• Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • Log In
  • Sign Up
  • Data Privacy
  • Send a Release
Cision PR Newswire: news distribution, targeting and monitoring home
  • News
  • Products
  • Contact

 

When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type.

Searching for your content...

No results found. Please change your search terms and try again.
  • News in Focus
      • Browse News Releases

      • All News Releases
      • All Public Company
      • English-only
      • News Releases Overview

      • Multimedia Gallery

      • All Multimedia
      • All Photos
      • All Videos
      • Multimedia Gallery Overview

      • Trending Topics

      • All Trending Topics
  • Business & Money
      • Auto & Transportation

      • All Automotive & Transportation
      • Aerospace, Defense
      • Air Freight
      • Airlines & Aviation
      • Automotive
      • Maritime & Shipbuilding
      • Railroads and Intermodal Transportation
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Transportation, Trucking & Railroad
      • Travel
      • Trucking and Road Transportation
      • Auto & Transportation Overview

      • View All Auto & Transportation

      • Business Technology

      • All Business Technology
      • Blockchain
      • Broadcast Tech
      • Computer & Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Components
      • Electronic Design Automation
      • Financial Technology
      • High Tech Security
      • Internet Technology
      • Nanotechnology
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Semiconductors
      • Business Technology Overview

      • View All Business Technology

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • All Entertain­ment & Media
      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • Entertain­ment & Media Overview

      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Financial Services & Investing

      • All Financial Services & Investing
      • Accounting News & Issues
      • Acquisitions, Mergers and Takeovers
      • Banking & Financial Services
      • Bankruptcy
      • Bond & Stock Ratings
      • Conference Call Announcements
      • Contracts
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Dividends
      • Earnings
      • Earnings Forecasts & Projections
      • Financing Agreements
      • Insurance
      • Investments Opinions
      • Joint Ventures
      • Mutual Funds
      • Private Placement
      • Real Estate
      • Restructuring & Recapitalization
      • Sales Reports
      • Shareholder Activism
      • Shareholder Meetings
      • Stock Offering
      • Stock Split
      • Venture Capital
      • Financial Services & Investing Overview

      • View All Financial Services & Investing

      • General Business

      • All General Business
      • Awards
      • Commercial Real Estate
      • Corporate Expansion
      • Earnings
      • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
      • Human Resource & Workforce Management
      • Licensing
      • New Products & Services
      • Obituaries
      • Outsourcing Businesses
      • Overseas Real Estate (non-US)
      • Personnel Announcements
      • Real Estate Transactions
      • Residential Real Estate
      • Small Business Services
      • Socially Responsible Investing
      • Surveys, Polls and Research
      • Trade Show News
      • General Business Overview

      • View All General Business

  • Science & Tech
      • Consumer Technology

      • All Consumer Technology
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Blockchain
      • Cloud Computing/Internet of Things
      • Computer Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Consumer Electronics
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Gaming
      • Financial Technology
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Multimedia & Internet
      • Peripherals
      • Social Media
      • STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math)
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Wireless Communications
      • Consumer Technology Overview

      • View All Consumer Technology

      • Energy & Natural Resources

      • All Energy
      • Alternative Energies
      • Chemical
      • Electrical Utilities
      • Gas
      • General Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Oil & Energy
      • Oil and Gas Discoveries
      • Utilities
      • Water Utilities
      • Energy & Natural Resources Overview

      • View All Energy & Natural Resources

      • Environ­ment

      • All Environ­ment
      • Conservation & Recycling
      • Environmental Issues
      • Environmental Policy
      • Environmental Products & Services
      • Green Technology
      • Natural Disasters
      • Environ­ment Overview

      • View All Environ­ment

      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
      • Aerospace & Defense
      • Agriculture
      • Chemical
      • Construction & Building
      • General Manufacturing
      • HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning)
      • Machinery
      • Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Paper, Forest Products & Containers
      • Precious Metals
      • Textiles
      • Tobacco
      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing Overview

      • View All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Telecomm­unications

      • All Telecomm­unications
      • Carriers and Services
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Telecommunications Equipment
      • Telecommunications Industry
      • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
      • Wireless Communications
      • Telecomm­unications Overview

      • View All Telecomm­unications

  • Lifestyle & Health
      • Consumer Products & Retail

      • All Consumer Products & Retail
      • Animals & Pets
      • Beers, Wines and Spirits
      • Beverages
      • Bridal Services
      • Cannabis
      • Cosmetics and Personal Care
      • Fashion
      • Food & Beverages
      • Furniture and Furnishings
      • Home Improvement
      • Household, Consumer & Cosmetics
      • Household Products
      • Jewelry
      • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
      • Office Products
      • Organic Food
      • Product Recalls
      • Restaurants
      • Retail
      • Supermarkets
      • Toys
      • Consumer Products & Retail Overview

      • View All Consumer Products & Retail

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • All Entertain­ment & Media
      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • Entertain­ment & Media Overview

