ESPN Claims Reports of its Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

Last Friday, tv audience tracking firm Nielsen released data that indicated ESPN had lost 621,00 subscribers in the month of October, a record for the Disney-owned broadcaster. ESPN were naturally not enthused, and responded with venom.

“The Nielsen numbers represent a dramatic, unexplainable variation over prior months’ reporting, affecting all cable networks,” said the sports network. “We have raised this issue with Nielsen in light of their demonstrated failures over the years to accurately provide subscriber data. The data does not track our internal analysis nor does it take into account new DMVPD entrants into the market.”

Nielsen subsequently retracted the data and is re-examining its numbers from the report. While the exact quantity of ESPN’s subscriber loss may be questionable, the issue is undoubtedly a major issue for the network. ESPN lost 1.5 million subscribers between February and May of 2016, representing a 12-13 percent drop off in subscribers since the company’s 100.1 million subscription peak in 2011.

  Customer Service Twitter Finds its Voice

Customer service twitter account The Q Assist has taken to the new NBA season with gusto, becoming a viable tool for digital fan engagement. The account for the Quicken Loans Arena, home of reigning NBA champions the Cleveland Cavaliers and star Lebron James, first tweeted in 2012, but only in formulaic replies to help fans find seats.

Gradually the Q Assist grew braver. It learned to retweet. It apologized for concessions being down at the arena. By 2015, its customer service replies began to include the occasional adventurous exclamation point. And with the start of the most recent NBA season last month, the Q Assist has fully transitioned from a stoic assistant into a viable source of fan engagement.

The account now responds with charm and wit, sounding full personable and like an actual human being. It interacts with fans, attempts to crowd-source info on the best bars and finds people fun promo videos. This change in style shows that sports teams are recognizing that web-based fan engagement can come from all corners, even customer service.

It even uses emojis.

.@rmajik @mariannefuerst @cavs they are porta-potties CONFIRMED! We are prepared. ???? #QAsisst

— The Q Assist (@TheQAssist) June 22, 2016

MLS Teams Can’t Decide How to Tweet

Following up on an excellent piece exploring how Premier League clubs celebrate goals on Twitter, Scott Goodacre at The Online Rule looked across the Atlantic to examine how Major League Soccer’s (MLS) teams celebrate their goals on Twitter.

90+3: GOOOOOOOOOOOOAL @Guaje7Villa!!!! THE CAPTAIN!#NYCFC 4-1 @ColumbusCrewSC #DecisionDay pic.twitter.com/aIZnNcb5Pq

— New York City FC (@NYCFC) October 23, 2016

None of the 20 teams use the same formula, and the only consistent feature is the name of the goalscorer. Goodacre reported that NYCFC were the most successful as far as engagements, and he awarded them extra plaudits for including the opposing team’s handle as well as that of the goal scorers. Unexpectedly, only one MLS team used emojis in their tweets, and some of the most popular tweets did not seem to follow any of the conventional rules for generating Twitter engagement.

Southampton Discover an Unlikely Supporter

Southampton stole the show on social media this week, responding to a tweet from Pope Francis’ official Twitter account that regarded saints finding authentic happiness.

Thanks for noticing, @Pontifex! ???? #saintsfc https://t.co/AC2r3BmqWY

— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) November 1, 2016

The club’s cleverness did not go unnoticed. Southampton’s tweets hardly ever receive more than 50 retweets, with the majority earning less than 10. Their response to the Pope: Over 900 retweets and rising. Talk about improving engagement!

The Cubs Go Digital for Historic Celebration

After ending their 108-year wait for a World Series title, the Chicago Cubs released this emotional video on Twitter to celebrate.

Today is our day. #FlyTheW pic.twitter.com/F3yTo6gjcA

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) November 3, 2016

Complete with shots of cheering fans young and old, the team were able to produce and publish the video only hours after being crowned champions. The stirring clip immediately resonated with fans online and garnered over 22,000 retweets, a number that will continue to climb as Chicagoans celebrate their historic achievement.