Washington Wizards: DMV Music Portal
The 6th Annual Awards
- Best Use of Culture
- Music or Entertainment
ABOUT THIS ENTRY
The Washington Wizards DMV Musical Portal creates an avenue for local musicians to share their talent and creates a unique way to market the Wizards brand while elevating our digital content with music authentic to the DMV. Embracing a diverse catalogue of hip-hop, afrobeat, reggaeton and go-go tracks demonstrates commitment to the region and to amplifying independent, up-and-coming artists from the community. In its inaugural season, the portal received over 135 submissions and signed 12 artists with music licensing agreements.
How does this represent “Excellence in Engagement”?
The Wizards are one of the first professional sports teams to launch their own music submission portal, unlocking a unique and innovative way to connect with their fans and the DMV community. This initiative incorporates local talent into the gameday experience like never before, as the Wizards continue to create opportunities to engage with their fanbase and elevate local talent to an NBA level of exposure. Five months after its launch, the DMV Music Portal has generated an overwhelmingly positive reaction across the Wizards global fan base and from the artists’ following. The collaborative effort is reaching new audiences from both parties and has continued to push the goal of amplifying voices around the DMV. Participating artists have seen a significant increase in social media followers, as they continue to rise as independent DMV artists. This program creates a unique solution to music rights restrictions, integrates the team into local culture and elevates local artists and can serve to move the industry forward in this space.
Objective
The Wizards, being one of the first professional sports teams to develop a collaborative music platform, have tapped into a new set of resources to interact with fans. This project highlights musical talent in the DMV and elevates the artists and the fan experience. The program increases the artist’s name and brand awareness amongst our 20,000 fans at Capital One Arena and 11.3M+ social media followers. Simultaneously, the music portal allows the Wizards access to music that is licensed and can be used in-game, on social media and in commercials and mitigates the use of generic royalty free music. With a range of music including options like go-go tracks and afrobeats, the portal also celebrates the culture of the D.C. area and weaves the team further into the fabric of the community.
Strategy & Execution
The Wizards put a call out to local musicians, producers and artists to submit their music for the DMV Music Portal. Upon signing a licensing agreement with the Wizards, the artists are then entered into a program that consists of in-venue performances, social media highlights, and additional opportunities for exposure through the Wizards brand. Live pre-game performances with local bands and musicians elevate the caliber of entertainment and ambiance at District E’s block parties. The DMV Music Portal creates an interactive medium for talented artists and producers to be featured across Wizards live and digital programming. Artists have delivered custom tracks for our City Edition campaign, provided voiceovers for this season’s #ForTheDistrict brand campaign, been featured on the network broadcast, and had their music played on Wizards radio broadcasts, in-arena, and on social media -- enhancing the production and presentation of Wizards content. The music portal has raised the game for the Wizards digital team, with an expanded library of authentic music to share with its global audience and NBA fanbase.
Organizations
- Washington Wizards
- Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Links
Credits
Bernard Palin
Senior Director, Digital Media
Washington Wizards
Andrew Temperly
Director, Social Strategy
Washington Wizards
Tania Henao
Director, Digital Content
Washington Wizards
Valerie Poma
Manager, Social Media
Washington Wizards
Kevin Vargas
Front End Developer
Washington Wizards
Paul Turner
Supervising Producer
Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Yannick Skerritt
Producer
Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Chuck Kacsur
Senior Art Director
Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Kelly Tidball
Digital Graphic Designer
Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Celebrate in NYC
Join us for the 6th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards™ on the evening of June 6, 2024 as we celebrate finalists and reveal the winners of this year's awards live during the show.