      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Health

      • All Health
      • Biometrics
      • Biotechnology
      • Clinical Trials & Medical Discoveries
      • Dentistry
      • FDA Approval
      • Fitness/Wellness
      • Health Care & Hospitals
      • Health Insurance
      • Infection Control
      • International Medical Approval
      • Medical Equipment
      • Medical Pharmaceuticals
      • Mental Health
      • Pharmaceuticals
      • Supplementary Medicine
      • Health Overview

      • View All Health

      • Sports

      • All Sports
      • General Sports
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Sporting Events
      • Sports Equipment & Accessories
      • Sports Overview

      • View All Sports

      • Travel

      • All Travel
      • Amusement Parks and Tourist Attractions
      • Gambling & Casinos
      • Hotels and Resorts
      • Leisure & Tourism
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Passenger Aviation
      • Travel Industry
      • Travel Overview

      • View All Travel

  • Policy & Public Interest
      • Policy & Public Interest

      • All Policy & Public Interest
      • Advocacy Group Opinion
      • Animal Welfare
      • Congressional & Presidential Campaigns
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Domestic Policy
      • Economic News, Trends, Analysis
      • Education
      • Environmental
      • European Government
      • FDA Approval
      • Federal and State Legislation
      • Federal Executive Branch & Agency
      • Foreign Policy & International Affairs
      • Homeland Security
      • Labor & Union
      • Legal Issues
      • Natural Disasters
      • Not For Profit
      • Patent Law
      • Public Safety
      • Trade Policy
      • U.S. State Policy
      • Policy & Public Interest Overview

      • View All Policy & Public Interest

  • People & Culture
      • People & Culture

      • All People & Culture
      • Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American
      • African American
      • Asian American
      • Children
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
      • Hispanic
      • Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual
      • Men's Interest
      • People with Disabilities
      • Religion
      • Senior Citizens
      • Veterans
      • Women
      • People & Culture Overview

      • View All People & Culture

      • In-Language News

      • Arabic
      • español
      • português
      • Česko
      • Danmark
      • Deutschland
      • España
      • France
      • Italia
      • Nederland
      • Norge
      • Polska
      • Portugal
      • Россия
      • Slovensko
      • Suomi
      • Sverige
  • Overview
  • Distribution by PR Newswire
  • Cision Communications Cloud®
  • Cision IR
  • Sponsored Placement
  • All Products
  • General Inquiries
  • Request a Demo
  • Editorial Bureaus
  • Partnerships
  • Media Inquiries
  • Worldwide Offices
  • PR Newswire: news distribution, targeting and monitoring
  • Send a Release
    • ALL CONTACT INFO
    • Contact Us

      888-776-0942
      from 8 AM - 10 PM ET

  • Send a Release
  • Sign Up
  • Log In
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • News in Focus
    • Browse All News
    • Multimedia Gallery
    • Trending Topics
  • Business & Money
    • Auto & Transportation
    • Business Technology
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Financial Services & Investing
    • General Business
  • Science & Tech
    • Consumer Technology
    • Energy & Natural Resources
    • Environ­ment
    • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
    • Telecomm­unications
  • Lifestyle & Health
    • Consumer Products & Retail
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
  • Policy & Public Interest
  • People & Culture
    • People & Culture
  • Send a Release
  • Sign Up
  • Log In
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Overview
  • Distribution by PR Newswire
  • Cision Communications Cloud®
  • Cision IR
  • All Products
  • Send a Release
  • Sign Up
  • Log In
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • General Inquiries
  • Request a Demo
  • Editorial Bureaus
  • Partnerships
  • Media Inquiries
  • Worldwide Offices
  • Send a Release
  • Sign Up
  • Log In
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • RSS
  • GDPR

Buzzer Secures $20 Million In Series A Financing Led By Sapphire Sport, Canaan Partners, And A Dynamic Collective Of Superstar Athletes And Team Owners

New Investors Include Michael Jordan, Naomi Osaka, Patrick Mahomes, J.Cole, Wayne Gretzky, Sabrina Ionescu, Connor McDavid, LaMelo Ball, Devin Booker and Renee Montgomery

New Funding Accelerates Growth As Buzzer Continues to Serve the Next Generation of Sports Fans

Buzzer logo

News provided by

Buzzer

Jun 30, 2021, 09:59 ET

Share this article

Share this article


NEW YORK, June 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Buzzer, the new mobile platform for personalization and discovery of live sports, today announced the successful close of a $20M Series A financing. The round was led by existing investor Sapphire Sport and new investor Canaan Partners. Substantial new investments came from a diverse group of industry leaders spanning sports, business and entertainment, including LaMelo Ball, Devin Booker, J. Cole, Wayne Gretzky, DeAndre Hopkins, Sabrina Ionescu, Michael Jordan, Patrick Mahomes, Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, Renee Montgomery, Naomi Osaka, and Bobby Wagner, among others. Early investors Lerer Hippeau and Anthony Noto [SoFi, Army West Point] also supported the round. 

