For the first time in Major League Baseball history, players on the field were able to interact with fans via social media platforms with updates, video and pictures during the All-Star Game activities. MLB were calling it the “Social Media Derby” and “one of the most immersive social media events in MLB history.” The MLB encouraged the players and fans to utilize the specialized hashtag on Twitter, #HRDerby. Even our hometown athletes like Hunter Pence of the Houston Astros took part in the new progression. There were 23 All-Star players that actively tweeted during the activities, which gained 121,428 new followers and the MLB Facebook account gaining 190% more “likes” during an 18-hour period. The MLB has hit it out of the ballpark with this one!

During the USA vs. Japan FIFA Women’s World Cup Finals this past weekend, the game set a new record with having tweets come in at 7,196 per second! The Paraguay vs. Brazil game came in number two with having 7,166 tweets per second! Even with a sad loss for USA, people around the world are using Twitter as their outlet to express how they feel about the game.

What other industries do you see now or in the future hitting a “home run” with social media?