James Raia

NASCAR, Sprint, Turner Sports Collaborate For iPhone App

September 14, 2012 by James Raia 2 Comments

The most prominent racing series in the United States has joined the iPhone sports world.

NASCAR, Sprint and Turner Sports have launched the sport’s first official app for iPhone and iPod Touch. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile App allows fans to follow their favorite drivers and keep informed on Chase for the Sprint Cup race action, including access to race day content, schedules, standings, breaking news and more.

iPhone customers with a Sprint Unlimited Data Plan will have access to a vast collection of additional live features:

MRN and PRN race radio broadcasts; in-car audio for all 43 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers; RaceBuddy in-car video and track camera views; NASCAR on SPEED broadcasts including live Qualifying, Practice and favorite trackside shows such as NASCAR RaceDay; In-race highlights and alerts, Post-race press conferences; Real-time leaderboards and Pit Pass telemetry data.

“Fan engagement during the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is significantly elevated each and every season as the championship battle unfolds and ultimately culminates at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November,” said Marc Jenkins, NASCAR vice president of digital media. “With NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile now available for the iPhone for the first time ever, fans will get a customized experience, bringing them closer to the racing action than ever before.”

The popular NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile App provides fans with 24/7 access to all things NASCAR. Though Sprint had previously offered a NASCAR app for Android platforms, the nation’s third-largest carrier didn’t start offering Apple’s iPhone until late last year. Sprint will also be selling the new iPhone 5, which was announced earlier this week.

NASCAR’s digital rights including NASCAR.COM, the official online destination of NASCAR which provides racing enthusiasts with an all-inclusive offering of engaging content including fantasy games, video highlights, social elements and in-depth editorial content, are currently managed by Turner Sports.

As part of a restructured partnership announced earlier this year, Turner Sports remains the exclusive sales agent across the NASCAR Digital Media platform through 2016 while NASCAR assumes operational control on Jan. 1, 2013 of its interactive, digital and social media rights and all related platforms.

This is a boon for mobile customers that might not be able to catch a race live, or are watching but want different information that that which is provided by the broadcast. Many of the features of the mobile app are ones that a television viewer would get but they now have increased flexibility to hone the information that they are getting.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile App is available free from the App Store on iPhone and iPod Touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore. NASCAR has been increasingly aggressive in pushing its brand into new areas. It launched a major Twitter push earlier this summer and has been very proactive in having drivers participate with fans via social media.

James Raia is an editor and publisher in Sacramento, California. Visit his site: www.tourdefrancelife.com

Filed Under: AT&T, iPad, iPhone, Live sports via mobile, NASCAR, Sprint Cup Series, Turner Sports

National Football Foundation Debuts Website, Mobile Applications

September 5, 2012 by James Raia Leave a Comment

The National Football Foundation (NFF) and XOS Digital Inc. have jointly announced a new website and corresponding mobile and tablet applications to provide fans with multiple access points to NFF content in various formats. Among other tasks, the NFF runs the College Football Hall of Fame.

The new website, www.footballfoundation.org, marks the completion of the NFF Digital Network and is managed by XOS Digital, which serves more than 300 sports organizations with myriad technology solutions.

The foundation’s official website offers exclusive video content and original programming and connects to multiple digital platforms, including a dedicated NFF OnDemand store, Smart TV content, YouTube channel and mobile applications.

The NFF OnDemand store features DVD and Blu-ray content as well as classic college football documentaries, available for purchase for the first time. Fans can access this exclusive video content through a digital account where they can select videos to watch online and access them for viewing on tablet and mobile devices.

Every NFF event will be streamed live on all compatible platforms, including the NFF Annual Awards Dinner, the Annual Enshrinement Show, and the annual announcement of FBS inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame. Fans can download the official NFF mobile application for free, and the official NFF tablet application for $4.99.

The NFF Digital Network also features an originally produced video series, This Week in College Football History, which highlights a memorable historic football event each week throughout the football season. All NFF historic content and original productions are accessible though the XOS College Sports Smart TV channel.

For more information, visit www.footballfoundation.org or www.xosdigital.com.

