Our client is FanzPlay, an interactive trivia game for fans to play at their favorite sporting events. Fans compete in a live game against the fans of the opposing team, with each team’s fan base working together to get the most questions right and win real prizes. The CEO and brain of FanzPlay is Taylor Walls, a former UNC women’s basketball player. Taylor, as a former athlete, is also incredibly competitive, and she sees that allowing spectators to compete during their favorite games will give them a fun avenue to exert their competitive spirit. Additionally, the incentives provided by FanzPlay benefit both fans and sponsors: winning fans receive coupons, and businesses get to advertise and attract more customers to their establishments.
When she was an athlete, Taylor recognized the importance of crowd engagement on team performance. FanzPlay excites fans in an arena, thus helping to improve the energy for the home team. This is especially important in creating an electric atmosphere at womens and non-revenue sports, which historically do not attract as many fans as men’s football and basketball. A strong fan presence can help teams win more games, attracting more fans and more revenue for these teams.
Although Taylor has passion, business acumen, and connections, she does not have the technical knowledge or training to code the app. Our team comes in as the technical bridge between Taylor’s ideas and the final product. By providing Taylor with a viable model for the app, we give her something for her to present to investors so they can get behind her vision and provide more funding for the app.
Taylor also has the challenge of navigating this space as a Black woman, which provides additional barriers to entry. Athletic administration, investing, and technology are three areas which have historically been white and male-dominated. Helping Taylor with the technology behind FanzPlay enables her to break down these barriers and carve a path for herself in an industry where she has been historically underrepresented. If she succeeds with the FanzPlay venture, she will be paving the way for African Americans and women to make it into technology and the sports world in the future.
We are bringing technical expertise to FanzPlay, providing a product that can be used so that others see Taylor’s vision. Our work helps Taylor break into the tech world, a space in which Black women are underrepresented. FanzPlay’s impact extends beyond the game; it enhances crowd engagement, energizes arenas, and contributes to the growth of underfunded sports.