Endless channels of entertainment and streams of information sit at our fingertips. As technology in sport begins to evolve, there will be even more opportunities to enhance the social fan experience. London-based startup Flip Sports is looking to change the fantasy sports market by bringing the team manager experience to every fan.
Short for Fantasy League In-Play Sports, Flip Sports offers real-time social engagement through a second-screen experience. While fans watch the live game on one screen, they can virtually compete as team manager in public or private matches on their mobile devices.
“I’ve always enjoyed playing fantasy football, watching live sport and competition against friends,” said Stuart Tilly, Flip Sports’ Developer.
“And with Flip Sports, you can enjoy all three within the one gaming experience. Adding real-time competition to fantasy sports allows you to play who you want, when you want, and because you’re in control of your team, you get to experience the highs and lows of real life football management as events unfold on the pitch.”
According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, there are an estimated 41 million fantasy sports players in the United States and Canada, making it an attractive expansion market. Currently, Flip Sports offers gameplay only for English Premier League and Uefa Champions League soccer. As they expand into markets outside of the United Kingdom, additional sports will be added such as cricket, basketball, American football, and tennis.
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There is high potential for the success of social sports apps such as Flip Sports in today’s market. Nielsen reports that 46 percent of smartphone users say they use their device at least once per day. Additionally, nearly one-third of users between the target ages of 25 and 64 claim to check live sports scores with their devices. Several companies have begun taking advantage of this opportunity with competing season-long and short-term fantasy apps, like Draft Kings, Fan Duel, Fantasy Premier League, and Yahoo Sports.
Flip Sports is poised for success; and it will be exciting to see how fantasy sports games continue to improve social connections between teams and fans.