to the public, as they should be. This is perhaps the best hoops player on the planet so it is logical to assume that many athletes do the same thing, Blake included.
Todd Gurley is the top running back in the NFL this season so far by a landslide. He took immediate flak from fans and punters alike because at the end of the LA Rams matchup last weekend with the Green Bay Packers, Gurley took a knee to run the clock out instead of plunging in for the the touchdown driving fantasy football owners and sport bettors nuts to the tune of $1 million. Griffin has been where Gurley was I am sure of it.
Branding is what Griffin hopes to accomplish for WinView. Most of our readers and followers have never heard of this company and their software before. Enter in Blake, branding extraordinaire.
“Blake has tremendous credibility as a comedic performer with our target audience. His trademark dry humor in this content illustrates how every sports fan watching the game on TV is already playing WinView-even if they don’t realize it,” said Tom Rogers, WinView’s Executive Chairman. “Whether you’re trying to predict if a superstar like Blake will make a free throw or an office drone will sink a ball of paper into the wastebasket, predicting what happens next is a part of life. Thanks to WinView’s unique platform, sports fans can benefit from testing their Sports IQ and significantly elevate their fan engagement during the live game.”
Sports Techie, I chatted with Dave Lockton, founder and former CEO of WinView a couple years ago about his company, their predictive technology, sponsorship and advertising opportunities, and the future. Use the above link to read about our discussions.
I was not paid any of the multi-million dollar marketing campaign money to write, publish and distribute across our social channels numbering more than 35,000 international contacts. Perhaps I will get a free retweet from Blake but social experience tells me not likely.
I’ll have to earn payment using my sports iQ.
My WinView handle is: SportsTechie
Hit me up and let’s play us some WinView.
Play on.
See ya later sportstechie in Seattle, Atlanta and around the world!
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