Comcast tapped a Philadelphia startup, OneTwoSee for a new sports app they launched this morning. The Xfinity Sports App for the XI platform got some updates for the baseball season. Philly Magazine says it “feels like ESPN’s Gamecast,” but for our TV. According to a blog post from Preston Smalley for Comcast:
During a game, the app displays real-time stats and analysis like strike-out percentages, pitch counts, hit zones and spray charts, so fans like me feel like they’re sitting in the dugout next to the manager, reading the game like a member of the staff. When the last pitch is thrown, the app will show fans a post-game recap that also includes which players racked up the most fantasy points.
By launching the app, fans are privy to real time stats, visualizations, pre-game matchups, and post-game analysis all on the same screen as the game. It’s a rotating carousel to geek out on the game. They’ve licencsed the rights to the data from the league, but there are still no highlights feature yet. According to Comcast, they hope to add the extra feature to NFL and college football this fall.
The app also works on mobile devices, so you can “watch” the game while someone else hogs the tube. It’s another attempt to keep people from turning away from watching the game elsewhere, without a cable subscription, through the MLB itself of ESPN.