--- title: Engaging Fans with ARCADE | 6th Hashtag Sports Awards description: Global awards recognizing excellence in fan engagement and celebrating creativity across sports marketing, media & entertainment image: https://www.hashtagsports.com/hubfs/Assets-2024-shortlisted/OapqxwaL.png --- Engaging Fans with ARCADE | 6th Hashtag Sports Awards # Engaging Fans with ARCADE [Tradable Bits](https://tradablebits.com/), [ MLSE](https://www.mlse.com/) The 6th Annual Awards Nominee ✨ - Best Use of Gamification ![Image](https://www.hashtagsports.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Assets-2024-shortlisted/OapqxwaL.png?width=1920&height=1080&name=OapqxwaL.png) Share [** ](https://www.hashtagsports.com/awards/shortlist-2024/engaging-fans-with-arcade-mlse#) [** ](https://www.hashtagsports.com/awards/shortlist-2024/engaging-fans-with-arcade-mlse#) [** ](https://www.hashtagsports.com/awards/shortlist-2024/engaging-fans-with-arcade-mlse#) ABOUT THIS ENTRY Tradable Bits and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment created a fun, engaging way for sports teams and leagues to connect with fans dubbed “ARCADE.” The premiere season of ARCADE included 5 distinct casual, classic arcade style games designed to entertain all fans, from the casual fan to the super fans. The dynamic and engaging games proved to have a dwell time higher than industry averages as fans delved into snackable games Flickshot Frenzy, Face-off, High-Flyers, Pop-a-Shot, and T-Shirt Time. On the league side, ARCADE is quickly and easily customized by teams with skins available for Basketball, Football, Hockey, Soccer, and Australian Football. Most of all, ARCADE can be customized to include sponsor partner branding, thereby becoming a revenue generator by expanding teams’ inventory of saleable assets. ![Image](https://www.hashtagsports.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Assets-2024-shortlisted/OapqxwaL.png?width=1920&height=1080&name=OapqxwaL.png) How does this represent “Excellence in Engagement”? Tradable Bits and MLSE created an engaging and fun environment for fans. By leaning into casual games that appeal to wide audiences of gamers and non-gamers, the ARCADE addressed fan appetite for quick, accessible entertainment. By integrating games with contests and sponsor-supported experiences, Tradable Bits and MLSE transformed fan interactions into more dynamic, entertaining, and engaging experiences. Instead of brief engagements, messages and interaction points are layered throughout the gameplay experience, offering a more nuanced and dynamic interaction platform for fans, teams, and sponsors. Fans receive an engaging and immersive experience, which stands out in the competitive landscape of sports marketing, while sponsors gain access to an actively engaged fan base, increasing visibility and interaction opportunities. Simultaneously, teams acquire valuable digital inventories, enriching significant moments in the season. Objective Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment Digital Labs (MLSE) and Tradable Bits (TBits) aimed to: - Build a pipeline for revenue generation within the sports industry plagued by limited inventory - Create new avenues for fan engagement Strategy & Execution **Strategic goals included:** - Broad Engagement through Play - Increased Fan Interaction - Data-driven Approach for Targeting Demographics - Layered Messaging through Gameplay - Holistic Impact on Sports Marketing and Stakeholder Value The execution resulted in 5 ARCADE game types for Basketball, Football, Hockey, Soccer and Australian Football, including: - Flickshot Frenzy - Flickshot FrenzyFace-off - Flickshot FrenzyHigh-Flyerz - Flickshot FrenzyPop-a-Shot - Flickshot FrenzyT-Shirt Time Tradable Bits and MLSE launched 40+ games with commercial partners as part of the kickoff phase of ARCADE and worked with each sponsor to connect ARCADE to their products and wider marketing initiatives so games provide engagement as well as sales results. One such example was the transformation of “we-win, you-win rewards” for fans in the venue that extended digitally to engage at-home fans. In this scenario, a wider breadth of fans were able to reap the rewards of commercial partners through their scores in ARCADE itself, while driving more redemption of sponsored offers. ARCADE started as the cornerstone to retaining engagement and monetization during COVID, when live events shuttered. Since then, ARCADE has transformed into a major sponsorship asset through the use of gamified content. **Organizations** - Tradable Bits - Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) **Links** - [  Website](https://www.mlsearcade.com/) **Credits** **[Jim O'Mara](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jomara/)** Director, Digital Experiences MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) **[Daniel Houseley](https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-houseley-24774a112/)** Product Lead MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) **[Nic Bradford](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-bradford-97a207a0/)** Lead Designer, Digital Experiences MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) **[Eric Dickinson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-dickinson-6383148a/)** Digital Project Manager MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) **[Danny Tran](https://www.linkedin.com/in/-dannytran/)** Lead Developer MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) **[Chidozie Ikpe](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chidozie-regis-ikpe-bb070389/)** Game Developer MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) **[Fahad Edward](https://www.linkedin.com/in/fahad-edward-29379117a/)** Game Developer MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) **[Becky Wu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-wu-art/)** Game Artist MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) **[Carmen Yuen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmen-yuen-2b4aa7186/)** Game Artist MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) **[Ruqian Da](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruqianda/)** Game Artist MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) **[Jenna Furigay](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennafurigay/)** Web & Platform Specialist MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) **[Samuel Ross](https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelbfross/)** Sports Strategy Lead Tradable Bits **[Selena Neumark](https://www.linkedin.com/in/selena-neumark-291b29105/)** Product Lead Tradable Bits **[Tim Mullaly](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-mullaly/)** General Manager APAC Tradable Bits **[Lenny Goh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennygoh/)** VP Partnerships Tradable Bits **[Dmitry Khrisanov](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dkhrisanov/)** CTO Tradable Bits **[Darshan Kaler](https://www.linkedin.com/in/darshankaler/)** CEO Tradable Bits **[Alicia Taggio](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ataggio/)** Director of Customer Success Tradable Bits **[Derrick Matthews](https://www.dmatthews.ca/about)** Game Artist MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) **[Noah Meadows](https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradable-bits)** Software Engineer Tradable Bits #### Celebrate in NYC Join us for the 6th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards™ on the evening of June 6, 2024 as we celebrate finalists and reveal the winners of this year's awards live during the show.   [![RESERVE SEATS](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/834568/c79439a7-e53f-4aa9-9d60-2b68caf80d89.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/834568/c79439a7-e53f-4aa9-9d60-2b68caf80d89)