[Editor’s note: Be sure to join us in person April 11 for the GeekWire Radio Show, live on stage for the first time, at the HUB Seattle in Pioneer Square. Listen to the end of this week’s show for a special discount code for GeekWire listeners.]
Just in time for March Madness, this week’s GeekWire radio show dives into the world of sports and technology — exploring how social media and connectivity are changing the experience of sports, from the couch to the stadium.
Our guest in the studio is Dana Dyksterhuis, the co-founder of Fanzo, a startup whose scoring system ranks fans of specific teams based on their level of activity and engagement on Twitter and other social networks. One of the goals is to create a more direct connection between fans and teams, by helping teams reward their most loyal followers.
Fanzo has launched a preliminary version of its site, to provide a sense for where it’s headed, but Dyksterhuis notes that Fanzo’s big focus right now is on its upcoming mobile app for sports fans.
We also talk about the evolving “connected fan” experience in stadiums, including efforts to let fans benefit from real-time data and analytics while they’re watching a game in person. The San Francisco 49ers may have a leg up in this area with their effort to create the “greatest stadium WiFi network of all time.”
Fanzo was one of 10 companies that participated in the Microsoft Windows Azure Accelerator, which was operated in partnership with the TechStars startup program. Dyksterhuis, whose past experience includes a tenure as communications director at a Calgary Flames’ American Hockey League affiliate, founded Fanzo with Paul Ingalls, former vice president of technology at Smilebox and computer science grad from Notre Dame.
The sports discussion begins in the second segment of the show, about 8 minutes in, following our weekly news roundup. Topics this week include Jeff Bezos’ search for the sunken Apollo 11 rocket engines, an effort by digital coupon and analytics startup Visible Brands to transform the shopping experience.
App of the Week: StatSheet College Basketball for Android and iPhone, with its special “Stat Smack” feature that helps you argue successfully with fans of rival teams.
Name that Tech Tune: The answer to last week’s Game of Throne challenge.
Related to sports, be sure to check out our “Geek Madness” tournament, organized by our colleague Taylor Soper — pitting the greatest technologists and scientists of all time against each other in Facebook polls.
Listen to the show above or via this MP3 file.
