cisco TelePresence and NBA

Here is an interesting story about Cisco's Telepresence and NBA.

Amid a recession that has many families cutting back on their spending, sports teams are trying to find new ways to lure fans to their stadiums and off their couches. One part of the strategy will be on display this weekend at the NBA All-Star game in Phoenix.

Fans in the city will get a behind-the-scenes look at the festivities and be able to interact with some of the league’s stars–thanks to a high-definition video-conferencing system. The system, called TelePresence and made by Cisco Systems, uses giant screens to create an experience as close to a face-to-face meeting as possible. (Cisco is one of the NBA’s “official partners,” so it gets to use league events to promote its products.)

“When people come to a major event like All Star they want to feel like they have something special and not just sit in a seat,” says Steve Hellmuth, executive vice president of operations and technology for NBA Entertainment. “This technology lets fans have a special in-person experience with a player.”

That personal connection, the NBA hopes, will make fans feel more connected to the sport, the league and their favorite team—and more inclined to go to games or buy NBA merchandise.

The league will set up two TelePresence systems, one at the Phoenix Convention Center, which is where many event-related festivities will be held, and another at the stadium itself. These systems will connect to one inside the weight room at the stadium. Players will be available to answer questions from fans throughout the weekend. The NBA will also use the system for trivia contests and other events, and ESPN reporters will conduct interviews with players via TelePresence.

“With these pictures, you really see the detail in someone’s expression,” says Hellmuth. “You really get the sense of the person.”

Unfortunately for fans, that “sense” won’t extend to how much a player can bench press. Even though the system is located in the weight room, it won’t be active while players are working out.

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is this the future of involving the fans?