With games airing live on cell phones and computers, the World Cup will get more online coverage than any major sporting event yet. Watching highlights the next day on TV or YouTube will suddenly seem a downright ancient way to keep up with the action.
As the soccer tournament began on Friday, footy fans can follow the action from an array of mobile and Web applications and share in triumph and heartbreak across social media.
Walt Disney Co. networks ESPN and ABC, which are broadcasting the games in the U.S., will stream 54 games live on the newly launched ESPN3.com, formerly ESPN360. The games are free to those in the US who get their internet from a service provider affiliated with ESPN, including AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and many others.
The digital coverage will be an especially important component for the World Cup because US audiences will be watching many of the games all being played in South Africa during the day, possibly on their computers at work.
Comparing the digital experiences of the 2010 World Cup to the 2006 World Cup, John Kosner, senior vice president and general manager of ESPN Digital Media, said, "Things have changed utterly."
"This is going to be the biggest and most powerful demonstration of this, and it's just the start," Kosner said. Many media outlets have launched mobile applications, most of which feature live scores, news updates and some integration with Facebook or Twitter. Among them are apps from Fox Soccer Channel, The Associated Press, Goal.com, Mundial and many others.
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