NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. "has been using Periscope more often than a submarine captain this week, letting fans catch a glimpse of media interviews, autograph sessions and other appearances in the wake of his victory at Talladega Superspeedway," according to Jeff Gluck of USA TODAY. The live-streaming app "is Earnhardt's latest push into opening up through social media." He "used it several times Wednesday afternoon to offer a behind-the-scenes view of a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a second Whisky River restaurant location, which he co-owns," at Charlotte Douglas Int'l Airport. But Earnhardt said that his Periscope use "is just an experiment for now, because he's not sure how much fans will get out of it." He estimated that about 40% of the people he follows on Twitter "have accounts (though the app isn't available on Android-powered devices yet)." Earnhardt: "I'm trying it. I don't know whether it'll be something I do consistently or continue to do, but we've been talking about some ideas on how to use it -- maybe out at the race car before we're getting in. Just where the cameras aren't. But we'll keep it strictly to my racing and business things we do" (USA TODAY, 5/7).
NEW CONTENT: Periscope co-Founder & CEO Kayvon Beykpour said the company is "working really closely with a lot of ... partners who are creating really compelling content." Beykpour noted the PGA Tour, which recently stripped a reporter's media credentials for the season after using Periscope to film a practice round, yesterday morning "did a Periscope interviewing players on the golf course" as a "lot of these partners are experimenting for sure." He added, "HBO took us into Manny Pacquiao's locker room; you couldn't watch that on TV, so it's early days, but a lot of these folks are experimenting. ... We're excited to have content like what HBO and Showtime themselves created" ("Squawk Alley," CNBC, 5/6).
TO SUE OR NOT TO SUE: The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Eriq Gardner wrote under the header, "HBO And Showtime Would Be Underdogs In A Legal Battle With Twitter," alluding to any potential suit regarding Periscope use during the Mayweather-Pacquaio fight (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 5/6).
