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In today’s edition of Power Up:
- Peacock Performance View will soon make linear TV debut
- Adobe, MLB expand deal with injection of AI tools
- Golf company Troon launching new ‘Access’ offering
Peacock Performance View will soon make linear TV debut during NBA on NBC
NBC will soon debut its Peacock Performance View on the main broadcasts of its NBA coverage. Performance View is a data-driven graphical overlay that Peacock streamers have been able to toggle on and off but will now be used at times on the traditional telecast. Its exact linear launch has not been determined but will be during the regular season.
John Jelley, NBCUniversal’s SVP who oversees product and user experience on Peacock, shared on stage at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference that, on average, a quarter of users had been engaging with the feature with as many 40% for some games. Given its popularity, the idea is to continue educating the audience of what’s available.
“That’s an example where we’re going to show something new to consumers who may not have even thought of trying it out, and by showing it on our main broadcast, we can draw them and they can continue watching it on Peacock whenever they want,” Jelley said. “These ways of sampling and getting people comfortable with some of these new experiences are important to really expose them to that.”
Performance View takes the NBA’s Hawk-Eye tracking data via a low-latency Sportradar feed and applies AI and predictive modeling to share insights around shot probability, player tendencies and more. The real-time data combines historical stats with live game situations. At times, it’s a gamified view with fire and star icons to designate momentum and elite talent, respectively.
“We try and make these layers an optional, extra space,” Jelley said. “We know that that traditional broadcast is so great and many users really love it. What we want to do is augment it and make it even better.”
NBC reported that two million Peacock users have utilized one of its NBA innovations and that 70% of Peacock viewing has been on mobile.
Adobe, MLB expand deal with injection of AI tools
MLB and Adobe are expanding their sponsorship relationship with a multi-year extension, a move that comes with a heavy injection of the tech giant’s AI products. The relationship dates back to 2021. Financials were not shared with SBJ.
Adobe will use AI to support the league’s fan engagement efforts, including planning/production of content, discoverability across other AI products (like in LLM searches), and creating more curated messages for fans through various communications channels. Adobe has announced similar expanded deals during the last year with the NFL and Premier League.
Golf company Troon launching new ‘Access’ offering
Golf course management company Troon is launching a new “Access” program that it hopes will bring tee time booking, e-commerce and a rewards program under one roof. The effort is being led by Jeff Ma, the longtime Silicon Valley executive who joined Troon nearly two years ago to spearhead its rewards program.
Ma said last week that the new Access program will have four pillars: a tee time booking service at GolfWithAccess.com, a free rewards program called Access Loyalty, a paid subscription offering known as Access Premium, and an online retail experience -- the Access Shop.
“The idea is to play golf, earn points, use those points to get free golf or to cash in at our store,” Ma said. “We believe these are much more cost effective ways for golf courses to drive demand and to reach customers.”
The hope with the program, Ma said, is to reward members for purchasing through Troon. A member might spend $3,000 on new golf clubs and then be able to convert that purchase to points to play a Troon-managed course like Troon North or the Kapalua Plantation Course. Members also are able to accrue points by booking rounds of golf through Troon and then direct them toward other purchases in the new shop. Currently, Ma said more than 200 courses are part of the program in the U.S.
The Access Loyalty program is free to join. Troon also offers two other premium tiers -- Access Premium and Access Premium+ -- that provide more benefits across the service’s ecosystem.
In addition to the management company, Troon works with several player ambassadors on the PGA Tour, including Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick and Gary Woodland. Troon also has partnered with Range Sports for one experience that includes a round of golf at Mesa Country Club with tour player Joel Dahmen, who is repped by Range.
“We’re trying to create things that help the courses make more money and then ultimately find other ways to monetize through our subscription program or through our e-commerce,” Ma said.
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