FanDom Sports CEO: Our Mobile Only​,​ Micro-Communities Platform Taps Into the Passion of Sports Fans

According to FanDom Sports Media (CSE:FDM,OTCQB:FDMSF,Frankfurt:TQ42) CEO Henri Holm, the company’s newly released app is targeting die-hard sports fans, regardless of their demographic. FanDom Sport’s mobile sports-centric social media argument resolution platform was commercially released on iOS on October 23, 2017 after almost four months of beta testing.
Following the deployment of the app on the iOS platform, FanDom Sports will focus on strategically acquiring a user base of sports enthusiasts while developing their flagship Android version. As they build their user audience and enhance revenue streams, the company is facing exciting times.
Below is a transcript of our interview with FanDom Sports CEO Henri Holm and COO Allen Ezer. It has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Investing News Network: Please give our investor audience some background on FanDom Sports Media and your popular app.
FanDom Sports COO Allen Ezer: FanDom Sports Media has created a ground-breaking mobile app which provides a platform for competitive sports-focused debates while allowing fans to determine the final resolution. The company launched in 2015 and over the last six months we have significantly refined and articulated our product offering. We have transitioned from a banter-focused concept to a platform that offers a more structured competitive conversation with a measurable resolution for fan dialogue. Through the evolution of our commercial product we have established an “app economy” which has introduced the notion of “FanCoins”, which are rewarded to users based on their participation in what we call “FanFights”. The allocation of this currency is largely dependent on whether or not they are on the winning side of these competitive conversations and the level of engagement of which they participate in as it relates to inviting friends, building micro-communities and designing their own FanFights. The premise of our brand is to focus on time usage within our app while resolving sports related disputes but also creating consensus on outstanding sports arguments.
INN: What kind of reception has the app received since its release?
AE: When we talk about the pivot in our company’s product roadmap, we refer to July 11, 2017. It was at that stage where Henri took on the role of CEO and the app saw its iOS beta version kickoff. From that point on we have had a more concise and articulated strategic blueprint, as well as more concrete projected timelines focused on future product development. The FanDom Sports App “argument engine” technology is the world’s first mobile sports-centric social media resolution platform that measures and scores opinionated dialogue.
We had been in the beta stage since July and our commercial version was launched on October 23.Currently we’re moving forward with Android platform development, which provides immense blue-sky for the company. That is extremely exciting for us.
INN: Is there any user feedback that you would like to highlight as part of the reception of the app?
AE: By being a public company, we had the advantage of having access to a significant group of beta users. As such, we received a lot of feedback regarding what works and what doesn’t. This has given us a better notion on how to better design the app and it will feed into our user acquisition process, of which we will commence an aggressive, targeted user acquisition campaign on November 12.
Additionally, the beta feedback has helped us identify which fan bases we resonate with the most from a content standpoint. It has also helped us to confirm some of our key assumptions, like the fact that football fans will be much more engaged during the season rather than off-season. From this data we have been able to transition the fan feedback and use it towards the frameworking for the Android version app, which will be our core flagship product, with anticipated release in Q1-2018.
INN: Please tell us about the FanDom radio show on Dash Radio and what led the company to launch this project.
FanDom Sports CEO Henri Holm: Dash Radio is an important part of the Fandom on-air experience. We’ve married two media together, where users can listen actively to a sports talk show while using the mobile application to vote, discuss and debate topics raised on the show.
This approach gives us two distinct opportunities. First, we bring a unique destination platform that people can use during and after televised or live sporting events. Secondly, through the Dash Radio show, we can drive traffic in the form of downloads and direct engagement with the app, giving us an understanding of our user audience.
Our app does not target specific demographics; it taps into the passion of sports fans. Dash Radio’s reach is significant and as it is broadcasted out of Hollywood, it gives us an edge to tap into the North American market.
AE: Dash Radio is a significant part of our user acquisition strategy, which is founded on using non-traditional media. Dash is just one example as a digital radio platform, but we are also primary sponsors for James Duthie’s hockey-focused podcast, The Rubber Boots. Through using digital radio and collaborating with Duthie, we are able to reach listeners that fit into our sports-fan demographic. With Duthie, we tick our hockey box, and with Dash Radio we have a significant following of basketball and football fans.
In utilizing the digital platforms used by our target audience, we are able to increase downloads, bring people to our channels and find ways of attracting fans of other sports we showcase on our platform. Through these channels, we are also able to ensure that users are qualified as sports fans before they even download the app. It is very important for us to qualify these users early on, as that is data we can share with advertisers, sponsors and other potential partners.
INN: What are the upcoming catalysts on the horizon for Fandom Sports Media?
HH: Our app’s commercial version has just been launched. Our user acquisition strategy is to find the die-hard sports fans that are highly engaged and have in-depth sports knowledge. We’re looking at the people downloading the app, whether they’ve registered and whether they’ve enjoyed the content enough to come back.
As we look to the future, we are working on developing our flagship product on the Android platform. Over the last ten months, while we’ve been working on the iOS product and the argument engine, we have been gathering knowledge. By reusing our existing code, we are able to fast-track our Android evolution. Our flagship product will give us opportunities to scale and address the global market, which has a majority of Android users. While we do this we are also looking into potential new technologies that help us to leapfrog some of our competitors.
One of our supporting technologies is a Hyperledger that is used as the means to maintain the integrity of data and transactions. FanDom Sports Media is part of the group of 200 startups working with IBM, and we have participated in IBM’s Hyperledger Blockchain events. This and other technologies give us the opportunity to build our roadmap and make sure that our future business model is supported with the means of being an efficient, profitable and scalable operation.
CEO interviews are part of investor education campaigns for clients advertising on the Investing News Network. Important news is contextualized by CEOs, and the resulting interviews are disseminated to the Investing News Network audience because they have value to market watchers.
The Investing News Network interviews a CEO for an understanding of their perspective on the company, the investment potential of the company and market news related to the company. The information contained here is for information purposes only and is not to be construed as an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities.

