FANDOM SPORTS Media Corp. (CSE: FDM) (OTC: FDMSF) (FRANKFURT: TQ42)
FANDOM SPORTS Media Corp. (CSE: FDM) (OTC: FDMSF) (FRANKFURT: TQ42) is a sports entertainment and gaming company "Hell Bent" on finding and creating the best sports content. FANDOM SPORTS allows passionate fans to unleash their primal sports passions by engaging with other fans, cheering for their favorite teams, players and jeering their opponents.
FANDOM SPORTS: The Brand
FANDOM SPORTS exists to allow sports fans to unleash their primal sports passions, to express their adoration for their teams and players, as well as their deep scorn for their opponents.
Building on the success of its current, 2015 designed, FANDOM Sports App, the company is phasing out systematically the legacy product and will launch an enhanced IBM Blockchain Platform accompanied by a new iOS and Android sports app in the fourth quarter of 2018. This core mobile product – the FANDOM SPORTS App – taps into the passion of sports fans around the world, bringing "trash talk" to a new level.
Currently in development with HHS Tech Group and overseen by IBM, the new platform will give FANDOM the flexibility to expand into new global markets by tailoring a shell app, based on demand, to that specific market. While the shell app will look and perform the same globally, it will produce new results depending on the user's geographic location. For example, a FANDOM Sports App user in China may not be as interested in the NFL, NBA or NHL like a North American market. Instead, their interests could be in eSports and sports leagues native to their country.
With these features, the FANDOM SPORTS App is the ultimate destination for die-hard sports fans. The app enables users to follow their favorite live-action and fantasy teams and players, as well as test their sports knowledge and track viral sports highlights. During Online and live sporting events, professional athletes, commentators and users can engage and debate. It provides a place for fans to connect and square off in real-time with raw, authentic sports debates.
Users are able to log in, celebrate and commiserate with like-minded fans or debate the enemy. The FANDOM SPORTS app currently targets major sports, including football, basketball, baseball and hockey, with future global expansion based on demand and market expansion plans. FANDOM SPORTS' mighty live sports metadata provider is the Sports radar.
The app's FanFights feature allows sports fans to engage other users and unleash raw opinions, predictions and uncensored debates. Application-use is further driven when sports lovers can keep up with their favorite teams and players, trash talk, invite friends to "Pick a Fight" to win virtual currency and experience points status.
Business Strategy
FANDOM SPORTS has identified a relatively untapped sports market ripe with demand. Large-scale social media players are not nimble enough to fill this gap in the sports entertainment market, and this is where FANDOM SPORTS enters the game. As a newcomer to the market, the company has chosen best-in-class partners to make its platform and sports app.
Monetization is based on multiple potential revenue streams, including in-house advertising sales, brand partnerships, in-app purchases and more.
In addition to its one-of-a-kind, mobile-only IBM Cloud and IBM Blockchain platform, the company's business model is based on unique features and gamification of FANDOM SPORTS to bring fans, athletes and celebrities together by blending user-generated and curated content.
Through its ability to engage users in a one-of-a-kind social media and competitive mobile sport experience, FANDOM SPORTS is well-positioned within the booming North American and international gaming markets, targeting sports super fans.
FANDOM SPORTS utilizes the IBM Watson learning algorithm, which predicts and services user preferences while building relevant personalized FANFIGHT channels. This brings sports entertainment to a new level, delivering competitive conversation and interaction that rival a sports bar into the user's hand.
FANDOM SPORTS is led by a strategic management team with combined expertise and a great track record in business development, finance, technology and content curation. The team holds veteran expertise across entertainment, media and music industries, while the company's advisory board boasts high-level executives, professional athletes and celebrities. New additions to the advisory board cover the massively growing arena of eSports.
Gamification
Functionality of the FANDOM SPORTS App enables users to engage in sports debates that have definite resolution from live games. The company is implementing strategies extensively used in the mobile gaming industry to attract its users in continued engagement with the FANDOM SPORTS App. Within the application environment, users become invested as "players" to build their profile ("Player Card") while competing for rewards and prestige.
The app further engages players with a unique in-game virtual currency. Not intended for use in real-world gambling, the virtual currency holds in-app value. With the in-app currency, fans are able to create their own "FANFIGHTS," "Pick a Fight," and debate the outcome of arguments. Users are provided a fixed amount of app currency upon initial sign up. As the user contributes and engages with other fans, they accumulate more virtual currency FANCOIN, as well as a higher experience on the platform.
Within the application in Q4, users in certain regions can make in-app purchases to speed up their gaming experience, as well as "Pick A Fight" for prizes, in-game items and potentially live sporting events.
Market Opportunity
FANDOM Sports is establishing routes to take advantage of strong growth of mobile gaming and mobile games. The worldwide gaming market is forecast to rise to $137.9 billion in 2018, according to Newzoo.
Worldwide gaming is forecast to rise to US $144.31 billion by 2018. In 2015, the online gaming market had a volume of US $37.91 billion, and this figure was forecast to increase to US $59.79 billion in 2020. In 2015, the online gaming gross win accounted for 10 percent of the total gaming gross win, and this was forecast to increase to 14 percent in 2020.
Within this space, the FANDOM SPORTS App is the ultimate destination for die-hard sports fans to dive deeper. The app provides engaging and authentic real-time interactive content aimed right at the company's targeted age demographic of 18-34. The FanFights on the app create a platform in which intense sports fans can engage other users, unleashing raw opinions, predictions and debates that you don't want your mom to see on Facebook. Application use is further driven when sports lovers can keep up with their favourite teams and players, vent, gloat, invite friends to Pick A Fight and play to win virtual currency and experience points status.
Management
Henri Holm – Chief Executive Officer
Henri Holm is president and CEO of FANDOM SPORTS Media Corp. Holm has an extensive track record of business success, bringing over 20 years of international hands-on strategy execution experience. A Harvard Business School alumni, his career accomplishments include scaling-up functions of multinational firms and expertise in various leadership roles, including covering digital content and implementing as well as enhancing gamification, brand management, licensing, mobile technology, manufacturing, distribution and retail operations processes and functionality.
With key focus on consumer and partner value, Holm's most recent executive position covered leading video products, billing and sports content services within the Middle-East region. Additionally, Holm was senior vice president at Rovio Entertainment, where he oversaw the development and growth of the highly successful Angry Birds franchise across Asia. Prior to these roles, Holm held progressive titles ranging from chief financial officer, head of Business Operations, Global Category Marketing Manager, key account manager and product manager at various divisions of Nokia from 1995 to 2011.
Jonna Birgans – President and Chief Content Officer
A 25-year veteran of the entertainment industry, Birgans has had an influential career across all entertainment mediums: television, film, radio and digital media. Birgans has worked extensively with global brands like Billboard Magazine, Viacom Networks and Lexus, producing content for their marketing campaigns as well as for their on-air shows. She has also had two development deals for TV shows she co-created at GSN and USA Networks. Birgans also has had a successful career as a music video producer, working alongside infamous directors Hype Williams and Spike Jonze, to name a few. For the last decade, Birgans has made a name for herself in the world of out-of-home and digital media landscapes performing in executive roles creating content strategy, developing business plans, executing brand partnerships and managing teams of creative and sales professionals.
Alex Helmel – Chief Financial Officer
Alex Helmel is CFO of FANDOM SPORTS Media Corp. He has extensive career experience with over 12 years in Canadian capital markets and over 20 years in the technology sector, focusing on asset development. Helmel has served in leadership positions for various successful companies including in roles as president, secretary and chief financial officer.
