Teams Strike Gold with Crossbar Challenges...

Are you looking for new ways to entertain fans at halftime? Are you looking to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience for one lucky fan?

Sports organizations should consider offering more promotions that put the skills of fans to the test. This practice, seen commonly overseas in the rugby and football circuits, serves as a great way to engage all fans in attendance during halftime festivities and also provides sponsors a chance to capitalize on aligning with a memorable in-game moment.

While most organizations commonly implement halftime entertainment that tasks fans with scoring to win, most should consider ways to alter these type of promotions to challenge fans in unique ways: 

• Football - Challenge one (1) select fan with hitting the field goal posts/crossbar
• Hockey - Challenge one (1) select fan with trying to hit the post (instead of scoring)
• Soccer - Challenge fans with hitting the crossbar (instead of scoring)
• Rugby - Challenge fans with hitting the crossbar
• Basketball - Challenge fans with banking a shot in off the glass

Here are two (2) great examples of Crossbar Challenges serving as a highlight at games played overseas:

Rugby

During a recent English rugby match, one lucky fan took home 250,000 euros after successfully hitting the crossbar with a punt (while not wearing shows) during a halftime Crossbar Challenge event. The winner, rugby fan Stuart Tanner, became an instant household name after coverage of the promotion was picked up by several major media outlets. See the stunt below:

Soccer

EPL club Stoke City recently held a halftime Crossbar Challenge at Britannia Stadium featuring a collection of team mascots and boxers Ricky Hatton and Scott Lawton. One contestant electrified the crowd by hitting the crossbar. 

The Crossbar Challenge also serves as a tremendous feature to include in media broadcasts of soccer matches (as seen by the Leyton Orient team challenge below):

Barclays Lets EPL Fans Take Home The Trophy

Are you looking for a new way to showcase your team/leagues' trophy hardware? Are you looking to create a national promotion that appeals to sports fans everywhere?

As the title sponsor of the English Premier League, Barclays has effectively positioned itself as one of the largest stakeholders in soccer around the globe. The major global financial services provider will only strengthen its positioning with its newest promotion, "Barclays Home Win". 

Barclays' Home Win promotion will enable twenty (20) fans around the globe to win the chance to take the Barclays Premier League trophy home for a day. All consumers have to do for a chance to win the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is log on to http://www.barclayshomewin.com and submit their name, country, telephone, email, and favorite EPL club. The offer serves as a way for Barclays to celebrate the extension of its league title sponsorship until 2013.

All winners will be provided the opportunity to have the Barclays EPL Trophy in a controlled environment (e.g. school, work, or home) between 10am-4pm on a designated weekday. Two (2) security personnel will accompany the trophy and will control any touching of the trophy (in other words, you can have it, but you can't do anything you want with it). Consumers can submit as many entries as they would like until the promotion expires December 11th.

Check it out below:

Sounders FC Entertain Fans with Soccer Ball Race...

Are you looking for ways to engage fans during halftime or stoppages of play? Are you looking for new ways to provide entertainment value for fans?

The Sounders FC organization currently features an interactive soccer ball race segment during halftime of its matches at Qwest Field. The promotion is a fan favorite as it tests the speed and skills of three (3) contestants wearing giant soccer ball costumes. Check out the team's execution of the promotion during a recent home contest against the Columbus Crew:

Sounders FC representatives could make the promotion more engaging for fans by assigning a different section to each of the contestants, creating a performance driven incentive (for the chance to win X prize). Check back for related promotions offered by the Sounders FC organization!