How many of you listen to live sports and talk on the internet? If you are listening and watching here, you probably do it regularly. A recent stat said that in 2010 only 6% of people said they listened to live sports or a live show on the internet. By 2011, that percentage is now up to 23% and climbing. Sports teams and schools now not only sell television and radio rights to sporting events and games, they can sell or market the digital rights.
We are going to talk about that and more with our special guest Mike Smith.
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Internet broadcaster Mike Smith
Mike has served for the past sixteen years as the public address announcer for events inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center at LSU in Baton Rouge. Since 2006, Mike has served as the play-by-play announcer for LSU Gymnastics road meets streamed live over the Internet. LSU is one of only a handful of schools with dedicated Internet-only broadcasts of the sport. He runs his public affairs firm, MDSA Strategic Communications and in 2005, Mike founded ConnectCallUSA.com along with two business partners. The company utilizes Internet technology to place high speed, high quality telephone calls for clients across the Nation. ConnectCallUSA.com specializes in emergency evacuation, emergency notification, political and public affairs calls. The company has received numerous “Pollie Awards” for its work. Recognized as one of the “Most Influential” Political and Public Affairs leaders in Louisiana by Politics Magazine, Mike Smith’s eye for detail, public affairs knowledge and network of contacts throughout the South have well-served clients for nearly 20 years.
Discussion
1. This is a passion of yours. How much fun do you have broadcasting on the internet, and what are the demographics of people you have listening to your broadcasts?
2. Many people don’t know that sports of the internet kind of started with Broadcast.com and people don’t remember that Mark Cuban was one of the co-founders. Tell us your experience with that.
3. You are the internet voice of the LSU Tigers. Tell us about doing sports that most people don’t expect to hear a radio broadcast of like gymnastics.
4. Talk about the technology you use to broadcast from the event
5. LSU and other schools in the SEC Conference are really embracing the internet and digital media, are other conferences and smaller schools joining on and riding this wave as well?
6. What do the coaches and players or participants in sports that aren’t traditionally broadcast on the radio think of the internet broadcasts?
7. The broadcasting world is also all about advertising and sponsorships. How does LSU and you view that component?
8. Tell the listeners how they can contact you, follow what you have going on. etc
9. Let’s talk about the world of PR and how technology has changed in the almost 20 years you’ve been involved in it.
10. Where do you think it’s heading?
11. The one piece of modern technology you can’t live without in your professional or personal life?
