Keeping Score - California Business Journal
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Technology and Innovation
Keeping
Score
Fz Sports creates the first vertically-integrated
company focused on the full value chain of sport across
streaming, distribution and rights.
M
atías Rivera knows the score -- streaming platform into expanding to become a
and his team at Fz Sports is fully, virtually-integrated sports company. “Our
bringing a global jersey to the group of businesses not only brings value to
expanding world of streaming sports fans, but also to rights holders, sports or-
sports. ganizations, leagues and clubs,” Rivera says.
“This separates us from other players in the
Debuted in 2021, Miami-based Fz Sports, of
space, in that we offer a full suite of solutions."
which Rivera is CEO and co-founder, represents
a coalescence of three unique sports tech entities. With clients in over 100 countries and a diverse
Previously best known for launching Fanatiz, the team of 90 professionals working globally, the
leading soccer streaming app that forms one of recent formation of Fz Sports marks a lineup of
the subsidiaries, the new venture operates a sin- innovative endeavors: Fanatiz, Nunchee and
gle umbrella with the collective aim is to opti- 1190 Sports.
mize the connection between fans, brands and
"It's a reflection of our landscape that there are
rights holders, with both ends of the field enjoy-
many points across the sports-value chain, not
ing enhanced engagement.
only with the fans – which is where we started –
The company evolved from being a sports- but also with the rights holders," Rivera says.
California Business Journal / May 2021 / www.calbizjournal.com By Rick Wein-
Technology and Innovation
"By providing this fully-integrated proposition to white-label manner to empower and enable con-
the sports-value chain, we're using our technolo- tent creators and rights holders around the world
gy to connect the dots and we've created more who want to launch their own streaming ser-
value than the sum of their parts. And the fan is vices, with an emphasis on sports," Rivera says.
still at the heart of everything we do."
1190 Sports, which debuted in 2015, focuses on
Known as "The World's Largest Stadium," managing, commercializing and development
Fanatiz launched in 2016. The popular sports revenue streams -- sponsorship, broadcasting and
streaming platform is available on all devices image rights.
worldwide, with a particular "pitch" to soccer
1190 develops the long-term, “win-win partner-
fans. Evidencing Fz Sports' commitment to af-
ships” with rights holders and sports organiza-
fordable content, Fanatiz is available via a paid
tions. For example, the Brazilian Soccer League
subscription model ($7.99/month), along with a
and the Argentine Soccer League use 1190
Sports as their partner for the global distribution
premium version.
and monetization of their rights.
"Our technology helps aggregate numerous
The palpable trio of endeavors represents, in
channel sports properties on a single platform,
Rivera's view, more than just a scorecard of crea-
making it easy for the fans to find everything in
tor/content/user connections; additionally, the
the same place," Rivera says.
CEO sees enhanced sports' streaming content as
Used by content creators from entire sporting a natural progression of fandom.
leagues to independent contracts, Nunchee has
Tracking viewer consumption changes and habits
been in business since 2011.
from music to movies to media, the digital en-
The direct-to-consumer streaming service sports gagement of sports brings with it a unique cross-
a client lineup ranging from the self-employed to over from screen to community.
individual sports clubs to entire leagues, includ-
"The way we've consumed sports, traditionally,
ing the British Basketball League and ATA Foot-
it's very similar to the way we've watched TV
ball.
content. However, sports is so different in the
"Nunchee makes our technology available in a sense of the emotions, the passion, the triggers of
California Business Journal / May 2021 / www.calbizjournal.com
Technology and Innovation
engagement," he says. "And, along with every- accelerated new payment methods as well as
thing around the live event -- from the statistics consumer habits of online content.
to the highlights to the commentary – we can
“The bottlenecks previously in place have now
really drive that user consumption experience.
become opened floodgates," Rivera says.
Sports, compared to watching other program-
ming, has a relationship with much more live The floodgates aren't limited to viewer and fan
engagement and interaction." habits, as Fz Sports is continually endeavoring to
keep the digital turnstiles churning and turning.
Operating along the pandemic timeline through-
out 2020 and into '21 has found Fz Sports well- Expanding its own roster, the company's recent
positioned for the world's growing appetite for launch of a new partnership with FOX Sports
digital content, especially at a time when fandom Mexico, furthering a Latin American expansion
is often experienced from a remote vantage. and increasing access to rights such as the NFL,
Major League Baseball and Formula 1.
"The pandemic has certainly accelerated many
trends that were already in motion, and has fur- A self-described "problem-solver," Rivera's pen-
thered adopting of digital media solutions, in- chant for solutions seeks to lead Fz Sports from
cluding sports streaming," Rivera says. the content of today, to the fields of tomorrow.
“We believe,” he concludes, “that in the five
As one example, in international markets, out-
years' ahead, there is much more excitement and
side of the U.S., there had been a reluctance to
innovation to come."
spend money on consuming digital services and
even the payment methods for these services had Copyright © 2021 California Business Journal.
been a big challenge. However, the pandemic has All Rights Reserved.
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