A founding group that features three Canadian entrepreneurs and UFC Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer is about to launch a brand new social e-commerce platform aimed toward connecting athletes with their followers.
Millions.co launches product designed to assist athletes unlock new income streams and improve engagement with followers.The startup's founding group contains faces acquainted to the Canadian tech ecosystem, however the commonest title. The world-renowned founding group of Millions.co is Buffer, UFC announcer, often known as “Voice Of Mixed Martial Arts.”
“We want to democratize the creation of a brand … for all professional athletes, gyms and sports organizations.”
The CEO of Millions.co is Matt Whitteker, who beforehand co-founded Assent Compliance in Ottawa. The founding group additionally contains Scott Whitteker, Matt's brother who runs the Fight For The Cure charity boxing occasion, Adrian Salamunovic, an Ottawa entrepreneur who based digital artwork startup CanvasPop, and Brandon Austin. , a serial entrepreneur primarily based within the United States.
Millions.co was created to permit athletes to leverage their present fan base and social media presence to create and management their very own sources of revenue. Fans will have the ability to buy unique merchandise, entry personal interactive video streams, and take part in AMAs.
The firm will accomplice with the athletes to share the transaction income, with the gross majority going to the athletes. Millions.co initially focuses on fight sports activities, however seeks to broaden partnership alternatives to athletes from different sports activities leagues such because the NBA, NFL, NHL and finally sports activities resembling golf, soccer and golf. cricket.
Matt advised BetaKit that the founding group initially launched Millions.co to buy merchandise from skilled boxers who didn't have an internet retailer. He mentioned the group observed athletes go to a print store and ship in their very own shirts, underscoring the market's want for a greater e-commerce resolution.
“We want to democratize brand startup, online sales and access to the latest technology for all professional athletes, gyms and sports organizations,” mentioned Matt.
The CEO advised BetaKit his startup is already in talks with broadcast and pay-per-view firms, and greater than 100 pro-fight athletes, together with Albert “The Prince” Bell, MMA fighter Bryce “Thug Nasty” Mitchell and pro-boxer Chris Colbert.
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The idea of the “athlete-fan engagement” expertise has turn into a rising space in social commerce, with some of the notable firms within the trade being Dapper Labs. Although Dapper Labs has developed a number of blockchain-based options, its Top Shot product has not too long ago seen marked success. Top Shot, presently focused on the NBA, permits basketball followers to gather, commerce, and personal memorable moments from NBA historical past on the blockchain.
As a results of the expansion of this product, Dapper Labs has raised US $ 305 million from various athletes and celebrities. During Collision 2021, Dapper Labs investor and NBA star Spencer Dinwiddie spoke about his personal fan engagement app, Calaxy, which permits influencers to work together with followers utilizing digital tokens.
Salamunovic advised BetaKit that Millions.co goals to deliver the very best options of streaming providers, fan engagement companies, and merchandise companies on a novel know-how platform and stack, enabling athletes to s ‘simply have interaction with their viewers.
“There is something very powerful about creating an ecosystem where digital goods and services can work together like this,” mentioned Salamunovic. “We believe this is the future of consumer commerce, combining digital and physical goods.”
The firm's preliminary concentrate on fight sports activities will be of specific profit to UFC fighters. Although some fighters resembling Conor McGregor are recognized to have collected 9 figures for a single occasion, a lawsuit filed by UFC veterans claimed that solely a fifth of the promotion's revenue went to athlete salaries, though under the proportion paid to athletes in different sports activities. leagues.
“The professional sports industry is changing rapidly,” Buffer mentioned. “What athletes want now's a radical change, to take again management of their careers and their relationships with followers around the globe. “
Millions.co's objective is to have greater than 5,000 athletes on the platform by the tip of the yr.
Image courtesy of Millions.co