One of the best ways to stay up to date on any sports team today is through social media. The Denver Broncos started a Facebook page and Twitter account to help form a stronger bond with "Bronco Nation". On the Facebook page, fans can read news, videos, rumors, and basically anything pertaining to the organization. Several Bronco players and some executives including John Elway have twitter accounts where fans can follow individuals a little more intimately with up to the second information.
As social media usage has boomed it has quickly become adopted by the major professional sports leagues around the world, with both teams and players setting up official accounts on Twitter and Facebook that attract the attention of millions of fans. Some teams have really had great success at attracting fans to their Facebook Page and Twitter accounts. The Dallas Cowboys have over 3.5 million Facebook followers, while some teams have not gained the traction like the Atlanta Falcons with less than 200,000. Twitter has also become popular with Jet fans with 202,000 followers, however the Tampa Buccaneers have only 34,000 followers. Bigger markets will probably continue to garner more hits, but it would be expected that all teams should have some growth in order to stay more connected with the fans.
This is what happens when the NFL and "The Social Networking" movie come together
Baseball to celebrate Social Media Day
NBA social media guidelines out
Social Networking creates a great opportunity for both teams and fans to remain close to the fans, but it also creates a risk to the league, teams, and players. The NBA has instituted rules for teams and players to follow in order to protect the brand. One example is The Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers are among the teams this week that have already announced a stricter ban on social networking than the league's rules, essentially forbidding it on anything regarded as "team time."
The New Jersey Nets have a very fan friendly website built around social networking. Fans have access to team the team Facebook page, but also players pages. In addition there is twitter accounts for fans to follow of their favorite players. The nice part is the site also offers a tutorial on how to get the most out of the site and the social networking options.
Chatterbox: Social Media in Hockey
The NHL has been at the forefront of the professional sports leagues in terms of embracing social networking and the various ways it can be used to provide otherwise nonexistent opportunities to fans. Some teams are hiring dedicated social media coordinators to keep them in touch with their fans, and many NHL officials are on Twitter, including DiLorenzo, who spent a considerable amount of time tweeting during the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals, exposing fans who weren’t at the arena to the thrill of playoff hockey.
The Islanders are now connecting to fans all over the world like never before. Using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and Foursquare, the Islanders are breaking news, offering special promotions, and providing behind-the-scenes coverage of the team. With the Islanders community of networks, fans connect with each other, talk about the happenings in Islanders world, and even have chances to win great prizes.
The Cleveland Indians are not breaking many attractive records as of late but they are however number one in something. They are the first team in any major sport to develop a social media only section in their home park Progressive Field. The section, which was located in left field last year, is now being moved to the suite boxes for the 2011 season and has been named Indians Social Suite.
Fans who participate on social media sites will be invited to the suites on a game by game basis. Fans need to fill out an application in order to get a chance to attend. The Indians are also inviting bloggers to the suite who at times tend to bash the team in their websites.
