Courtesy The Orion

(September 2, 2010) Social media and sports seem like an odd couple at first, but for the Chico Outlaws, the combination has become a venture worth investing in — particularly the team’s use of the website Justin.tv.

Justin.tv allows users to produce and watch live video content, chat during live broadcasts and comment on archived footage, according to the website’s mission statement.

Kaitlin Leard, a marketing major at Chico State and media relations assistant, believes broadcasting on Justin.tv has many benefits, such as cost and promotion, she said.

“It doesn’t cost the Outlaws anything to broadcast,” Leard said. “The Outlaws try and market Justin.tv in our press releases along with Facebook and Twitter.”

The Outlaws began using Justin.tv at the beginning of the season in May, launching an experiment in social media that has taken off with great success.

“It’s been a big hit,” said Dan Hawkins, an STAA client and director of media relations and play-by-play announcer for the Outlaws on Justin.tv.

The Outlaws were the first Golden Baseball League team to use Justin.tv, Hawkins said.

“There are now three or four teams in the league that use Justin.tv, but they broadcast only home games,” he said.

The Outlaws broadcast both home and away games.

A broadcast includes both pregame and postgame interviews with players, usually conducted by Hawkins and aired live.

Broadcasting games on Justin.tv gives fans a new medium to watch and chat about the Outlaws.

“It has been a big help in linking our fan base together,” Leard said. “We reached more than one million views the other night and have more than 150 followers, many devoted to the Outlaws,” Leard said.

The strong sense of community on the website is supported by Hawkins’ ability to respond to those in the chat while doing the play-by-play commentary.

Barry Cowan, uncle of outfielder Blake Gailen and a regular in the website’s chat room, watches the games from Half Moon Bay, he said.

He thinks Hawkins’ ability to react and respond to the chat helps unite the community in a way other mediums cannot, he said.

“Dan’s interaction both audibly and typing in chat while the game is live really brings the community fan base together,” Cowan said.

The archived footage allows anyone to catch up on games or plays they might have missed.

“Being able to archive the games allows for player feedback,” Hawkins said. “Players, like fans, are able to watch entire games after they’ve been broadcast and can leave comments.”

For Cowan, archived games are an important feature of the website, he said.

“Sometimes I might miss a game, something special Blake did or a play that I can’t pass up,” Cowan said. “By having games archived, I am able to watch the game the next day and not miss a thing.”

The Outlaws continue a three-game homestand against the Calgary Vipers at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.

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