Game day used to be simple. You watched the broadcast, argued about calls, maybe texted a friend at halftime. Now most fans are running a second screen without even thinking about it, checking highlights, injury updates, social chatter and behind-the-scenes clips while the main action rolls on.
What is changing next is not that fans want more information. It is that they want better experiences, ones built around attention and timing. That is why conversations around interactive platforms are becoming more relevant in sports media and adjacent entertainment spaces, especially as digital products experiment with new engagement layers like tokenised perks, collectible-style rewards and identity features that follow the user.
The second screen should be a companion not a competitor
Second screens took off because they solved real problems. Broadcasts have natural lulls, commentary does not answer every question and fans want context in real time. The mistake is assuming the best solution is piling on more feeds, more tabs and more alerts.
You can see the same pattern outside sports. People stream cooking content while building a grocery list, read reviews while watching product demos and follow live threads during cultural events. The best companion experiences share a few traits:
- A clear job: stats, context, community or quick highlights
- Predictable pacing: information appears when it matters, not constantly
- Personal relevance: fewer generic pushes, more user-led preferences
If a second screen feels organised, fans stop bouncing between five apps. If it feels chaotic, they end up missing the game they meant to watch.
Why participation features are becoming the norm
Across digital products, people increasingly expect more than passive consumption. They want to unlock, collect, compare and share, not because they are chasing trends but because participation makes the experience feel more personal.
This is not unique to sports. Retail apps use loyalty tiers, airlines use status systems and music services wrap listening into shareable moments. Sports media is borrowing from that playbook, adding features that make the fan feel seen.
Some of those ideas overlap with crypto and NFTs, mainly when a platform tries to make rewards feel owned rather than rented. Not every product needs blockchain and not every fan wants it. Still, the design logic is easy to understand when done well:
- A reward feels more meaningful when it is limited and clear
- A collectible lands better when it is tied to a specific moment
- A profile is stickier when progress does not reset randomly
In other words, fans respond to systems that respect time and give achievements a bit of weight.
What a smarter second screen looks like
A better second screen is not just another feed. It is an interface that assumes attention is limited and treats the game as the main event. The goal is to support, not distract.
If you are judging a fan companion app, these are the quality signals that matter:
- Glanceable design: key info readable in a second or two
- Low-friction navigation: minimal taps, simple layout, no maze menus
- Timed prompts: alerts tied to real moments, not constant nudges
- Context-first highlights: clips grouped by storylines, not pure recency
- Community without chaos: sorting tools and moderation that keep it usable
It also helps to think in moments rather than features. Great products behave differently at different points in the game:
- Pre-game: lineups, storylines and quick explainers that set the scene
- Early game: quiet mode by default, core stats only
- Momentum shifts: timely context, one-tap highlights, minimal clutter
- Halftime: deeper analysis and recap tools that do not overwhelm
- Final minutes: fewer prompts, more focus, clear priority on the broadcast
A lot of second screens fail in the final minutes. They fight for attention when fans are least willing to give it.
Tokenised ideas work only when they stay optional
If a second screen adds tokenised perks or collectible mechanics, the biggest risk is complexity. Mainstream fan products win when everything feels intuitive and optional. Any advanced layer should be there for people who want it, not forced on everyone.
The healthiest approach is using token-like concepts as a design guide:
- Limited digital items tied to real moments like opening night or rivalry week
- Verified achievements for completing challenges or attending events
- Portable profiles that carry perks across a publisher’s ecosystem
- Transparent rarity that avoids manipulative grinding loops
The moment the companion experience feels like a job, fans bounce. The moment it feels like a small enhancement, fans stay.Game day is emotional and communal. The second screen should reinforce that, organising the noise and adding context at the right time. The next era belongs to products that respect attention, reward participation responsibly and make the fan feel supported rather than sold to.