Most of us love tournament madness. I remember being in Las Vegas for the NCAA tournament, and I had Kentucky +8 against Duke, even though I was rooting for the Blue Devils. I was in the Caesars Palace sports book, which at the time was basically a mecca for sports and betting fans. I couldn’t lose my bet as the game was so close, and then I was able to witness Christian Leattner’s epic game-winning shot that will be remembered for as long as kids play basketball.
That’s why we love March Madness. Last night gave us another glimpse, particularly for us Ohio State fans, as LaQuinton Ross hit a three at the end of regulation to give the Buckeyes the win over Arizona. The Buckeyes have now done this two games in a row, so I suspect that more and more fans will be tuning in to their games.
Events like this can now be experienced in so many new ways with apps and devices. You can’t replicate what I experienced in Las Vegas, but you can create incredible experiences as these games play out. That’s why we have an explosion of apps built around the NCAA tournament which drives incredible innovation that can spill over to other areas. If you want to enter a pool, like to bet on March Madness, challenge your friends or just see the drama in real time, there are tons of apps out there that will let you do so.
The key is that in today’s world, content drives more content. Derivative activities like pools and betting can thrive around sporting events, but also television like contest shows. That’s why we’re also seeing an explosion of interactive TV around apps as well.
Get ready for more and more ways to enjoy this stuff, though the drama of seeing games unfold in real time still has to be the best way to enjoy these events.
