WWO Sports Debuts Interactive Listening with Alexa

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Westwood One

Westwood One, the official network radio partner of the NCAA, is working with Amazon and development partner XAPPmedia to offer Alexa and Westwood One consumers access to Westwood One Sports' live audio coverage and post-game recaps of the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship. Fans will be able to hear complete play-by-play action from all 67 men's basketball games, including the First Four, every game from all eight first-round and second-round sites, the regional semifinals and finals, plus the Final Four and National Championship game.

In addition, Alexa customers will also be able to hear Westwood One's coverage of Division II Men's Basketball Championship, the NIT semifinals and final from Madison Square Garden, and the regional finals, Final Four and National Championship Game from the Division I Women's Basketball Tournament.

Customers can enable the Westwood One Sports Alexa skill to listen to a live stream of a game of their choice or tune into the March Madness Mix Channel -- a whip-around channel that takes Westwood One listeners from one tournament site to another to make sure they never miss the best action. Users will also be able to access play-by-play highlights and request the day's schedule to find out what's coming up next.

They can also ask Alexa for a specific game or score and Alexa will answer, then ask if they'd like to be connected to the Westwood One skill. If a user asks about a game after it's over (e.g., "Alexa, did Miami win?"), Alexa will respond with the final score, and offer to play a broadcast recap of the game. If the listener says, "yes," they will be connected to the Westwood One Sports skill to hear a recap of the game from Westwood One broadcasters.

"It was our collective vision to create a seamless experience for our passionate listeners. Directly enabling the Westwood One skill and asking for a game or score takes our live audio broadcast and Alexa to a new level," said Suzanne Grimes, EVP, Corporate Marketing, Cumulus Media and President, Westwood One. "March Madness is a huge cultural event, and we are proud to offer our unrivaled college basketball coverage on the exciting Alexa platform."