Second Screen Fun From The Couch

ESPN InPlay is a second screen experience that we developed specifically for the World Wide Leader. While enjoying a sporting event on television (your 1st screen), the viewer can use their mobile phone or tablet (the 2nd screen) to engage with trivia and other complementary content. ESPN InPlay can sync millions of users with the same real-time content, and it’s all done without the need for an app download. ESPN InPlay gives advertisers the ability to engage fully with viewers and to sync ads with live television. Using a game show metaphor, it also has live scoring where viewers can compete against the entire viewing audience or just their Facebook friends. This platform also includes live Twitter integration and filtering.

We’ve worked with ESPN closely during the tennis U.S. Open, Wimbledon, NFL Draft, Home Run Derby and the ESPYs. Keep on the lookout for other future events using this technology.

ESPN InPlay marked ESPN’s first major foray into second screen experiences, setting the table for much larger investments in interactive sports viewing. As a pioneering companion app, InPlay allowed fans to engage in real-time with live stats, play-by-play updates, trivia, polls, and social features—all synchronized with televised events. This approach reflected ESPN’s broader strategy to supplement traditional broadcasts with interactive, multiscreen content, and InPlay’s success paved the way for more advanced initiatives like MegaCast, ManningCast, and deep social media integration. The legacy of InPlay is evident in ESPN’s continued innovation, as the company adapts to changing viewer habits and technology by delivering richer, more engaging experiences across multiple platforms.

Features

• Ability to sync live content to millions of users
• Ad synchronization with television
• Leaderboard
• Social hooks
• Used during Wimbledon, Home Run Derby, ESPYs, US Open, NFL Draft

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