ESPN’s First Screen for the X Games Is Mobile

Shaun White stole the headlines at the Winter X Games with his perfect 100 on the super pipe final Sunday night. But quietly working in the show’s background were ESPN and Shazam.

The two teamed up to create an interactive online video experience for viewers leveraging Shazam’s platform, which lets users access highlights, photo galleries and music during the telecast. If you thought this was a second- or even third-screen experience, you're wrong. The mobile experience was very much the first screen, explains Michael Bayle, vice president and general manager of ESPN Mobile.

In his keynote address at MediaPost's Mobile Insider Summit, Bayle declared mobile a new starting point when it comes to content development. Whereas the old focus was on making traditional media more mobile, Bayle says the process has been reversed at ESPN.

“What’s taking preference now is to try to get as ubiquitous as possible. Program and design from the mobile standpoint first, then extrapolate what could be applied for the PC, television and print experience,” he said.

ESPN's mobile audience numbers more than 20 million according to MediaPost, with about 150,000 users consuming mobile content at any given time. In 2011, users spent 45 percent more time with ESPN Mobile than the year prior. Mobile has been key to reaching ESPN's international audience, Boyle said.