James Raia is an editor and publisher in Sacramento, California. Visit his site: www.tourdefrancelife.com

Filed Under: Android, Apple, BCS, Live sports via mobile Tagged With: College fotball, James Raia

NBC Sports Radio Debuts Nationwide on Terrestrial Stations, Online

September 5, 2012 by James Raia

NBC Sports Radio, airing on 178 radio stations nationwide as well as streaming on www.nbcsportsradio.com, debuted Sept. 4 and is featuring a diverse selection of programs.

Programming will be distributed by Dial Global and content will include hourly sports news updates, daily features as well as long-form shows.

The NBC Sports Radio roster includes:

The Erik Kuselias Show, Monday-Friday 7-10pm, ET;

Amani and Eytan, Monday-Friday 10pm-1am, ET: featuring former NFL pro Amani Toomer and Eytan Shander;

The Dan Schwartzman Show, Tuesday-Saturday 1am-5am, ET;

Safety Blitz with Rodney Harrison, a two-hour weekend show featuring former NFL All-Pro Rodney Harrison;

24/7 anchored national updates featuring Jon Stashower, Kay Adams and

Dan Schwartzman.

The new NBC Sports Radio is a partnership between Dial Global and the NBC Sports Group.

“This is a great day in sports radio and we’re proud to have 178 affiliates share it with us,” said Chris Corcoran, Executive Vice President, General Manager, Dial Global. “Our main goal from day one has been to deliver great content for radio stations and we are excited to finally hit the field and play.”

Rob Simmelkjaer, Senior Vice President, NBC Sports Ventures and International, said, “We couldn't be more excited to launch the newest platform in the NBC Sports Group family. With 178 affiliates on board at launch and a great starting talent line-up, the sky is the limit for NBC Sports Radio.”

A mobile applications for the network is being developed, according to a spokesperson.

James Raia is a California-based journalist who writes about sports, travel and leisure. Visit his cycling site at tourdefrancelife.com

Filed Under: NBC Sports, NCAA Football, ProFootballTalk Tagged With: James Raia, NBC Sports, NBCsports.com, sports radio

Fanzooloo Debuts Full College Schedule Sept. 1 With Alabama Versus Michigan Game

August 23, 2012 by James Raia

Self-described as a sports fan's combination of ESPN, Trip Advisor and Yelp, the mobile application Fanzooloo and its corresponding website has launched its check-in system and will debut into college sports Sept. with the Alabama vs. Michigan game in Arlington, Texas.

Fanzooloo touts it streamlines the fan experience with parking, last-minute ticket, merchandise and restaurant deals and is using the moniker: “Fanzooloo, It's About More Than Just The Game.”

The Fanzooloo website (www.fanzooloo.com) offers the same information as the mobile application plus additional content while designed like a sports and leisure magazine.

Entertainment, sports, entertainment, food, and social activities nea

r each sports venue will be offered.

According to Fanzooloo, content is both fan-generated and aggregated and will target the overall live game experience – leisure, food, drink and social interaction.

Although the check-in system will premier at the Cowboys Classic, Fanzooloo will encompass all SEC football teams this season, as well as roll out the check-in system for NFL teams and stadiums.

Fanzooloo already includes more than 1,500 merchants and information for every NFL, MLB and NBA team stadium. Fans can find what local bars offer a free shuttle to the game; locate and purchase parking and game tickets within the app; read, write and share fan experiences; find pre-game happy hours; and conveniently locate fan recommended food and beverages inside every stadium.

For additional information, visit: www.fanzooloo.com. The mobile download is available, at http://fanzooloo.com/appstore

Filed Under: Denver Broncos, ESPN, iPhone, NCAA Football, NFL Mobile, Sports Social Media, Total College Sports Tagged With: College fotball, MLB, NFL, Smartphones

RadioShack Tour Tracker Will Return For Second USA Pro Challenge Mobile Coverage

August 17, 2012 by James Raia

The USA Pro Challenge debuted in Colorado in 2011 as a new stage race but with a long history in some respects dating to the iconic Coors Classic which ended in 1988. The high degree of the new event's success even surprised race organizers.

Strong online and mobile event coverage helped in 2011, and it will return for the race's second edition, Aug. 20-26, beginning in Durango, Colo., via the RadioShack Tour Tracker.

