(Atlanta, GA, March 15, 2011) ~ This year, NCAA March Madness will be just as much about the fan Tweets and Facebook posts as it will about the high-flying dunks, buzzer beaters and improbable upsets. That’s because Coca-Cola Zero, Turner Sports and CBS Sports have partnered to create the most impressive and robust online fan experience ever with the launch of the Coke Zero NCAA March Madness Social Arena.
From the First Four™ through the Final Four®, fans can log on to the Coke Zero NCAA March Madness Social Arena at CokeZeroSocialArena.com and follow every aspect of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, from the action on the hardwood to the online social commentary. This innovative digital experience will accompany live streaming of the games on March Madness on Demand (MMOD) and feature a real-time Social Ticker displaying fan chatter and trending social topics around the tournament, and a first-of-its-kind Social Bracket that ranks teams based on the sum of online conversation about each team. The MMOD experience, including the live player, can be accessed through NCAA.com, CBS Sports.com or SI.com. “Each year millions of everyday people suddenly become rabid basketball fans – immersed in the live action of March Madness and obsessed with following every play, every upset, every victory over the three weeks of this exciting tournament,” said Bea Perez, chief marketing officer, Coca-Cola North America. “With the Coke Zero NCAA March Madness Social Arena, we’re giving fans the ultimate way to follow the tournament wherever they are and play a role in March Madness through their own social commentary.” When visiting the Coke Zero NCAA March Madness Social Arena online or via the new iPad app, fans can monitor and contribute to the social chatter around each match up from their own Facebook posts and Twitter feeds. Fan comments and social media posts related to March Madness will appear in “Tourney Buzz” on the site.
Joining in on the conversation will be CBS Sports and Turner Sports online and on-air basketball analysts who will be regularly commenting on live game action, sharing tournament observations and connecting with fans. The Coke Zero NCAA March Madness Social Arena also will contain an “Impressive Moments” section, a video portal highlighting the most exciting plays from each round of the tournament. Fans will be prompted to vote on their favorite impressive plays, and the video with the highest ranking will be featured on the national broadcast show, “Impressive Moments of March Madness” presented by Coke Zero airing at 3 p.m. EDT on CBS Sports leading up to the coverage of the Final Four games on April 2. And to top off this most impressive March Madness experience, Coke Zero is sponsoring a sweepstakes where fans have a chance to win tickets and a trip for two to the 2011 NCAA Men’s Final Four in Houston. Between March 14-24, fans can submit an entry on Coke Zero NCAA March Madness Social Arena for one of two grand prize packages, including two Final Four 2011 Final Four tickets, round-trip airfare and accommodations for four nights in Houston. To visit March Madness On Demand and explore the Coke Zero March Madness Social Arena, visit http://mmod.ncaa.com. iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch users can download the free NCAA March Madness On Demand app from the App store. More information on the Coke Zero NCAA Men’s Final Four Sweepstakes, including complete contest rules visit www.cokezerosocialarena.com.
About The Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. The Company’s portfolio includes 14 billion dollar brands, including Coca-Cola, recognized as the world’s most valuable brand, as well as Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply and Georgia. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company’s beverages at a rate of 1.6 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate.
For more information about our Company, please visit our website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.
About the Turner Sports Turner Sports, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is an industry leader in televised and online sports programming, airing championship level sporting events on TBS, TNT and truTV, and managing some of the most popular sports sites on the Internet. Turner Sports’ television line-up includes the NBA, Major League Baseball, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, NASCAR and professional golf. The company’s digital portfolio includes SI.com, NASCAR.COM, NCAA.com, PGATOUR.COM, GOLF.com and PGA.com, as well as an accompanying collection of mobile websites and connected device apps. Turner Sports and the NBA also jointly manage NBA Digital, which includes NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS, NBA Mobile, the NBA Game Time App, NBADLEAGUE.com and WNBA.com. About the NCAA The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit http://www.NCAA.org and http://www.NCAA.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes. The NCAA is proud to have the following elite companies as official Corporate Champions — AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola — and the following elite companies as official Corporate Partners — Enterprise, The Hartford, Infiniti, LG, Lowe’s, Planters, Reese’s, Unilever and UPS. NCAA, Final Four, March Madness and First Four are licensed by or trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Contacts Coca-Cola Refreshments Kirsten Witt, 404-676-0314
Sports Industry 2.0: Social Media in Sports 