Fans who appear on the scoreboard at Verizon Center during Capitals, Wizards, Mystics and Valor games will now be able to have the videos sent directly to their mobile devices in a format that can be preserved or shared on social media networks. On Friday, the three-year-old company 15 Seconds of Fame (15SOF), which uses proprietary facial-recognition technology to identify fans appearing on in-arena Dance Cams, Kiss Cams and the like, announced a partnership with Monumental Sports & Entertainment that started with Sunday’s Wizards-Jazz game.
The way 15SOF works is simple, if a bit creepy: After downloading the 15SOF app, users are prompted to upload a selfie. Fans who check-in via the app at a game and who then appear on the video board at any point will receive a video of their appearance delivered in a shareable format to their phone. (Fans may also check-in retroactively if they forget to do so before their big moment.)
“15 Seconds of Fame offers a unique opportunity for fans to keep and share their favorite memories during a game,” Monumental Sports & Entertainment senior vice president of corporate partnerships Patrick Duffy said in a release. “We’re always looking for ways to enhance the fan experience and the 15SOF mobile app and social media platform enables another direct fan connection.”
Friday’s announcement of 15SOF’s partnership with Monumental Sports & Entertainment came one day after the company announced a multiyear partnership with MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM). The deal with MLBAM not only includes fans’ appearances on in-stadium scoreboards in all 30 MLB ballparks, but also appearances on the live home and away game telecasts.
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“Everyone is really grappling for fan entertainment in the 21st century,” 15SOF chief executive Brett Joshpe told The Post. “How do teams keep fans in their seats and get them engaged? I think we touch on a lot of those points, because our product is unique to the experience. You can only get it at the venue. If you’re on the ‘Dance Cam’ with friends or you’re at the game with your kids for the first time, if you appear on the scoreboard, that’s something that’s great for the team and the brand. It really connects with the fan and gives them a powerful, everlasting memory.”
The Phoenix Suns were the first professional sports team to partner with 15SOF, which launched publicly in November 2015. 15SOF also has partnerships with the University of Michigan, the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets, and the NHL’s Devils and Islanders.
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