Athletics News
SPIKES, the official Skype Bot for the world of international track and field athletics, is launched today to mark ‘One Week To Go’ to the start of the IAAF World Championships London 2017 (4-13 August).
The bot, which was developed in collaboration with Skype, will go live directly and cover every angle of the World Championships in London including the athletes, the event disciplines and results during the 10 days of competition in the stadium and on the streets of London.
“With the official launch of the SPIKES Bot on Skype, the IAAF has taken an exciting and innovative path to engage with sports audiences in a personalised way,” commented IAAF CEO Oliver Gers.
“Athletics is an objective sport. The athletes that run the fastest, jump higher or longer and throw farthest are the winners. However, to the new or casual fan our sport can seem complicated as those winning performances are governed by technical rules and regulations. Added to that there are also a lot of athletes and many event disciplines.
“The SPIKES Bot platform enables new fans to break down the complexities of athletics. The simple and interactive Skype interface will allow our bot users to explore, follow and receive real-time updates based on their specific interests. Fans can learn or go deeper into the sport.
“Launched as the IAAF World Championships London 2017 are set to begin, the bot enhances the experience of the fan, regardless of whether you are at home watching on TV, on the go trying to keep up with the action, or in the stadium getting additional background.
“Businesswise, we are also learning in real time what fans are interested in, to optimise the coverage of our sport to best feed fans’ appetites,” concluded Gers.
The SPIKES Bot will bring you up close and personal with all of the action from the IAAF World Championships. Updates from Skype will include videos and images of the most breathtaking moments, all served directly to you, as well as ‘Live View’, a one-click way to get updated with live reports directly from the Olympic Stadium in London.
The SPIKES Bot also lets you customise which athletes and specific competitions you wish to be updated on through the ‘My Spikes’ watch-list. And if you want to share the excitement with your friends and family, simply add Spikes to your group chat to begin the action.
While the championships don’t begin until 4 August, add the SPIKES Bot to your contact list today by searching for “SPIKES Bot” in the Skype Bot Directory, read the bot’s profile and terms, and then click ‘Add to Contacts’. From today you can view completion schedules, set your preferences, and get up-to-date with your favourite athletes.
To learn more about bots and in which countries they are available please visit the Skype FAQ and Skype Bots feature page and to read the Skype Blog about the SPIKES Bot click here.
IAAF
