Social Media and the SEC

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August 19, 2009 | BY Brad Wellman
  


Brad Wellman
Spyder Trap Online Marketing

Southeastern Conference logo

It was made fully aware over the last 48 hours, especially from all the buzz on Twitter, of the Southeastern Conference’s stance on new media. Unless you’re ESPN or CBS, the answer was: no…no…and, no.

That policy was more-or-less a ban on all social media usage at SEC games, saying that ticketed fans can’t:

“…produce or disseminate (or aid in producing or disseminating) any material or information about the Event, including, but not limited to, any account, description, picture, video, audio, reproduction or other information concerning the Event.”

This means that social media services, especially Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, TwitPic, and any other social media vehicle used to produce content of SEC events and distribute them in competition with authorized media coverage (CBS and ESPN), is utterly prohibited.

Well, the SEC had heard millions of people’s gripes loud and clear, and over the last 24 hours, clarified its policy with regard to social media. The new policy reads:

“No Bearer may produce or disseminate in any form a “real-time” description or transmission of the Event (i) for commercial or business use, or (ii) in any manner that constitutes, or is intended to provide or is promoted or marketed as, a substitute for radio, television or video coverage of such Event. Personal messages and updates of scores or other brief descriptions of the competition throughout the Event are acceptable. If the SEC deems that a Bearer is producing a commercial or real-time description of the Event, the SEC reserves the right to pursue all available remedies against the Bearer.

Absent the prior written permission of the Southeastern Conference, game action videos of the Event may not be taken by Bearer. Photos of the Event may be taken by Bearer and distributed solely for personal use (and such photographs shall not be licensed, used, or sold commercially, or used for any commercial or business purpose).”

They are adamant on protecting the broadcast rights of CBS and ESPN, and now it seems that casual, not-for-profit social media use by fans is allowed.  The SEC is iterating that its main concern is with video. Sure there is the potential for some fan in the nosebleed section to stream a live game from his or her cell phone, but come on…that isn’t exactly going to “win out” over an HD broadcast on CBS. But for now, at least the SEC has made revisions allowing tweets, Facebook statuses, and even photos to be uploaded (provided the user isn’t making money off of their distribution).

via Mashable

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  • http://www.twitter.com/kaceemaree Casie Cook

    I was just thinking about how much I use Twitter and Facebook status updates for gathering news and information (Example: Brett Favre becoming a Viking). However, news and current events are easily understood and communicated through text. For me, social media replace watching TV news or reading the newspaper. However, sports games must actually be viewed to get full enjoyment and understanding of what’s going on. Therefore, it would be harder to replace watching a game on TV with a few photos, tweets or Facebook status updates.

    So…I don’t think they need to be so scared.

  • http://www.twitter.com/bradwellman Brad Wellman

    Thats a good point, Casie. I agree in that I don’t think the SEC needs to worry about broadcast infringement from a fan in the high-rises able to record video on his or her cell phone, because the broadcast quality of a cell phone streaming video online leaves a lot to be desired. But the technology is only going to improve over time. It seems that the SEC wants to clamp down on it now before they really have their hands full. I think people just got scared the SEC was banning all social media from their games, which is why they needed to revise their statement. Banning people from talking about a football game they are attending on Twitter would just be plain silly.

  • Jamie Lee

    I agree. As long as video is protected (wouldn’t we rather watch the higher quality picture from ESPN and CBS over something shot on our phones anyway?) I think the use of social media at events would benefit more than hurt the professional sporting world. How many people tweeting from the game are telling their followers how much fun they are having or how lucky they are to be watching this game live? Great word of mouth advertising even if it does come from a social networking site. It might even increase the interest for the next game.

    I know that when I tweet from an event my main motivation is to let people know how glad I am to be there and that those who chose not to come are missing out-but that’s me.

  • http://www.twitter.com/bradwellman Brad Wellman

    Thanks for the comment Jamie. I agree that the use of social media at events like this can only benefit the teams, the SEC, and the sporting world in general. What people tweet or post as their statuses on Facebook will increase interest from other people in the events they are attending. I like to think of social media as 24/7/365 focus group, and in this case the teams/leagues can constantly see how people are enjoying themselves at the events.

    Thanks for the comment!

    -Brad

  • http://www.fivetechnology.com/blog Aaron Weiche

    It’s all a bit silly to me. Instead of finding the possible ways to leverage SM, buzz and your product … you rush to restrict and be fearful of it?

    I have no less that 50 ideas on how college football could CRUSH on promotions/interactions with fans on Twitter & Facebook. I guess empowering their PASSIONATE fan base and customer is silly to them though. :)

  • http://www.twitter.com/bradwellman Brad Wellman

    This definitely isn’t the first time social media has been banned or restricted because those in control didn’t understand it. They should be embracing it, like what the Big Ten is doing. From what it sounds like they have no qualms with people updating statuses and twitter feeds with their personal thoughts/feelings/etc about the events they are attending, its more geared at making sure video broadcasting is not being infringed upon.

    There are plenty of ways the SEC could utilize social media to better enhance their games and fan base, and I certainly don’t doubt that you’ve got more than 50 running through your head right now! :)

    Thanks Aaron,

    -Brad

  • http://www.thedeepbench.com Mike Billeter

    Great comments already (which always makes coming up with something original a challenge). I’d definitely agree with Aaron on this one. Even if I did upload a clip of my favorite linebacker destroying our rival’s running back or I’m in the stands recording a game winning, 60-yard bomb and you get a firsthand view of the fans going nuts (which I guarantee isn’t an authentic-feeling perspective the CBS broadcast crew can accurately portray) and I upload it to YouTube, I would think that only helps the SEC as they try to create a fan base.

    The potential for plays like that to garner millions of youtube views or a thousand-plus view twitpic should EXCITE the conference. Why wouldn’t you want a fan-made video clip to highlight two teams and get a few million views along the way. Can’t imagine it would bum out Auburn and Alabama to see that type of buzz over their teams and their schools.

    Of course, humans tend to fear that which we don’t understand. It seems to me that the people making this situation happen probably aren’t a crew of 25-35 year old social media pros, so it’s understandable that someone would panic. Clearly they’ve had some sense knocked into them, which is a good start (and, frankly, I don’t think they are THAT off-base with their views on it…just misguided). Hopefully they pick up more insight on this “social media craze” along the way. More importantly, I hope when our generation is the generation running things like collegiate conferences, we stay as open-minded about things as we’d like the current administrators to be.

  • http://www.twitter.com/bradwellman Brad Wellman

    Well Mike, I’d say you accomplished your task of coming up with an original comment :)

    I think you and Aaron are right on base that UGC (user-generated content) could only excite the fans that much more about events the SEC is hosting, which in turn can only mean for more opportunities and a larger bottom line for the SEC. I know personally if I see user-generated videos of fans going crazy at a certain team’s games, that I’m more likely to want to go to their next event than say if I see a standard broadcast on CBS or ESPN… It just makes it that much more authentic.

    I’m sure that by the time our generation is in those that type of position, we will still be as open-minded to social media as we currently are, but there is the possibility that there will either be: a new “form” of social media which we do not fully understand which may keep us narrow minded (just like the current generation reacting to today’s social media), or the social media as we know it today will evolve to a point at which its capabilities are unknown to us, and hence keep us afraid/narrow minded.

    Thanks for the comment, Mike.

    -Brad