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1989 Meets 2021 - MLB Edition
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Source: MLB
The classic 1989 Kevin Costner movie, where a farmer hears a strange voice saying “if you build it, he will come.” and proceeded to build an entire baseball diamond on his property. Fast forward to 2021, and the field of dreams has returned, but this time with a 21st-century approach.
The Yankees played the White Sox at the Field of Dreams on August 12th, but this wasn’t like any MLB seen before. No, don’t worry, the game was still played the same and the White Sox beat the Yankees 9-8, but it was what went on behind the scenes that interested us involved in sports marketing.
Not only was the game broadcasted on traditional television, but the MLB was also promoting fans and viewers to tune into their official Twitch watch party live stream, a media source that not many professional teams utilize to its potential. On the MLB’s official Twitch account, pundits chatted talked about everything baseball, and even took part in some fun activities live on stream.
Similar to a normal television broadcast, they discussed the sport, the game, and the athletes. But, this event was very different. Guest stars such as celebrity chef Jack Mancuso appeared to discuss cooking with corn (ironic right), MLB reporter Sarah Langs showed up, and even former Marlins and Cardinals player Xavier Scruggs guest-starred. More interesting though, was Call of Duty personality Studyy and Minecraft streamer TrueTriz appeared as well.
What we find interesting here at wwm is that sport appears to be finally connecting with new streaming and media services. Traditionally a gaming streaming platform, Twitch, and the MLB partnered perfectly with this event. They used Twitch to even play a Home Run Derby in Minecraft as well as play MLB the Show 21 where they played directly on the field of dreams in-game. At the same time, the MLB became the first pro sports entity to partner with Minecraft, where players can now purchase jerseys for their avatars and play at their favourite stadium.
Not only were 8,000 fans in attendance in Iowa, but the interactive virtual experience for this event was tremendous. It became a spectacle not only for those in attendance but those watching at home. You could be watching the Show 21, then the game, then the Minecraft stream, then the watch party, all in one stream.
Will we see more sports using Twitch in the future as well as event marketing such as this? I sure hope so. But it will be great to see how the future of sports connects so well with social media and this new age of entertainment.
Published: August 20th, 2021 - Issue 5 of The Sport Marketeer