Menu
Download the app

SBJ subscribers – Enhance your experience with the revamped iOS app

Franchises

Cavaliers launch social media channel to boost engagement between fans

The Cleveland Cavaliers are launching a new social media channel to create more direct engagement between fans and provide the team with another digital marketing outlet.

The defending NBA champions have partnered with Drund, a Youngstown, Ohio-based software company, to develop the Wine & Gold Nation Community. The platform allows users to interact with each other and includes team-controlled exclusive content such as game highlights and behind-the-scenes video. Users can message each other privately, receive email and text notifications, and use other social media tools. Fans can access the site through the team’s new Wine & Gold Nation app.

Wine & Gold Nation Community
“We realized that over time on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, we lose engagement with fans and we wanted to find a platform where we can grant fans access,” said Mike Conley, vice president of digital for the Cavs. “We want to figure out ways to bring back engagement. It becomes our launching pad for all things Cavs.”

The Cavs have about 25 million followers on social media. Conley said the challenge is to reduce the clutter from the various social media outlets so fans won’t have to wade through other content on those other networks to find Cavs content. The expected result is a more defined social media audience.

The team is rolling out the social network today. The Cavs plan to sell merchandise around the new platform but have no immediate plans to sell sponsors around it.

The team will not be adding to staff but will reshape the responsibilities of some staffers. Other teams that have created their own social media networks include the Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns, according to the league.

Drund created the software infrastructure of the site and will provide moderators to keep the site free of spam and to monitor content. Financial terms were not disclosed, but it is the first sports deal for the company.

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2017/03/13/Franchises/Cavs-digital.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2017/03/13/Franchises/Cavs-digital.aspx

CLOSE