Get Into the Action on Your Cell
NEED TO SEND A WORD to LeBron? Soon it may be as simple as punching out a text message. Several pro hockey and basketball teams are thinking of letting fans send a team cheers or even a wedding proposal to the scoreboard from their cell phones.
Alanta&s FanDrive Media has talked with NHL and NBA teams interested in the technology. On Dec. 5, FanDrive Media showed off cell capabilities at a New York Rangers-Minnesota Wild hockey game at Madison Square Garden. Between periods, fans could "talk to the Rangers" by sending text messages (through a moderator) to the scoreboard.
Messaging is just one way for fans to use phones. In coming weeks, the Air Canada Centre in Toronto will let them pick songs at Raptor basketball and Maple Leaf hockey games. They will also play trivia games and see answers on the scoreboard. Some teams might charge 50ยข or so for services; others would offer them free and use phone contacts to create customer lists.
2006-01-09
