New technology from startup ventures is transforming the sports industry. The mission of this series is to introduce startup companies in the sports technology space to a broader audience and allow Founders of promising new ventures to tell their story. This particular startup is taking part in the Hype Global Sport Innovation Competition In Rio De Janeiro on August 24th, 2016.
Company name: 9ineSports
Founder(s): Matheus Provinciali & Martin Jordan
Headquarters: Barcelona, Spain
1. What is your elevator pitch?
9ineSports is an online platform that has developed a new channel of communication to enhance the connection between Fans, Athletes, Clubs, Brands and the entire Sports World. We collect all the sports-related information from the main social media channels and deliver it in a personalized manner, while also integrating social tools to generate an active and engaged community.
9ineSports is the Ultimate Sports Social Network that offers “nothing but the best” Sports Experiences to Sports Fans all around the World.
2. Problem & Solution
In the last few years, there has been a tremendous growth in generic social networks. Such growth has created an excessive amount of noise; which along with an inability to filter the information according to subjects, demands the development of niche social networks adjusted to the needs of specific groups of individuals. There is a need not only for filtered and organized information but the ability to interact with like-minded users.
Sports Fans constantly consume information such as news, calendar of events, photos, videos, predictions, results, standings and statistics. They have to access multiple sites, social networks and apps just to stay updated. This is not only time-consuming but an unsatisfying overall experience.The Sports Fan deserves an environment that provides updated content across all devices and platforms.
9ineSports has created the next Sports Fans Style, a One Stop Shop for Sports Fans providing not only content ready for consumption but introducing tools to enhance the interaction and sharing the Sports Fan community their passion.
3. Market – your target market and the overall market
There are 3.2 billion sports fans globally. There are 3 billion people currently using the web and this number is expected to rise to 5 billion by 2018. Sports revenues for 2015 is estimated at 145,3 Billion dollars.
Global sponsorship is estimated to be worth $45 billion and continues to grow. The sports industry is one of the most lucrative on the planet. 57% of companies have still not been able to determine a social media ROI and this is a good opportunity, particularly as 35% of marketing budgets are now devoted to digital and social media.
Sports fans are the most loyal consumers to a brand. As 83% of sports fans admit to checking their social networks while watching live games, sports properties are feverishly experimenting with ways to create a deeper engagement with fans and bring them closer to the action than ever before.
4. Business Model – how do you make money?
Freemium Business Model – It is a free network with an Exclusive Premium Service.
The free subscription model is the base of an established growth strategy, however there is also a premium paid category that will offer exclusive content and promotions in a near future. Advertising, Sponsorships and Sporting Goods sales. It’s contemplated to develop an “ad system” for brands that intend to directly promote to our segmented community of Sports Fans. Additionally, the cross-functional platform will integrate an online store for sporting goods, merchandise and tickets for sporting events.
5. Management Team – with titles
Matheus Provinciali – Chief Executive Officer
A passionate sports person and technology lover. Matheus has more than 10 years of experience in the Internet industry which includes a background in financial law, marketing & sales. Through his expertise in the Sports world and IT services, he will be able to manage the company by taking the operations of the business to succeed and to become profitable within its initial years of operations. Matheus is a visionary who came up with the idea of creating a network for sports, fans and athletes; being a natural born leader, he will be the decision maker on behalf of 9inesports.
Martin Jordan – Chief Technology Officer
Martin is a massive sports fan who happen to be an electronic engineer. He is a fantastic front end designer with more than 10 years of experience. He provides all the technological support that sustains the structure of the business. His main focus is to build and enhance the user’s interphase and user’s experience of the web app while also managing the servers’ administration, escalation analysis, programming development, and all the deployment process to enhance the performance of the platform.
Juan David Ramirez – Digital Marketing Executive
Juan David is a sportsman, a football addict who has a Masters in Sports Management and his main focus is to enhance the use of social media as a growth channel. Through a good understanding of the football fans’ needs, he is able to develop marketing campaigns in Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin.
Cínthia Ramos – Innovation Manager
Cínthia is a sports lover. She is the woman that brings innovation to the platform, proposal of new ideas, and new ways of connecting with users. Her incredible creative skills and knowledge about the fitness world, products, food, nutrition, pretty much what women love to know and be informed about sports, allow her to create innovative strategies to drive the growth of the platform.
6. What else do you want the audience to know about your venture?
We have successfully launched the Beta version of our Web Application and we are currently developing Mobile Applications for both Android and iOS platforms.
We have also just launched a complimentary Web Application, named FanMatch (http://fanmat.ch), which is the first web app that allows users to vote for their favourite teams in different competitions while competing with other fans to become the Ultimate Fan and win prizes. No bets, nor predictions, the “Matches” are based entirely on fan support.
9ineSports is also now looking to close a deal with a rising Star Football Player to become the ambassador of the Ultimate Sports Network, collaborate with Football Clubs and Sports Brands and join the Sports Revolution.
We are a dedicated young team working hard everyday to build the Ultimate Sports Network and bring users nothing but the best The nothing but the best line isn’t just a slogan for us.
It’s what we believe in, it’s the way we work, it’s the way we live. Here are examples of other Profiles that we’ve previously published.