Skype and IAAF launch World Championships London 2017 live-coverage bot SPIKES

SPIKES, the official Skype Bot for the world of international track and field athletics, is launched today to mark one week to go to the start of the IAAF World Championships London 2017 (4-13 August) and the publication of official athlete entry list for the championships.

The bot, which was developed in collaboration with Skype, will go live directly and cover every angle of the World Championships in London including the athletes, the event disciplines and results during the 10 days of competition in the stadium and on the streets of London.

“With the official launch of the SPIKES Bot on Skype, the IAAF has taken an exciting and innovative path to engage with sports audiences in a personalised way,” commented IAAF CEO Oliver Gers.

“Athletics is an objective sport. The athletes that run the fastest, jump higher or longer and throw farthest are the winners. However, to the new or casual fan, our sport can seem complicated as those winning performances are governed by technical rules and regulations. Added to that there are also a lot of athletes and many event disciplines.

“The SPIKES Bot platform enables new fans to break down the complexities of athletics. The simple and interactive Skype interface will allow our bot users to explore, follow and receive real-time updates based on their specific interests. Fans can learn or go deeper into the sport.

“Launched as the IAAF World Championships London 2017 are set to begin, the bot enhances the experience of the fan, regardless of whether you are at home watching on TV, on the go trying to keep up with the action, or in the stadium getting an additional background.

“Business-wise, we are also learning in real time what fans are interested in, to optimise the coverage of our sport to best feed fans’ appetites,” concluded Gers.

The SPIKES Bot will bring you up close and personal with all of the action from the IAAF World Championships. Updates from Skype will include videos and images of the most breathtaking moments, all served directly to you, as well as ‘Live View’, a one-click way to get updated with live reports directly from the Olympic Stadium in London.

The SPIKES Bot also lets you customise which athletes and specific competitions you wish to be updated on through the ‘My Spikes’ watch-list.

To learn more about bots and in which countries they are available visit the Skype FAQ and Skype Bots feature page.

How to add Skype Bot to a chat:

• On Windows, click on the new bot directory on the toolbar. You can then view and search for available Skype bots.
• On Android phones, tap Recent and select the floating bot icon to add a bot. Or go to the contacts page and tap on the floating action button (the “+” on the lower right). From here, select the new “Find bots” option to view and search for Skype bots.
• On iOS, click on the “Add Bots” I con on the upper right from your Recants page. Or go to the contacts page and tap on add contacts on the upper right. From here, tap on “Bots” to view and search for Skype bots.
• On Mac, Click Contacts, then click Add Bot….Scroll through the list of available bots or use the search field to find the one you want. When you’ve selected one, click Add to Contacts. The Skype bot will show up in your Contacts list.
• You can also add a Skype bot via a link on supported platforms. Clicking the link will open a Skype chat with the bot.