You are going to read, by tomorrow or the middle of next week at the latest, an awful lot about Meerkat and Periscope and the big fight. Just remember: I told you first. Premium broadcast disruption is finally here in a big, big way. It will be a Sisyphean task to get that genie back in the bottle.
(Google says no one has ever written that sentence before. I pecked it out, thought it so terrible and cliched that there had to be at least 64,000 returns. I searched it. No one. This is remarkable.)
Anyway.
The user experience varied. I watched the entire fight, every second of Floyd Mayweather doing just enough to disappoint the boxing audience while collecting a monumental paycheck, in good-enough quality over three or four streams. Barrier to entry: Nothing. Money saved: $99 and a lot of agita, had I spent a hundred bucks on something as silly as a boxing match.
If you didn't buy the fight, you were smart. Almost EVERY feed on Periscope is showing it to you for free.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
Based on all the hype I am disappointed we haven't seen a broken jaw or at least some hurt feelings halfway through the first round.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
And then I started scoring the protracted, pretend provocation of the paladins of pugilism.
(Yeesh.)
Round one goes to the PPV provider. May put in a Rocky disc if this non-torrid pace continues.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
Round two goes to this guy holding his phone in front of his Vizio. Nice wall you got behind it, dude.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
Hah. They just showed Mark Wahlberg and Pac-Diddy. Both look bored. "I'm rich, but I paid how much for these seats?"
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
After three rounds it is clear that the one dude is scared of the other dude. Or just here to get a ridiculous payday.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
Thinking of setting up a tabletop tripod to stream teevee, too. What do you want to see? #AttnPeriscopePeople #StableShotsAreTheBestShots
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
I've been told it is not Pac-Diddy, but May-Diddy. My bad.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
Nice job of his one guy integrating his friend/family into s Periscope stream. Calls her a card girl.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
Also he really wants to know where we are from. The things we do between rounds, right?
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
Round four goes to Pac's travel agent.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
Dynamic fluidity is difficult. RT @DoctorGC: @kennysmith This is human creativity and performance at work. Why aren't scholars studying it?
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
Round five goes to my realization that, despite not even being a MMA guy I've realized how lame boxing is compared to MMA.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
Round six goes to this bro whose stream I just joined.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
Round seven goes to the idea I'm pitching to Periscope next week: A Periscope branded tripod you have to use in order to stream TV.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
Oh THAT'S where André Agassi has been …
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
This French gentlemen asked for predictions during the break. Only one of his viewers thinks Floyd wins. One person has Drago with the KO.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
Seriously, prolific live streaming is going to kill the pay-to-watch model.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
Round eight goes to the referee, who might be saving one guy in a few more minutes.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
Round nine goes to the hype machine, because Floyd Mayweather has been pretty boring.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
There are lawyers already planning where they want a beach house tonight because of Periscope.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) May 3, 2015
@kennysmith @Zimmsy despite the best efforts of the heart stream killers. I found our name @DoctorGC @kevhull45 it sounds like bad bar band
— John Spinda (@SportCommSpin) May 3, 2015
I am watching a fight streamed from Las Vegas, being aired in Turkey and commented on by me, and a Brazilian. The 21st century is awesome.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
Round 10 goes to whoever can tell me what beverages in that venue are going for tonight.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
Round 11 goes to @MichelleDBeadle and @Rachel__Nichols who, while apparently banned tonight, haven't missed much.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
Round 10 awarded to my pal, Jacob. RT @jacobvarner14: @kennysmith https://t.co/BA8zW67Lcs
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
If this was to be boxing's latest hope of reviving the sport on a real mainstream level that Apollo Creed movie can't be made fast enough.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
The winner: everyone that made money off this fight, on points.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
Would be great if Periscope flipped the giant switch in the Periscope labs just before the judges' announcement.
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
The only screen grab I could get where the commentariat wasn't intensely displeased with the result. pic.twitter.com/Cvxs0TTtxA
— kenny smith (@kennysmith) May 3, 2015
