📺 What they did

Netball NZ transformed a passive broadcast experience into an interactive MVP voting experience for fans. The big change? Instead of letting commentators pick the Player of the Match, they handed the power over to fans to decide the vote. 

Here's how they did it:

1. Their team started with simple QR codes to go live across broadcast during games for fans to enter and vote.
2. Over the season, they evolved from a QR code into a full Sky Sport integration with live results on-screen
3. Fans voted for the MVP throughout each match in real-time
4. The MVP winners were announced and interviewed post-game on broadcast, based on fan choice
5. They ran this initiative week-over-week for 47 matches, progressively collecting data on the fans viewing from home

What's the magic of this initiative? First, the discovery. Their team noticed that fans were already debating the MVP choices in comments, so they leaned into existing behaviour rather than creating new habits. The campaign ran seamlessly across the entire season, getting more sophisticated with each game.

Why this fan marketing play worked

1. Fans crave agency and influence beyond just watching the game
2. Their broadcasting partner was looking for ways to make their broadcast more interactive
3. Iterative development in tandem with their broadcast partner gave them room to test the idea, and then build out a format that had lasting power

This campaign was built on the idea of functional interactivity that actually influenced the broadcast content. The winner got interviewed, fans felt heard, the league uncovered rising stars and the broadcast partner had more meaningful connections with the fans watching at home. This campaign revealed that 38% of voters were watching games that didn't just feature their favourite team, identifying sport-wide viewers rather than just team loyalists - pure gold for future marketing.

💡 Steal this idea

Look into your broadcast relationship, and whether you can organize QR codes to link to further engagement at the very least. To find a format that will work for your team/league and broadcaster, keep the following in mind:

• Start with existing behaviour: it's easier to iterate on existing behaviour rather than force fans to do something new
• Make the votes/engagement consequential:   Ensure that the fans ' participation in the engagement actually impacts something in the real world
• Build progressively: Start simple to test your idea, then integrate deeper with broadcast tech
• Collect data strategically: Use multiple touchpoints to build rich fan profiles over time

One more idea

For their next season, Netball New Zealand is looking to level up the activation by adding player statistics during voting (points scored, assists made, etc.) to help fans make more informed choices and turn casual viewers into more informed fans. 

If you would like to learn more about this fan marketing initiative, read the play-by-play here: How Netball NZ put fans at the heart of their broadcast experience