GreenPark Sports has announced a seed funding round of $8.5M from SignalFire, Sapphire Sport, and Founders Fund, among others. The company is led by Chad Hurley, co-founder of YouTube; Nick Swinmurn, founder of Zappos; and Ken Martin, co-founder of Blitz.
GreenPark Sports is a publisher and developer of fan-forward, digital experiences and mobile games for the new generation of sports and eSports fans. GreenPark Sports was created to reimagine the role of today’s digitally-native fan as an active participant in the live sports/eSports they love.
Fans no longer consume sports passively, watching single games for uninterrupted hours. Instead, they seek interactive experiences that allow them to participate in the action. These fans are digital natives, highly social and share their experiences via online discussions or by competing with other fans to predict the outcomes of games and the output of players. Social fans switch contexts rapidly and frequently, and their attention is extremely fragmented – between devices, content categories and engagement platforms. Furthermore, half of these fans prefer eSports to traditional sports, and the large majority are fans of both categories.
The $1T sports industry is comprised of 5B sports fans. Among these, 2B “social fans” represent the largest, most lucrative segment of the population. GreenPark Sports believes these fans behave fundamentally different than previous generations. In order to unlock their potential, the sports industry must engage them via social, interactive experiences that take place across a diverse array of digital touchpoints.
GreenPark Sports will apply the $8.5M in new funding toward continuing to hire a world-class team covering everything from creative arts professionals, engineering and development talent, as well as go-to-market and gaming industry strategists.
Applicants can view job openings at www.greenparksports.com.