ESPN’s ‘Social Highlights’ Mash Ups Show Big Moments From Fans’ Lens

January 27, 2018 entertainment, ESPN, Media, Social Media, Sports

The sports highlight is extremely predictable by now: an amazing play, sequence or moment is replayed from one or more angles, while a news anchor or announcer recaps what happened. Sometimes the video runs along with its original play-by-play audio, or maybe with the live radio call.

But, in the age of social media permeation and mobile video proliferation, this is no longer enough, according to UNITE, a new late-night show that airs on ESPNU. The social media-heavy show has introduced a regular installment called “social highlights,” which leverage just how much video modern fans shoot on their smartphones while at the game.

The idea is simple, but pretty powerful. Footage from commercial TV broadcasts and radio audio clips are edited together with video fans get from the stands and share to Twitter or YouTube. The result? Immersive highlights of major sports moments.

“We wanted to find a way to find a different side of what a highlight is, something you wouldn’t normally see unless we aggregated the videos and put them with some high quality production,” UNITE producer Yaron Deskalo told Mashable.

The example above shows the final outs of Seattle Mariner Felix Hernandez’s perfect game in August. More recent examples include the controversial ending of the Packers-Seahawks NFL game in September and North Carolina State’s last-second touchdown to beat Florida State last weekend.

Deskalo produced one similar video while working on an E:60 production for ESPN a couple years ago, which planted the seed for UNITE’s social highlights. Today, however, there are few if any other examples of networks consistently producing installments that combine professionally edited broadcast highlights with fan-sourced video.

The social highlights air on UNITE weekly, then go up on YouTube if ESPNU has rights to the broadcast clips used. Some have even made their way on to ESPN and ESPN2. UNITE producers scour YouTube for fan video then incorporate between five and 10 into each highlight after obtaining permission from the amateur shooters.

While the resulting clips currently air primarily on a late-night show on a station that few but the most hardcore sports fans regularly watch, it’s not hard to imagine similar highlight packages becoming more mainstream sooner than later.

“People are going to to able to film at these games more and more, and if we can find a way to get them to us, we’ll be able to find new ways to tell these stories,” Deskalo says. “We’re not there just yet, but I think in the next couple years we’ll start to see more social video elements in regular highlights.”

Would you like to see this trend catch on — or do you prefer the traditional highlight format? Give us your take in the comments.

BONUS: Who to Follow on Twitter This NFL Season

32 Must-Follow Twitter Accounts for the NFL Fan

@NFL

The league’s official account. A no-brainer for any NFL fan.
@DeseanJackson10

The Eagles receiver is a hoot to follow because you never know what you’re going to get, except for three things: capital letters, exclamation points and Instagram photos. Those you can count on.
@AdamSchefter

ESPN’s NFL Insider is a tweeting machine and constantly breaks news from around the league. A true must-follow for NFL die-hards.
@brian_mcintyre

The NFL.com writer is another good news source and an especially good follow for his steady retweets of other writers, outlets and players.
@jharrison9292

Fearsome on the field, Steelers linebacker James Harrison is friendly and down-to-earth on social media.
@FauxJohnMadden

This parody account of the legendary coach and broadcaster will have you laughing out loud.
@SI_PeterKing

Sports Illustrated‘s senior NFL writer is a great source for quick news, links to columns and 140-character takes on the league’s biggest stories.
@billbarnwell

Barnwell covers the NFL for Grantland.com. He’s extremely knowledgable about the league — and about how to bet on its games.
@MatthewBerryTMR

Professionally speaking, Berry’s entire purpose in life is to analyze fantasy football for ESPN — so he’s a must-follow if you want bragging rights over your friends.
@McCourtyTwins

Tennessee Titan Jason McCourty and twin brother Devin of the New England Patriots are active and engaging on Twitter. They also share the same account (signing their posts either “J-Mac” or “D-Mac”), which makes their banter and updates all the more entertaining.
@NFLprguy

As his handle implies, Brian McCarthy does PR for the NFL. He’s a good follow for updates straight from the league, as well as the lowdown on its latest innovations and initiatives.
@JimIrsay

Possibly the most fun team owner in all of sports, when it comes to Twitter, Irsay is offbeat, irreverent and always entertaining.
@darrenrovell

If you’re interested in the business side of the NFL, from marketing to ticket sales, Rovell is the undisputed place to start.
@FootballPost

Between now and February, the Twitter account of this popular NFL site will serve you a robust diet of links and news each week to carry you through to next Sunday.
@BenTateRB

The Texans running back may not be an NFL star yet — but he’s a star on Twitter, where the Auburn product loves to talk college football.
@sportsguy33

Bill Simmons has built up a massive and loyal following during his tenure as a columnist for ESPN. His feed is usually good for a few good chuckles, as well as links to his mammoth NFL columns and mailbags.
@ChrisBurke_SI

The SI.com NFL writer is both funny and insightful.
@EdgeofSports

Dave Zirin covers sports for The Nation and always approaches topics from a political angle. He’s sure to have plenty to say, especially as repeat NFL concussions continue to make headlines.
@mortreport

ESPN’s senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen is a never-ending stream of NFL news on Twitter.
@drewbrees

Brees is an MVP-caliber player for the New Orleans Saints, but his tweets also reveal a keen awareness of and intelligence about issues off the field.
@judybattista

Battista covers the NFL for The New York Times. Her deadline game recaps are second to none, and she can also be a good follow for real-time game updates.
@TheBigLead

Jason McIntyre is purveyor of The Big Lead sports blog. The blog is a great source for analysis, player gossip and media news alike. Following McIntyre is a surefire way to stay up on the national NFL conversation.
@JimmyClausen

Cam Newton’s backup in Carolina is a first teamer on Twitter, where he’s generous about interacting with fans, and frequently provides funny insights into his life off the field.
@JoshScobee10

The Jaguars place kicker loves to interact with fans and is one of Twitter’s funnier athletes.
@footballfacts

Blogger Kerry Byrne isn’t as big a name as many of the others on this list, but he’s a great source for analysis and fresh perspective.
@DeionSanders

It’s Prime Time, baby! Need we say more? The Hall of Famer always entertains — on the field, on camera and on Twitter.
@MarcedesLewis89

The Jaguars tight end tweets all the time. The constant stream gives a nice look into his life and mind.
@MattBowen41

Bowen writes for the National Football Post, but he has a leg up on most NFL reporters, having spent seven years in the league as a player before entering the media game.
@ProFootballTalk

On Twitter, this NBC Sports blog is great to follow for its tireless procession of NFL links and news.
@StevanRidley

The Patriots running back is a fun follow for his constant interaction with fans.
@ProFootballWkly

Follow this account for a wide variety of links to NFL coverage from all angles.
@Rotoworld_FB

If you take fantasy sports seriously, Rotoworld’s football feed is a great way to gain an advantage over the rest of your league.

ESPN’s ‘Social Highlights’ Mash Ups Show Big Moments From Fans’ Lens

BONUS: Who to Follow on Twitter This NFL Season

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