With no live sports to air and none on the horizon, sports networks are turning to an array of creative solutions to keep viewers engaged.

To that end, NBC Sports on Friday launched the #OneHomeTeam campaign this week, which intends to unite sports fans under one hashtag. Content that falls under the #OneHomeTeam banner includes fan-made videos, such as the one included in the below tweet of Pepper the Hedgehog making her way through an at-home obstacle course, as well as athletes showing off their home-based fitness routines.

“We miss live sports just as much as everyone else, but our hope with this platform is to keep people connected to the world of sports on a daily basis, inspiring at-home activities and staying connected to the athletes and broadcasters,” says Lyndsay Signor, vice president, consumer engagement, NBC Sports, in a statement. “Through the #OneHomeTeam initiative, we want fans to know we are in this together and will still cheer, laugh and be inspired by the athletes and sports we love.”

Examples of the content fans can expect weekly across NBC Sports’ many platforms:

Monday: Motivational quotes and moments, fans vote on Best of #OneHomeTeam from the weekend

Tuesday: Tasty Tuesday features best recipes, stadium food, call for best at-home content across the internet

Wednesday: At-home workouts from NBC Sports commentators and athletes, and an iRacing spotlight

Thursday: Throwback stories and play-by-play of fan content from various NBC Sports commentators

Friday: #OneHomeTeam “Best Of” compilation, NBC Sports Pub Trivia

Saturday: Sports Scavenger Hunts, Breakfast with Becks

Sunday: Sports Sunday Debates, Instagram Takeovers

NBC Sports also has begun airing NBC Sports From the Vault, which looks back at classic sporting events that includes Notre Dame Football, the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, NHL classics, French Open tennis and PGA tour golf.

NBC Sports isn’t the only sports network doing its best to stay in the game while live sports are down. ESPN—which had a lot of rating success this week with the debut of its ten-episode documentary, The Last Dance—also launched a campaign that offers a series of inspirational sports scenes and concludes with the tagline: “We miss it too.”

Almost all of the sports leagues shut down in the week of March 9, starting with the NBA, which postponed its season in the middle of a game when a Utah Jazz player tested positive for coronavirus. The NBA was quickly followed by the NCAA’s cancellation of its annual college basketball tournament, March Madness, as well as Major League Baseball’s spring training and opening day. At this point, no sports league is conducting any events, with even tournaments such as the Wimbledon tennis tournament, which runs for two weeks in late June and early July, canceled.

READ MORE: Variety

Tags: #onehometeam coronavirus covid-19 nbc sports


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