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CONTACT: Willy Leparulo PHONE: (800) 581-6770 EMAIL: publicrelations@nctta.org |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 11, 2012
NCTTA Teams with Universal Sports to Stream College Table Tennis Championships Live Video Production Complements Social Media Coverage of the Event
Take Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Picasa. Add Universal Sports to the mix, and what do you have? NCTTA’s ambitious plan for social media coverage of the 2012 College Table Tennis Championships, April 13-15 in Plano, Texas.
NCTTA has teamed with Universal Sports to live stream fast-pasted collegiate table tennis action from center-court all 3 days of the Championships. This will be the second year for live Internet video broadcasting of the Championships and it’s first with Universal Sports.
The multi-camera production will bring sports fans, athletes and the collegiate community an engrossing viewing experience, especially when combined with Facebook and Twitter for live interaction with Championships athletes and officials.
An NBC subsidiary, Universal Sports is an American television network that broadcasts various sporting events both online and via cable and satellite providers. Universal focuses primarily on sports included in the Olympic games, including table tennis which became an Olympic sport in 1988.
“We’re excited to be working with Universal Sports to make the College Table Tennis Championships available to sports fans everywhere,” says David Del Vecchio, production coordinator for the 2012 Championships. “Universal is the prime destination for Olympic sports so it’s a great fit for the collegiate table tennis championships.”
People around the world will be able to experience the excitement of college table tennis’ big event online via their web browser or on their mobile phone. “We intend to start broadcasting live from Plano, Texas at the Plano Sports Authority as early as the first day from center court,” says Ed Hogshead, Competition Manager for the 2012 Championships.
The 2011 broadcast yielded a very positive response from the college sports community. "It was great being a part of the action even though I wasn't even in the tournament," observes Florida State’s Ian Worz.
The destination for live streamed Championships video is: http://www.nctta.org/champs/2012/video.html
Interested viewers from around the globe will have the opportunity to experience this unique college sport all three days of competition, beginning April 13 and running through April 15. A schedule of feature matches is available on the Championships website.
Compared to NCTTA’s live streaming efforts, the organization’s use of Twitter and other social media is old hat. NCTTA first established its Twitter presence in March 2009 in the weeks leading up to the 2009 Championships and in the time since has accumulated over 800 tweets about the latest and greatest happenings in college table tennis.
“In 2012 we are looking to make our use of the NCTTA Facebook group page and Twitter to allow those watching back home to ask questions and interact with what is going on at the venue,” explains NCTTA President Willy Leparulo. “Live online video allows for a much more interactive experience than a traditional television broadcast. Since college students just about live off of social media, it’s a natural fit for our organization.”
The NCTTA Twitter feed and NCTTA Facebook group page will be bringing updates and photos from the 2012 College Table Tennis Championships to enthusiasts around the country and beyond.
Join the conversation via the official college table tennis Twitter feed at: http://www.twitter.com/collegett Use hashtag: #ncttachamps
On Facebook, NCTTA page and NCTTA group
Direct links to Universal Sports live video stream:
Friday (starts at 9:00 AM, includes doubles finals): http://universalsports.com/video/2012-collegiate-table-tennis-championships-doubles-finals/
Saturday (starts at 9:00 AM, includes singles finals): http://universalsports.com/video/2012-collegiate-table-tennis-championships-singles-finals/
Sunday
(starts at 9:00 AM, includes team finals):
Detailed event schedule.
Players and spectators alike will enjoy a jam-packed weekend of table tennis at the 2012 College Table Tennis Championships. The event starts Friday April 13th and continues to Sunday April 15th at Plano Sports Authority 2 in Plano, Texas.
About NCTTA The National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) is a non-profit organization established exclusively for promoting the sport of table tennis at the college level. As the national governing body for college table tennis in the United States and Canada, NCTTA organizes intercollegiate competition throughout North America. www.nctta.org
About USA Table Tennis Headquartered in Colorado Springs, USATT is the national organizing body for table tennis in the United States, serving 9,000+ members and nearly 300 clubs. USATT sanctions 200+ events a year including the US Open and US Nationals. USATT is affiliated with the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), as well as the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). www.usatt.org & tabletennis.teamusa.org
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