By Dan Butcher

March 1, 2010

Kroenke Sports Enterprises has launched a wide-ranging mobile campaign for Pepsi Center and the three teams to which it plays host — the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and the NLL’s Colorado Mammoth.

The campaign is sponsored by AT&T, the Official Wireless Partner of Pepsi Center and its teams, and powered by Txtstation. It includes multiple SMS clubs to engage and inform its fans of ongoing news, as well as interactive arena promotions designed to enhance the in-venue viewing experience. 

“Kroenke Sports was looking to fulfill their AT&T obligations—AT&T came in as a big sponsor for the Pepsi Center and the three teams, and they wanted mobile programs in the stadium for home games,” said Michael Falato, vice president of sales and business development at Txtstation, Austin, TX. 

“We did the Democratic National Convention in Denver for AT&T, and we had 60,000 people text-in, responding to a call-to-action on the high-def digital ticker at Invesco Field, and AT&T told the Pepsi Center they’re very happy with us,” he said.

“Kroenke Sports tested different platforms—we were in competition with four other mobile companies to win their business.”

Denver-based Kroenke Sports Enterprises is an ownership, entertainment and management group. It is the owner and operator of the Pepsi Center, the Paramount Theatre, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, the Colorado Avalanche (NHL), Denver Nuggets (NBA), Colorado Mammoth (NLL) and Colorado Rapids (MLS).

Additional properties under Kroenke’s umbrella include Altitude Sports & Entertainment, a 24-hour regional television network, Altitude Authentics, the company’s official retail provider and TicketHorse, the official ticketing provider for Kroenke teams and venues.

Txtstation is a mobile marketing company specializing in sports and entertainment for broadcasters, event owners, sponsors and general media to communicate with viewers or fans directly through mobile phones, Internet and landlines.

Txtstation creates one-to-one real-time dialogue with consumers at specific times and places such as events, concerts and live or pre-recorded broadcasts.

The Pepsi Center, as well as each of the three teams, will have its own dedicated SMS club: “Pepsi Center Mobile,” “Nuggets Mobile,” “Avalanche Mobile” and “Mammoth Mobile”.

Fans can join them via text message or online through a brief entry form.

A handful of messages will be blasted out to the opt-in participants each week and content will include breaking news, score updates and promotional offers. 

Mobile promotions will also be shown on the video boardatall home games. Potential concepts include:

Mascot Scenario – The team mascot will be presented in a humorous situation and fans will be able to choose how the scenario plays out by voting on what happens next.

Song of the Game – Fans vote as to what song should be played during an upcoming break.

Fan Battle – Two fans will be featured on the video board dancing while the remaining fans in-arena can vote, in real time, on who they think should win the dance-off.

Hidden Object – An object will be hidden and placed under three basketballs. It is then scrambled and rearranged before finally settling in place and fans have the opportunity to vote via text message on which basketball holds the object.

MVP of the Game – A simple SMS voting format pits three players against each other while fans help decide who was most valuable to the outcome of the game by texting a keyword to a short code.

For each of the above, content and voting results are displayed in real time on the video board, thus providing an interactive atmosphere for the fans.

“AT&T branding integrated into the mobile initiatives, so this is fulfilling Kroenke Sports’ obligation to the new AT&T partnership,” Mr. Falato said. “We have a two-year agreement with Kroenke Sports for their AT&T mobile activation.”