London-based Sport Buff raises €2.5M to help broadcasters drive engagement
Photo credit: Sports Buff
London-based Sport Buff, which specializes in gamification and on-screen engagement, announced on Monday that it had raised $2.5 million in a seed funding round Has. The announcement comes a year after the company raised its pre-seed funding in February 2021.
The investment comes from a list of fresh investors including Sport Republic (UK), Longboard Capital (USA), Calvert Drive (NZ) and Intrepid Ventures (CY). Matthew Benham, owner of English Premier League club Brentford FC, and others also made personal investments.
Benn Achilleas, Founder and CEO, says: “This investment round is a huge validation of our product, our delivery and our vision and will drive the next big steps in our development.”
He adds: “It brings significant funding combined with the vast experience, valuable connections and excellent investor advice that will help us to grow, reach new partners and deliver for viewers, brands and broadcasters.”
Henrik Kraft, Chairman and Co-Founder of Sport Republic, said: “Our investment in Sport Buff at this early stage is a testament not only to our belief in the company, its leadership and performance, but also the opportunity they present to us can do business and for the global sports and broadcasting industry.”
Sports Buff: What you need to know
Founded in 2019 by tech entrepreneurs Benn Achilleas and Jonty Whitehead, Sport Buff uses graphics that match original coverage and broadcast layouts to provide viewers with additional information, engagement and interaction. It includes posts, polls and quizzes.
The company says it aims to improve the viewer experience.
The British company claims that broadcasters using its platform have experienced an increase in viewing time, collected valuable data and encouraged greater interaction with their viewers.
The platform also claims to help create new on-screen sponsorship assets, helping them better engage, retain, and monetize their audiences.
The British company has already worked with a number of sports rights holders and broadcasters, including MLS (Major League Soccer), FIBA and DAZN in the Basketball Champions League, FOX Sports and NRL (Rugby League), Caracol TV [Colombia]and CAN [Israel]across a range of platforms including Web OTT, Android and iOS, as well as Twitch and YouTube.
Adds Achilleas, “Sport Buff works for rights holders, broadcasters and consumers with a proven track record of viewers playing and sticking with the coverage, then coming back for more. As a result, we are changing the way the world sees sport. We have significant global deals with broadcasters and rights holders, both signed and in the pipeline, and we have continued to expand our capabilities with significant new hires in the UK, Europe, North America and the Middle East.”
investor
Sport Republic is a London-based investment firm in the sports and entertainment industry. The company’s vision is the growth of sports companies and sports technology companies with high potential.
Henrik Kraft says: “The global sports market is worth over $50 billion in media rights and $200 billion in betting revenue alone. It takes ways to increase engagement, build audiences, and create new commercial opportunities – especially with next-gen audiences – and Sport Buff can deliver all three. So while this summer has presented challenging conditions for investment, there will always be strong interest when the right deal and opportunity present themselves.”
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