• Loading stock data...
Thursday, December 12, 2024
The 2024 Best Employers in Sports Award winners have been announced! See the full list of winners

Houston Texans Turn To Zoom for More Than Meetings

  • When their draft begins on Friday, the Houston Texans will be relying on Zoom for their draft-day activities.
  • Draft Day activities range from watch party prizes to happy hour prizes, where fans and can have their own exclusive parties.
houston-texans-zoom
Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Much like the rest of the world, video conferencing has become increasingly important for the NFL and its 32 teams.

For the Houston Texans, Zoom meetings are now also a fan engagement tool, with the team leaning into the technology as a way to interact with them around the draft. 

“The idea here is to have our fans feel like they’re part of the draft all weekend,” Houston Texans Director of Marketing Jackie Maldonado said. “It is a unique opportunity for us because, in a normal setting, we would only have had one day of the draft. With this virtual element, we now have our fans get excited about and celebrate every take with us from day one of the draft to day three of the draft.”

The Texans’ draft experience will begin on April 24, when the team will host a watch party that will conclude after it makes its first draft choice. Conducted over a Zoom call, the experience will have two Texans players or ambassadors hosting each watch party, along with appearances from Texans cheerleaders, a live DJ, and their mascot TORO. The Texans do not currently hold a first round pick, and are not scheduled to choose until pick 40.

Three Texans season-ticket members will have the chance to win this experience and invite up to 19 of their friends to their exclusive watch party. The team began emailing its season-ticket database on April 15 to gauge fan interest. In less than 24 hours, they received several hundred submissions from interested season-ticket holders.

READ MORE: NFL Draft Parties Going Virtual In 2020

The winners will be delivered a Miller Lite Draft pack that contains Papa John’s pizza, NFL Draft pint glasses, a draft hat, and a Texans cooler.

The Texans will also be using Zoom to hold a virtual happy hour, which is being presented by Miller Lite. Fans were encouraged to sign up for a chance to host their own happy hour through the team’s website. 

The winner can also invite up to 19 friends of his or her choice to the virtual happy hour. In addition to giving out the same prizes as the watch party, they will be co-hosting the virtual happy hour alongside Texans analyst John Harris and broadcaster Marc Vandermeer. They will also receive four tickets and parking to a future Texans home game.

Ahead of the last day of the draft, Texans TV talent Drew Dougherty and Deepi Sidhu will host a pre-draft show on Zoom for fans to watch.

“It gives us the opportunity to bring everybody together where they typically wouldn’t have a chance to celebrate the draft in this unique virtual element,” Maldonado said.

Once a winner is selected, the Texans are asking them to select the people they want in their virtual happy hour or watch party, Maldonado said. After the team is given the participants’ full names, they will all be placed in a waiting room on Zoom. The Texans will have a staff member who will be coordinating the Zoom calls and monitoring the virtual happy hour and watch party.

READ MORE: Sidelined Team Mascots Come Together For Kids At School And Home

The Texans have also worked to ensure that any efforts on Zoom are not plagued by ‘zoom-bombings,” or other disruptions. “We have been really grateful that our IT department has helped vet out a lot of these policy and security issues that have surfaced in the media over the last few weeks,” Maldonado said.

While the Texans would most likely prefer to be holding in-person events, the team is making the best of the situation to reach fans in this new way.

“We don’t know where we’re going to be in the next couple of months, but what I can say is the interest is there from [our fans],” she said. “We know that if we had to pivot or things changed from a sports perspective or from an entertainment perspective, we know that we have these watch parties that have proven to show a lot of interest. I’m most excited to see our fans and our players engage together using these Zoom calls and experience the draft together.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Bill Belichick to Take College Plunge at North Carolina

UNC made the official announcement late Wednesday.

NFL Scheduling Gambit Pays Off With Two Blockbuster Sunday Games

The Week 15 schedule has a game pairing seen only once since 1970.
Oct 20, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie pre game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.

Bills, Eagles, Dolphins Approve Adding New Minority Owners

Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady join the list of Bills owners.
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) walks to the locker room after the game of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Texans held off the Jaguars 23-20.

NFL, Nike Extend Uniform, Apparel Partnership Through 2038

Financial terms of the extension were not disclosed.

Featured Today

Nov 2, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Detailed view of a Wilson NBA basketball held by a referee during the second half between the Utah Jazz against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena

‘Obvious Weak Point’: Refs Remain an NBA Gambling Concern

A season after Jontay Porter, the biggest risk may not be players.
Nov 2, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines cheerleader runs with a flag before the game against the Oregon Ducks at Michigan Stadium.
opinion
December 7, 2024

College Football’s Billionaire Backer Era Begins

Is this the new normal in CFB recruiting?
LA Galaxy forward Dejan Joveljic (9) celebrates with midfielder Riqui Puig (10) after scoring a goal against Seattle Sounders FC in the second half in the 2024 MLS Cup Western Conference Final match at Dignity Health Sports Park
December 6, 2024

With or Without Messi, Major League Soccer Is Barreling Into the Future

After the Cup final, the league looks to accelerate its growth.
Dec 18, 2022; Lusail, Qatar; FIFA president Gianni Infantino claps during the awards ceremony after the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium.
December 2, 2024

FIFA Wants More Matches. Resistance Is Growing Inside the Global Soccer World

Resentment and frustration over expanded schedules is nearing a breaking point.

UFC’s Vegas Sphere Fight Should Set Records

The MMA fight has big aspirations and a budget to match.
August 13, 2024

Duael’s One-On-One Racing Brackets Are Yet Another Stab at Saving Track

Duael will debut in March 2025 with the inaugural Duael 100.
September 8, 2024

Guardian Caps Make NFL Debut

Multiple NFL players wore Guardian Caps over their helmets Sunday.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
August 11, 2024

Guardian Caps Have Arrived in the NFL—Ahead of Schedule

Colts star Jonathan Taylor strapped one on for Sunday’s preseason game.
August 5, 2024

How Omega Timing Determined Noah Lyles Won Olympic Gold

Omega touches every corner of the Olympics.
The Adidas ball has changed over the years.
July 25, 2023

The Most Advanced Tech at the Women’s World Cup Might Surprise You

This year’s OCEAUNZ introduces connected ball technology to the women’s game.
Sponsored

Rewriting the Sports Media Playbook

WSC’s highlight automation improved Clemson’s content strategy and overall growth.