Good morning. This is Leadoff, the early buzz in Atlanta sports.
Atlanta has two of the six most technologically savvy pro sports teams in the world, according to a new ranking by the website SportTechie.
The Hawks rank No. 3 and the Braves No. 6 on the SportTechie 25 list, released Wednesday.
The website, which covers the intersection of sports and technology, describes the Hawks as “an organization looking to stretch the proverbial envelope (in) innovative fan engagement.” It cites the Hawks’ “Tinder Swipe Right Night” promotions, 3D projection mapping on the court during player introductions, live streaming of an open practice via Facebook Live and partnership with Emory Healthcare to build a high-tech training facility.
SportTechie writes that the Braves’ new stadium, SunTrust Park, will be “one of the most technologically advanced stadiums in the world,” allowing fans to “stay connected as they text, Tweet, Snap, share, post and stream video.” The website also cites the Braves’ introduction last season of a monthly subscription for fans to capture the last-minute ticket market, partnerships with Atlanta Tech Village and mobile technology company Experience, and new relationship with “15 Seconds of Fame, a social app that delivers personalized videos to fans after they appear on stadium jumbotrons.”
The SportTechie 25 list is topped by the No. 1 Sacramento Kings and the No. 2 Golden State Warriors. Ranked between the No. 3 Hawks and No. 6 Braves are two soccer teams, Manchester United of the English Premier League at No. 4 and the Seattle Sounders of MLS at No. 5.
The Falcons and start-up Atlanta United aren't ranked in SportTechie's top 25. The full list is here.
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Braves general manager John Coppolella will return to Twitter at noon today for what the team is calling "a special holiday edition" of #AskCoppy, the periodic feature in which the GM answers questions from fans.
The Braves were among the winners announced Wednesday of 2016 Cynopsis Sports Leaderboard Awards, which recognize the best work in sports social media, for the #AskCoppy feature.
"Leveraging different topics throughout the season such as roster moves, team development, in-season performance, transitioning into a new ballpark and more, Coppy delivered a straight-forward analysis in a way not done by other teams," according to Cynopsis Sports, which added that Coppolella answered "more than 400 questions with a reach of more than 11 million people."
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