February 1, 2005
Fans may be able to message players via on-court screens
Tennis fans could send messages to players via screens on court if plans by mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson come to fruition, reports Reuters.
The company signed an $88 million six-year sponsorship deal with the women's game last month under which the WTA Tour will be renamed the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. It is the largest contract in the history of tennis and women's sport.
The deal could pave the way for a variety of interactive options for fans at tennis tournaments, including the ability to communicate with players by posting messages on digital billboards using wireless technology.
"We're looking at being able to send SMS messages to screens on court," Sony Ericsson president Miles Flint told Reuters in Tokyo ahead of this week's Pan Pacific Open.
"It's also feasible to put tennis games and the promotion of the players into phones."
The deal with the company has been welcomed by top players."
Related:
-- Fans send encouragements by SMS to Athletes during World Championships - During the course of The Paris Saint-Denis World Athletic Championships held in Paris in August 2003, 500'000 spectators were able to send (premium rate) text messages of encouragement to their favorite athletes, which were alternately displayed on two giants screen in the stadium.
-- Broadcasting encouragements by SMS - A series of SMS services in conjunction with the Barcelona Open - held April 19 through April 27, 2003 -, offere betting, news and information on favorite players, real time score alerts and a novel feature, the broadcasting of encouragements sent by SMS to the tennis players, on giant light screens around the courts.
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