Txtstation swings into action for Turner, PGA

Turner Network Television (TNT) and PGA.com have teamed up with Txtstation to launch a multi-platform viewer s poll and sweepstakes in conjunction with the 2006 PGA Championship, live from Medinah (Illinois) Country Club.

Each day viewers will be asked to interact using their cell phone or via PGA.com and submit their votes to poll questions, such as the most dramatic PGA Championship moment , or the best PGA golfer in his prime.

Votes can be submitted, utilizing Txtstation technology, either at PGA.com or via cell phone by sending a text message to short code number 88222 . The live poll and sweepstakes, beginning Thursday, August 17 and running through Sunday, August 20, is part of Turner s multi-platform campaign in which coverage of the tournament will be simulcast across both television (TNT) and the internet (PGA.com).

One of our goals is to lead the way in cutting edge interactive sports-related content, said Lenny Daniels, senior vice president of sports production and new media, Turner Sports. The PGA Championship Poll is a great example of how mobile marketing is impacting our culture. Adding the mobile component to PGA.com’s poll enables them to creatively interact with the sports fans, as well as the broader viewing audience.

Turner previously used the technology during its NBA telecasts, letting viewers vote on a poll question via text message. The great thing about this is that Txtstation systems does it all and supplies all the equipment, adds Daniels. They give us the video and a key signal and they interface with the phone company to measure the data.

The Txtstation TV system continues to break new ground with interactive mobile marketing technology concepts, and we are very excited with the opportunity to combine real time entry points from both the PGA website, and mobile phones to drive television viewer response and ratings said Matt Coleman, founder of Txtstation.

Real-time poll results will simultaneously be displayed during the TNT broadcast and on the PGA.com website. Each TXT message costs $.50. Most carriers are available; including Sprint Nextel, Verizon, T-Mobile, Cingular, Boost Mobile and Dobson.