Italian Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale), the third-place finisher in this year’s Tour de France, 2011 Tour de France titlist Cadel Evans (BMC) of Australia and defending race titlist Levi Leipheimer (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) of the United States are among the favorites for the Colorado race.

Five of the top 13 finishers in this year’s Tour de France plus a host of other Tour de France and Olympic riders will participate in the 683-mile, seven-stage race that will take the expected field of 126 cyclists from 16 teams to Denv

er.

The free RadioShack Tour Tracker (RSTT) app is downloadable from the Apple app store and Google Play. Available as a mobile and web-based app (online at prochallenge.com/RadioShack-TourTracker), RSTT features live video coupled with real time data, including stats and the standing of each rider.

Each stage will be detailed “on the road” and will immediately report breakaways, time gaps, speed and road gradient.

Fans viewing the race in person can use the RadioShack Tour Tracker’s integrated GPS tracking to monitor race progress on the detailed course map and anticipate the arrival time at their viewing point.

The TourTracker is considered the premier online and mobile race coverage platform. (Editor's note: We profiled Tour Tracker last year.) It addition to the USA Pro Challenge, it's utilized in the Tour de France, Tour of California, Tour of Utah and other international cycling events.

James Raia is a California-based journalist who writes about sports, travel and leisure. Visit his cycling site at tourdefrancelife.com

Filed Under: Apps, Cycling, iPhone, Tablets, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Video Streaming Tagged With: mobile applications for sports, Radio Shack, Tour Tracker, USA Pro Challenge

Worst Moments of the Summer Olympics: Opening Ceremony to Synchronized Diving

August 13, 2012 by James Raia

The Summer Olympics in London had wondrous times. But there were also moments of catastrophe. Athletes and announcers said stupid things and NBC obsessed over the irrelevant.

Here are the top-10 worst moments of the London Olympics:

The Queen of England wasn't smiling (and with good reason) during the Summer Olympics' opening ceremonies.

10. The over-the-top-after-every-point gyrations by American beach volleyball silver medalists Jennifer Kessy and April Ross. Ladies, please, don't do that in Rio. Please.

9. Usain Bolt said in his post 200-meter gold medal effort: “I would like to say one more thing. I am now a living legend. Bask in my glory!” Great runner, yes. Jesus Christ, he ain't.

8. A few seconds of NBC pandering to Michael Phelps' mother would have been more than sufficient, right? Could she have possibly changed her jewelry more often?

7. The NBC gymnastics broadcast braintrust of Al Trautwig, Tim Daggett and Elfi Schlegel. Repulsive shills.

6. Opening ceremony. For once, it was easy to understand why the Queen of England wasn't smiling. Two-word review: jumbled mess.

5. Synchronized diving. Hot tub and miniscule hand towels after a few seconds of exhaustion? I kept waiting for John Belushi and Dan Akroyd to come out from waiting room and drop some epic cannonballs off the 10-meter board. I would have gladly handed them a towel.

4. NBC's decision to showcase volleyball. How could coverage of bikinis and sand and spikes and digs turn out so bad? Answer: When NBC over produced every move.

3. Ryan Seacrest/Shaun White. Wrong guys for their respective gigs and it showed.

2. Andrea Kremer. I kept hoping a swimmer would push her in the pool after she asked for the umpteenth time, “What were you thinking?” Probably not one swimmer who didn't want to reply, “To swim f-ing fast.”

1. Serena Williams. Girl, guess what? The fallen American flag during the awards ceremony did not want to hug you. Shame on you.

James Raia is an editor and publisher in Sacramento, California. Visit his site: www.tourdefrancelife.com

Filed Under: NBC Sports, Olympics Tagged With: Michael Phelps, Olympics, Summer Olympics

NASCAR, Sprint, Turner Sports Collaborate For iPhone App

National Football Foundation Debuts Website, Mobile Applications

NBC Sports Radio Debuts Nationwide on Terrestrial Stations, Online

RadioShack Tour Tracker Will Return For Second USA Pro Challenge Mobile Coverage

Worst Moments of the Summer Olympics: Opening Ceremony to Synchronized Diving

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