Menu
Media

Warriors Look To Reach Fans Abroad Via Viber Messaging App

The Warriors have started using the messaging app Rakuten Viber to "keep basketball fans in Georgia, Russia and several other Eastern European and Mediterranean countries up to date" with the team, according to Benny Evangelista of the S.F. CHRONICLE. Viber, an all-in-one free messaging app that has "more than 900 million registered users worldwide, is the team’s latest technology move to court new fans far beyond California’s borders." The Viber play is part of a three-year, $60M "marketing deal the Warriors signed in September" with Japan-based tech outfit Rakuten, which bought Viber in '14 for $900M. The Warriors "now wear a Rakuten logo on their uniforms." The Warriors will "offer an automated chatbot on Viber, with schedules, standings, news, videos, ticket information and live scores." The chatbot will be "initially in English, but the Warriors and Viber plan to add Georgian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Greek, Croatian, Serbian and Hebrew on Feb. 27." Rakuten Viber CEO Djamel Agaoua said that Viber has only about a 10% market share in the U.S., "far behind competitors like Facebook’s Messenger" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 2/18).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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/Daily/Issues/2018/02/20/Media/Warriors-Viber.aspx

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

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2018/02/20/Media/Warriors-Viber.aspx

CLOSE