The winners of the Second Annual Hashtag Sports Awards Presented by Budweiser were revealed Thursday.
The awards recognize excellence in fan and consumer engagement across sports and entertainment, and the winners will be saluted with a digital experience Thursday leading up to the Fifth Annual Hashtag Sports Conference, to be held virtually Oct. 20 through 22.
Finalists and winners were determined by The Engagement Academy of Sports & Entertainment, a group of athletes, chief marketing officers, creators, entertainers, executives and other engagement experts from across the sports and entertainment landscape.
Hashtag Sports co-founder and CEO Anthony Caponiti said in a statement, “Despite the obvious challenges presented by the Covid-19 pause to live sports, we experienced a 50% increase in the total number of submissions this cycle, which speaks volumes about how the brightest minds in sports, media and entertainment have rallied over the course of several months to embrace innovation and produce never-before-created content and campaigns worthy of The Engagement Academy’s consideration and recognition.”
The 2020 winners are:
- Best Big Game Spot or Stunt: #NFLTwitter Super Bowl Confetti 2020 (Twitter)
- Best Integrated Campaign: #HINCHASWANTED (beIN SPORTS, VMLY&R Miami)
- Best Social Media Campaign: #SandlotToTheShow (MLB Network)
- Most Engaging Advertisement: Deep Fake | ESPN The Last Dance (State Farm, Optimum Sports)
- Best Athlete Storytelling: The Last Dance (ESPN Films)
- Best Branded Content or Series: NOT BAD FOR A GIRL (INTERSPORT Deutschland, Jung von Matt AG)
- Best Fan Storytelling: #SandlotToTheShow (MLB Network)
- Best Original Content or Series: 10,000 Hours Documentary Series (In The Lab)
- Best Sports Podcast: Pardon My Take (Barstool Sports)
- Best Engagement Through Esports & Gaming: ESL Mobile Open Presented by AT&T (AT&T, ESL)
- Best Engagement Through Sports Betting: Elevating the Sports Experience Through Legalized Sports Betting (FanDuel Group)
- Best Use of Culture, Music, or Entertainment: Phila Unite Custom Jordan 1’s (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Best Gen Z or Kids Activation: Nike Game Growers (Nike)
- Best Live Brand Experience: Home of the SportsCenter Top 10 (Preacher, ESPN)
- Best Pop-Up or Retail Activation: Lambeau Leap Day (Bose, CAA, Green Bay Packers)
- Best Use of Events for Content: FANS FOR LIFE (beIN SPORTS, VMLY&R Miami)
- Best In-Game Integration: Your Call Football (Your Call Inc., CTP)
- Best OTT or Streaming Experience: WWE Network (WWE)
- Best Use of Technology: Marathon City: Sprint and Spin to Win (Tata Consultancy Services, New York Road Runners)
- Best Website or Mobile Experience: Atlanta Falcons Mobile App (Atlanta Falcons, Rover)
- Best Engagement for Good: NOT BAD FOR A GIRL (INTERSPORT Deutschland, Jung von Matt AG)
- Gender Equality in Sports: Women Worth Watching (USTA, ShelS, mcgarrybowen)
- Mental Health in Sports: USA Cycling’s Well-Being Program (USA Cycling)
- Most Inspiring Engagement During the Sports Pause: All In Challenge (Fanatics)
- Best Jersey Sponsorship Activation: Connected by Magic (Orlando Magic, Walt Disney World)
- Most Creative Partnership (Without an Athlete or Influencer): #NFLTwitter Super Bowl Confetti 2020 (Twitter)
- Best Real-Time Engagement: Bleacher Report #1 in Engagement (Bleacher Report)
- Outstanding Use of Instagram: House of Highlights (Bleacher Report)
- Outstanding Use of Snapchat: SportsCenter On Snapchat (ESPN)
- Outstanding Use of TikTok: @NBA TikTok (NBA)
- Outstanding Use of Twitter: Bleacher Report #1 on Twitter (Bleacher Report)
