Time Shifting: Is Sports the Last One Standing?
Saturday, March 9 | 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Hyatt Regency Austin
Hill Country ABCD
Whether you find yourself engaged in a heated debate about why your Fantasy Sports team still has a shot at winning it all, or if you find yourself casually conversing with your favorite sports journalist via Twitter, there’s no denying the fact that the relationship between sports and fans has become more interactive than ever.
Jason Kint, senior vice president and general manager of CBS Interactive’s sports division, took the time to give us some insight into just how much this relationship has progressed over the past several years. As if his title doesn’t say enough, Kint has quite a bit of experience under his belt in this realm.
“I’ve been involved with digital media since 1994 and the first web browser,” Kint said. “I started with sports, so my entire career has been in digital sports. It really started back when I was in college.”
Kint joined CBSSports.com in 2007. At his time of introduction, CBS Sports was actively shifting to a more digital presence. That shift has brought the media giant to its current multimedia position that now dominates the sports content industry.
“The biggest thing to highlight is that the CBS Sports brand has become a multi-platform brand,” Kint said. “A decade ago, it was truly a brand for sports events on TV. In the past few years, we’ve really accelerated to become a 24/7-365 service. We have a website that covers all major sports throughout the day and night. We have mobile products that are 24/7. We have the CBS Sports Network, which is a 24/7 TV channel, and a radio network. Across all of these different platforms, you’re able to consume content and interact with our brand. We’re able to deliver information at all hours.”
According to Kint, CBSSports.com has differentiated itself from other interactive sports sites in its depth of focus.
“I think what sets us aside as a company is our attention to major sports and the depth in which we try to cover them,” Kint said. “The way we provide perspective on sports across all of our platforms is truly unique.”
Online streaming is another area that Kint believes CBSSports.com has spearheaded for sports fans.
“I think we’ve really led the way in live-streaming and creating experiences around live events,” Kint said. “Our history goes back to taking March Madness online and streaming all of the NCAA Tournament games. In the past, you could only watch one of the regional games at a time. We’re building live experiences.”
Those kinds of live experiences especially translate to the world of fantasy sports, which is one that CBSSports.com has been a leader in since the inception of the environment.
“Our strength is in fantasy sports,” Kint said. “That’s where a large percentage of our sports fans participate on the digital side. We were the first to really take fantasy sports online in the 90s. Now, we’re listening to sports fans and finding out what they need from us throughout the week. There’s been an evolution of the sports fan, and we’re trying to meet their needs and wants.”
Kint’s career-long love for sports has not yet waned, and likely will not for some time to come.
“I love the live nature of sports,” Kint said. “It’s about interacting with the fans in real time. I love the heightened level of passion and enthusiasm that surrounds it. Sports fans have an insatiable appetite for anything and everything about their teams. The progression of digital and social media over the past few years has really only just started to tap into that.”
This will be Kint’s second year in a row attending SXSW Interactive. He looks forward to the open environment of the festival.
“My biggest takeaway was the amount of energy that happens at the conference and in the streets and events around it,” Kint said. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”
Kint had a few words of advice for those attending the festival for the first time.
“Don’t hesitate to meet and interact with people in that space,” Kint said. “Ask questions and learn. Regardless of your experience, there’s not a better event to just learn from the people around you and share.”