Guest Post: Charlotte Males is the Founder of Sports Intern UK. She is a firm believer that Digital and Sport have a lot to learn from each other and is excited to see where this partnership can lead. A big fan of US sport, you can contact her at @charliemales.

With the rise of smart TVs, comes the rise of new innovations to enhance the TV viewing experience for the sports fan. This is great news for Major League Baseball fans, as a new application is set to expand and enhance the broadcast viewing experience for fans.

A new partnership between Bloomberg Sports, OneTwoSee and LG Electronics has been announced, and is set to bring real time interactive statistics and advanced analytics to fans TV Screens alongside MLB games. The three companies announced the partnership at CES in January, and the application is free and included on all new LG smart TVs. With Bloomberg Sports supplying the analytics, LG Electronics supplies the hard ware and OneTwoSee being the creative middle man.

The application will allow fans to see engaging data and graphics during the live game. For example, LA Dodger fans watching Clayton Kershaw pitch will be able to see statistics surrounding him, such as; the probability of him throwing a curveball vs. a fastball, or other stats including ball to strike ratio. All stats in the application would update in real-time through-out the game. Stats and analytics will be available for all positions on pitch including batters.

“Smart TV apps can provide highly personalized and targeted ad experiences that are configured to work in lockstep with the broadcast flow… Because the platforms are largely web based, the media delivery options and calls to action are fairly extensive.  In addition, the ad delivery can be tied directly to contextually relevant events and triggered based on those events.  For example, by leveraging our Action Trigger ad platform brands can deliver ads around certain types of plays, such as a steal or a home run, and tie the creative in a campaign to the event.  Imagine a home security company tying delivery of a message whenever there is a stolen base, or a pain medication company delivering ads tied to big hits in an NHL game.” Chris Reynolds, CEO of OneTwoSee.

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MLB viewers can forget second screen apps while watching baseball games- the TV can do all the work for you. These advanced analytics and stats work seamlessly with each game and give fans a more in-depth understanding of the game. This is truly a step forward in innovative fan engagment which can benefit all partners involved. The amount of information available to marketers through these applications makes it incredibly easy for marketers to connect with fans in a variety of creative ways.

The possibilities of this type of application are endless and can be used for all sports. So watch this space as I expect more innovations to becoming to the sports fan through this medium.