Engaging the Digital Generation: Transform Sports and Esports Viewing with Interactive Experiences

Reflecting on the viewing experiences of the UEFA European Championship 2024 and Copa América 2024, it’s evident that there is still significant room for innovation in watching sports, esports, and gaming on web and mobile platforms.

While TV offers a traditional, shared lean-back experience, web and mobile viewing presents unique opportunities for active engagement. These platforms have a more intuitive user interfaces creating opportunities for a more personalized and interactive viewing experience.

Ex Machina has years of experience in creating interactive and engaging experiences around game shows, talent shows, sports, gaming and esports. We launched projects across Twitch, YouTube and Facebook and developed custom owned and operated live streaming experiences.

We found that adding meaningful engagement can increase the average view time by 150%.

Adding viewer engagement for live streaming can be as easy as adding an interactive overlay on top of the live stream. This overlay can provide more information and allows fans to interact with the broadcast to create a two-way viewing experience.

4 key strategies for interactive live experiences

There are 4 key strategies to enhance the live experience for viewers:

1. Gamify

Gamify the experience with trivia and predictions and allow viewers to influence the outcome of the game. Allow individuals and teams to score points to compete with friends and rank on leaderboards.

2. Enhance

Provide additional information from the game or competition to the viewer and let them explore the stats, brackets, profiles and real-time game information whenever they want.

3. Involve

Ask the viewer questions and use the results in the show or allow viewers to influence the actual game. Highlight the results directly on the stream.

4. Reward

Reward viewers with in-stream drops, virtual currencies or rewards in the game. Or reward viewers on your owned and operated platform.

Monetize esports and sports broadcasts with interactive live experiences

Introducing interactivity and viewer engagement can drive new revenue streams while increasing engagement and average view time:

Include Sponsorship and Brand Integration

Provide positive brand association with sponsored functionality, generate direct leads directly from the live stream, or create sponsored segments that highlight the brand.

Include E-commerce through shoppable video

Make your live video shoppable with direct transactions for physical or digital items. Engaged viewers can complete the transaction directly from the stream.

Enable viewer transactions

Use virtual currencies to enable visual profile upgrades or additional influence in the broadcast. Or allow your viewer to subscribe to your channel and provide premium access with additional features.

5 Interactive Opportunities for Esports, Sports Leagues, and Brands

Below are 5 example how Esports, tournaments, sport leagues and brands can make their video experience more interactive.

For sports leagues

• Improve the viewing experience by showing real-time stats.
• Include additional stats to easily compare results and let fans dive into the details.
• Providing real-time stats allows new fans or viewers that tune in late to catch up on the state of the match or race.

Example how Formula 1 can create a personalized live stream experience showing real-time data directly on the video player — copyright owned by respective owners.

For Esport organizers

• Viewers can answer trivia and predictions about the matches for points to compete with other viewers and rank on a leaderboard.
• Allow viewers to predict the outcome of the next game or bet on propositions.
• Test the knowledge of viewers with trivia and polls and use the results in the broadcast.
• Integrate sponsors and advertisers or drive e-commerce and lead generation directly from the stream.

Example how esports organizers can involve viewers and create fandom and community around teams — copyright owned by respective owners.

For event and tournament operators

• Show competition information, live game stats, bracket overviews and more.
• Introduce virtual points or currencies and enable real-time predictions to drive engagement.
• Viewers can bet their points on real-time predictions to demonstrate their knowledge of the game, teams, and competition.

Example how tournament organizers can create competition between viewers — copyright owned by respective owners.

For game publishers

• In-game stats from the streamer displayed in real-time from the game API.
• Easy to use navigation allows the viewers to access the Video Extension whenever they want.
• Involve the viewers and ask them for suggestions what to do next. Notifications can encourage viewers to engage.

Example how World of Tank can display the current vehicle stat directly on the live stream — copyright owned by respective owners.

For brands and sponsors

• Integrate e-commerce directly on the stream highlighting gear and promotions.
• Trigger cards and announcements at the relevant moment to drive engagement, e-commerce and lead generation.

Example how Logitech can create an interactive shoppable experience for live streams — copyright owned by respective owners.

Launch your own interactive live stream project with Ex Machina

Considering driving viewer engagement by making web and mobile viewing more interactive?

Let us launch your next interactive live streaming project on Twitch, Livery, your owned and operated live streaming platform, or any live streaming platform you want to use.

Our interactive live stream & extensions solution supports many types of interactions and game mechanics that drive engagement and competition between viewers. Supported by our scalable and reliable PlayTwo server infrastructure and custom analytics for detailed engagement insights.

Visit our website for more information: https://www.exmachinagroup.com/