Raycom Sports, a sports marketing, event management and production firm, has tapped Txtstation for real-time in-broadcast text message polling at sports events.

The promotion titled, "Txt-of-War," is a voting feature in which two options are pitted against each other. Viewers at home decide the outcome by voicing their opinion via text message.

"Basically Raycom Sports broadcasts high definition sports on the air and Alltel wireless is a big partner of theirs," said Michael Falato, vice president of sales and business development at Txtstation, Austin, TX.

"They wanted to activate the Alltel brand in a way that engages people and we have the platform to go into production trucks at the games and produce real-time text polls that give viewers a voice."

During each live college football game broadcast on Raycom Sports, the "Txt-of-War" feature will be presented and a new question pertaining to the schools and their respective teams will be posed to the viewers.

At the same time, viewers are encouraged to take out their mobile phone and send a text message to 55333 in order to cast their vote.

Within a few seconds of pressing send the vote appears live on the graphic and the two percentages adjust accordingly.

On top of that, the voting option receiving the majority of the votes pulls the rope closer to its side of the graphic and thus wins the contest upon conclusion of the feature.

Alltel Wireless will be the title sponsor of the feature.

"We are continually deriving new and unique ways to integrate mobile, and more specifically, our real-time solution, into sports and entertainment," Mr. Falato said. "The Txt-of-War concept is simply the latest example of that fact and we are thrilled to have the chance to roll it out with Raycom Sports."

Txtstation is a mobile marketing company that specializes in sports and entertainment.

The company helps broadcasters, event owners, sponsors and general media to communicate with viewers or fans directly through mobile phones, Internet and landlines phones.

Raycom Sports is a sports marketing, event management and production firm. Raycom is the rights holder of ACCbasketball and syndicated football telecasts and SEC syndicated men's basketball and football telecasts.

In addition, the company owns and operates events around the country including the Long's Drug LPGA Tournament in San Francisco and the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte.

Raycom Sports' parent company Raycom Media, located in Montgomery, AL, owns and operates 42 television stations covering over ten percent of the United States.

"We are unique because no one does high definition, real-time graphics," Mr. Falato said. "Other companies just do text polling and then send out the results of the poll later on."