San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Warriors bring fans closer with Dub Hub
Rebuffed in their extensive and expensive plan to get spectators back into Chase Center, the Warriors quickly pivoted to technology in hopes of both creating an ingame feel for fans at home and a sense of normalcy for players in the arena.
The highlight of the adaptation has been the Dub Hub, a multidimensional interactive setup that allows players to experience fan reactions on a courtside LED board and also gives fans a peek behind the curtain of an NBA game.
“I don’t think anything will ever replace the live experience. I’m always going to prefer to go to the game and get all of the lights, action and sparks, but I do think this is a way to incorporate folks who can’t make it to the stadium,” said JiYun Kim, who was part of the Dub Hub on Jan. 10. “I don’t want to be watching games from home forever, but it’s nice that there’s a new experience that we can add.”
Each game, Dub Hub includes 120 fans, who are given a link that allows them access to a Zoomlike meeting. In this meeting, however, the fans may switch between four camera angles to watch the broadcast, use basketballspecific emoticons while cheering and get visits from special guests.
Kim, a biology and physiology teacher at Fremont High School who recently was named Oakland Unified School District Teacher of the Year, was part of Dub Hub on a night when Warriors hype man Franco Finn consistently popped into her virtual room to excite the participants and the fans bounced to beats from Derrick “DJ DSharp” Robinson during timeouts.
The 120 fans are cycled between two screens that are prominently shown near half court during broadcasts, and 32 of the spectators selected for each home game are part of a VIP section that allows for twoway interaction with players in the tunnel between the Warriors’ locker room and the court.
“That’s access to a sacred moment before they take the court,” said Jen Millet, the Warriors’ senior vice president of marketing.
During the Warriors’ first seven home games, Warriors players Kent Bazemore and Damion Lee have been spotted talking into the microphone that speaks to the tunnel fans. Even Warriors forward Draymond Green, who said, “It ... sucks, if you want my honest opinion, not having fans,” has even offered virtual highfives to the group.
The virtual experience is still in its infancy. Not until the NBA announced it was opening Dec. 22 without fans did the Warriors redouble efforts with the Famous Group, which had been working with the team on a virtual draft idea.
The Dub Hub had to come together quickly, and with only about a week of experiments before its Jan. 1 home opener, there were troubles with links and audio. Kim had to reach out to the Warriors for a working link and couldn’t use her microphone during the game.
Still, her friends saw her on the giant LED board behind the scorer’s table during the broadcast. Sporting a Warriors beanie, she was leaning into the screen and screaming as Andrew Wiggins offered the gamesaving defense in the 106105 victory over Toronto.
What started as just an idea to assure “it doesn’t look like a halfempty high school gym,” said Millet, is turning into something that offers a sense of community during a pandemic that makes that difficult to find.
During a recent game, a fan accidentally logged off a Dub Hub link and was inserted into a different virtual room upon return. The fan asked to be placed back into the original group that had quickly become friends.
The Dub Hub has been used for seasonticket holders, partner hospitality and community groups, like educators and first responders. Special themes will continue Wednesday, the first time the Warriors wear their “Oakland Forever” jerseys; Jan. 30 for Filipino Heritage Night; and the launch of Black History Month on Feb. 2.
Millet, named a “2020 Sports Business Journal Game Changer,” is already fielding calls from Major League Baseball teams about how it works and taking steps toward improving the experience.
“I feel like there’s probably even more innovation to happen within the space and the experience,” Millet said. “The experience isn’t a ‘set it and forget it.’ We’ll continually look to optimize.”
That could include social integrations, like chat rooms, trivia contests and polls, and pulling in international fans.
There is also room to add to the viewing experience, which includes an option of four cameras: the broadcast, under the basket, the Dub Hub and the scoreboard.
“It’s fine to watch a game on the broadcast, but you’re not choosing your views,” Millet said. “You’re reliant on the camera to tell you the story. When I go to a game, I’m watching the action, but I’m producing my own experience. I’ll look at the bench when someone subs in or out to see how they’re being coached, and watching interactions away from the ball. This doesn’t solve for that yet, but it gives you a little bit more control.”