Live Sports Radios (LSR), an earpiece that allows fans to "listen to the Sirius XM Radio broadcast" of sporting events, this fall will be offered to fans of the Jaguars and "those at both home and away games of 25 major-college football teams," according to Dale Buss of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. The devices, "customized with each school's logos and colors," are sold by "sales teams in stadium parking lots, typically for $20 apiece." About two-thirds of the sales are "impulse purchases made on the way into the stadium," though LSR "sells its devices online and at concession stands as well." Fans can use the devices "all season and, afterward, as a regular FM radio." Buss notes LSR broadcasts are "in high fidelity and occur in real time," and the company also has "introduced a more expensive model that includes the AM band." After a run of "successful tests" last season at several major colleges -- including Alabama, Florida and Penn St. -- LSR is "expanding this year to clusters of teams in major conferences," including the Big 10, Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC. American Express also "provides thousands of the radios free to its customers -- and many other fans" -- at both the U.S. Open and PGA Championship, as well as the U.S. Tennis Open. Tennis fans can listen to the CBS broadcast and "benefit from Amex-provided weather and traffic updates." LSR CEO John Sammutt said that the company's plans include a "Spanish-language broadcast of next year's Super Bowl in Miami, more NFL team tests, discussions with NASCAR and a foray into what could prove the ultimate market" for the devices: MLB. Sammut also is "targeting pro basketball and hockey" ( WSJ.com, 8/19 ).
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