The interview below was originally posted on July 2017. Please scroll up for the latest FanDom Sports Media interview.

FanDom Sports Media (CSE:FDM; OTCQB:FDMSF) is a sports entertainment and gaming company whose primary product, the FanDom Sports App, allows users from around the world to commiserate or celebrate with like-minded fans; test their sports trivia knowledge; and debate those with opposing views. FanDom Sports CEO Henri Holm is a Harvard Business School Alumni and former Senior Vice President at Rovio Entertainment, known for its highly successful Angry Birds franchise.
The FanDom Sports app, officially launched in the iOS Apple Store in July 2017, is now available for public download around the world.
Below is a transcript of the interview with FanDom Sports CEO Henri Holm. It has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Investing News Network: Please give our investor audience some background on FanDom Sports and the value your company brings to its shareholders.
FanDom Sports CEO Henri Holm: FanDom Sports Media is the brand and fan-centric company behind the FanDom Sports app, which hosts user generated content and facilitates competitive conversations with resolution. The aftermath and opinions are at times even more interesting to sports fans to debate than the game itself. The sports community is engaged, loud and opinionated. FanDom is their social platform. We give sports fans voice to reach out and debate about their favorite sports, in a fun and engaging way.
We’re focused on building a fan-centric sports media marketing channel. The platform we have created is a unique and authentic channel for advertisers, brands and promotions to co-exist among the user generated content. We also blend curated content with user-generated content. We provide interactive features and off-the-field content that all sports fans – from hard-core sports fanatics, part-time gamers and sports lifestyle enthusiasts— love to engage in on a daily basis.
Both online and at live sponsored events, professional athletes and commentators can engage and debate with users via the FanDom Sports app. Bloggers, pundits and athletes are also invited to syndicate content through FanDom for a share of sponsorship and ad revenue.
For advertisers to stay relevant today, they need to be integrated with a brand story. Having only a crude banner advertisement on top doesn’t work anymore. It doesn’t engage a younger audience that is more story driven. Once a brand participates on the platform, they get a chance to build their own stories; and we can give them our analytics and backend access to help them target the consumer types that they want to address.
We have put together a global, hand-picked team of managers and directors who are seasoned capital market experts and accredited technical experts with a track record of wins in app and game development. Founder and Director Blair Naughty has won numerous business magazine accolades, and has raised over $100 million to date through Naughty Capital Ltd. Our technology specialists who have built these types of apps before, launched and scaled them with great success. As well, we have a content curation and creation team who are veterans from the sports, media and music industries. We have high profile investors from within the sports industry, which gives us true insight into the fan engagement experience from both the sports team and athlete’s perspective.
INN: What is your growth strategy and long term goals for the company?
HH: FanDom Sports Media aims to be one of the most valuable sports companies that owns no teams, no player contracts or even broadcast rights. This is the purest platform where fans settle the score. Currently, we are targeting six major sports, but we plan to expand our offerings as demand allows.
One of our primary goals is to cover all major smartphone operating systems by the end of 2017. Our technology implementation path started with the initial iOS focused rollout, then to cover Android after that phase, very similarly to the SNAP Inc. app rollout that has proven to be a successful method. Organic fan-centric growth is the key to define our target audience. Our current target audience is “sport super-fans” with strong opinions, falling within the age demographics of 18 – 35 years old. The six sports we cover from day-one address over 100 million potential users. Once the app is accessible across all major platforms, we aim for a rapid SnapChat-like growth curve, from launch to critical mass.
Paid advertising will be introduced once the monetization model is tested and proven. A platform for engagement with other super-fans, athletes, and taste-makers is an essential place for advertisers and brand promotions.
North America’s sports market is projected to surpass $75 billion by 2020. Most of the revenue gains are expected to come from the growing value of media rights and sponsorship. FanDom Sports is looking to capture some of this revenue stream through a multi-pronged revenue generation strategy selling ad space on the app, with banners and buttons, video ads and sponsorships.
INN: What upcoming catalysts will potentially increase shareholder value?
HH: The FanDom Sports app was soft launched at the Apple Store on July 11th , as our exclusive event took place in Los Angeles, California on that date. The full product launch is scheduled for mid-September. This launch will pave the way for the Android version’s development and market release, which will give us access to 100-percent of the smartphone market.

CEO interviews are part of investor education campaigns for clients advertising on the Investing News Network. Important news is contextualized by CEOs, and the resulting interviews are disseminated to the Investing News Network audience because they have value to market watchers.
The Investing News Network interviews a CEO for an understanding of their perspective on the company, the investment potential of the company and market news related to the company. The information contained here is for information purposes only and is not to be construed as an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities.