Since the 1960s, the Los Angeles Kings have been playing on ice rinks across the world, captivating hundreds of thousands of fans along the way.
And as technology has advanced over the years, the LA Kings have been quick to adopt the latest trends (like mobile) to provide a better, more fun experience for fans worldwide.
The Kings wanted to provide “a unique experience” for their fans that “translated well in the mobile space, while providing a place where fans can find out any of the latest news they want to know about the team right at their fingerprints,” Dewayne Hankins, Director of New Media at AEG Sports, explained.
So they turned to Mobile Roadie to help engage their second-screen users, since “watching a Kings game is an inherently social experience” said Dewayne.
Announced on the LA Kings Website, Facebook, and Twitter in January 2012, the Kings app (sponsored by Verizon) catapulted to a spot in the Top 20 free apps in the Sports in the App Store. To date, there are over 48,000 downloads. Fans can’t get enough of the app, evidenced by the positive responses on the Fan Wall.
To engage fans, they utilized our platform’s live streaming capabilities to stream content in real-time. Kings Vision Raw is a popular section in the LA Kings app that “opens up all sorts of behind-the-scenes content that fans crave.” With push notifications, the Kings can send out alerts to fans whenever new content is added to the Videos section. In total, their videos have been played over 296,000 times.
They also use push notifications to alert fans of discounts exclusive to app users.
In addition to watching videos and conversing on the Fan Wall, fans can check the season schedule, the roster, photos, podcasts, standings, and buy tickets. App section hits total 4 million.
And that’s not all! With the app’s ability to reach fans far and wide at the touch of a button, the Kings are bringing awareness to their official charity, the Kings Care Foundation which supports “a variety of health-related, educational and recreational opportunities for youth of Greater LA.”
During the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NHL hosts the Beard-A-Thon, an annual charity competition that raises funds for team charities. Fans raise money by growing beards. For the 2012 Beard-A-Thon, the Kings did a little something special to promote this cause- they created 8 fun Photocards that fans could choose from when taking pictures directly in the app.
These custom Photocards have been a hit! Kings fans are uploading and sharing their Photocards, causing a flurry of bearded fans to populate the app and social networks.
Below is an example of one Beard-A-Thon Photocard:
This year, the LA Kings won the Stanley Cup for the first time in their 45-year history, which they proudly showcased in their app immediately after the win. The Kings are offering something truly unique in their marketplace, making the most of what the Mobile Roadie platform can do for fan engagement and promotion.
Become a “Roadie” and download the official LA Kings app at http://road.ie/lakings