Live Matrix founders Nova Spivack and Sanjay Reddy see a future in which sports fans can watch multiple games from multiple angles, listen to sports talk commentary and complain in live chat rooms -- all at the same time. That may describe your last weekend, but that doesn’t mean Live Matrix is behind the times.
This new site is essentially "TV Guide for the Web." It connects fans to multiple live, streaming events -- video, radio, gaming, web chats and even sales specials. It offers immediate access to current live streams as well as calendar syncing options for upcoming events.
The biggest problem for sports fans online, according to the site creators, is that they are unaware many events are available live.
Live Matrix aggregates the real-time web in a format that’s easy to understand. It links to the primary stream as well as supplemental content from across the web. The site also connects to Facebook and Twitter to bring in social elements.
But it’s not flawless. One hurdle ahead of Live Matrix is league restrictions on streaming games online. Discussions at TechCrunch Disrupt last year suggest the service may look to partner with paid platforms, like MLB.tv and NFL.com AudioPass, to become more comprehensive. A further connection to web-to-television technologies like Google TV, Roku or the new Boxee Box could position this service as a necessity for getting the most online sports content to eyes and ears.
There is also still the question of whether a TV-style guide is the right format for managing massive amounts of information. Scrolling past hundreds of channels with a TV remote can be painful. Will fans be willing to scroll past thousands upon thousands of web-based events?
One more issue: While the site is accessible on iPads and smartphones, there is no current option to mark whether events are viewable on these devices. It’s a glaring absence that needs to be remedied by the time the site leaves beta.
But Live Matrix can certainly be a fan’s friend. In a world of ubiquitous, unmanageable sports content, fans need all the help they can get.