Continue Reading
Buzzer, the new mobile platform for personalization and discovery of live sports, announced the successful close of a $20M Series A financing.
Buzzer, the new mobile platform for personalization and discovery of live sports, announced the successful close of a $20M Series A financing.

The new financing will allow Buzzer to further democratize frictionless access to live sports and scale its first-of-a-kind product, specifically designed to meet the needs of the next generation of sports fans. Through customized and curated alerts, mobile-first fans never miss out on the most exciting moments in sports, defining a new era in sports media. Financing will help the Buzzer team build new product features that lean into the social aspect of sports, develop new partnership opportunities, as well as grow with key hires.

"With the proliferation of new distribution platforms, fans are finding it harder to know when and where live sports are happening, creating an experience that is not optimized for their expansive interests based on how they consume. We envision Buzzer becoming the discovery and curation tool that brings Gen Z fans back to live sports with simple access to ephemeral moments," says Bo Han, founder and CEO of Buzzer. "We're grateful to have so many influential industry leaders as partners who have a shared vision of creating a platform and community built to close the generational gap in live sports consumption. We'll continue to build Buzzer with fans' interests in mind and with a partner-first approach that presents new opportunities for them to reach net new audiences, define new revenue streams, and offer added value to their existing subscribers."

Other notable investors include more than 20 current and former athletes including Pat Connaughton, Madison Hammond, Scotty James, Christian McCaffrey, and Apolo Ohno; team owners David Blitzer [New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia 76ers], GSW Sports Ventures [an affiliate of the Golden State Warriors], Steve Kaplan [D.C. United, Swansea City], Steve Koonin [Atlanta Hawks], Lerner Enterprises [Washington Nationals], Stephen Pagliuca [Boston Celtics], Michael Jordan and Curtis Polk [Charlotte Hornets, 23XI Racing], Steve Simon [Indiana Pacers, Indiana Fever], Jeffrey Vinik [Tampa Bay Lightning], and WISE Ventures [shared ownership of Minnesota Vikings, Orlando City SC, Orlando Pride]; influential leaders in the sports and entertainment community including Ros Gold-Onwude, Ibrahim Hamad, Devin Johnson, Estee Portnoy, and Taylor Rooks; and investment firms Black Capital, Chetrit Ventures, JDS Sports, Jump Capital, LionTree Partners, OneTeam Partners, Targa Partners, and Micromanagement Ventures, the fund of the late David Stern.

"Buzzer is addressing the biggest challenge facing the global sports industry, which is how to make live media rights more accessible and ultimately more valuable. Bo and the Buzzer team's partner-first, industry-advancing approach centered on personalization, data and mobility serves leagues, teams, RSNs, national networks and OTT / DTC products equally," says Sapphire Sport partner Michael Spirito who also joins the company's board. "We are thrilled to continue to help Buzzer bring this vision to life and to welcome so many diverse and influential investors to this round as we build on the momentum we have with the NBA, NHL and PGA deals."  

Founded by Bo Han in 2020, Buzzer simplifies the discovery and viewing experience of live sports on mobile in a short-form live format. The platform offers a seamless user and viewing experience by aggregating and organizing live sports streaming rights into one cohesive and accessible mobile platform, and allowing its users to set up customized alerts based on their preferences. Current league partners include NBA League Pass, PGA TOUR and NHL with additional partnerships slated to announce in the coming months as Buzzer continues to expand as a multi-sport, aggregated platform.

"There's nothing more exciting than a close game or buzzer beater - those are the moments we live for as players," says Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and Super Bowl champion. "Buzzer ensures fans never miss these moments in real-time and helps us make our connections with them stronger, especially with younger, mobile-first sports fans. I believe Buzzer represents the future of live sports and I'm thrilled to join them on their journey."

As a company committed to building community and with strong culture top of mind, Buzzer will continue to invest in its Strive initiative, which creates access for talent in underrepresented communities through a three-pronged strategy to prioritize growth and reinvestment in underserved communities.

"Buzzer is uniquely suited to bring together the massive market of live sports and a new generation of fans who prefer mobile content. With viewership down across many league's telecasts, sports media is experiencing an existential challenge," says Maha Ibrahim, General Partner at Canaan. "Buzzer presents a novel approach to reclaiming value in the $75B U.S. live sports market, making it painless for fans to drop into games right on their phones – sending them hyper-personalized notifications at exactly the moment when their favorite player, team, or sport is live."

Buzzer is currently in Early Access and available for download on iOS in the App Store and Android in the Google Play Store. Users can download the app and build profiles by selecting preferences for their favorite players, teams and leagues. Users are then added to a waitlist, until they receive full access to the app at which point they are able to consume live content. The platform will officially launch later this year.

About Buzzer

Buzzer is a new notification-driven mobile platform for short-form live sports personalized for fans. Bo Han founded Buzzer in 2020 after leading Live Sports Rights Acquisition at Twitter for over seven years. In 2021, Buzzer was recognized on Fast Company's list of Most Innovative Companies and SportsPro's list of emerging sports tech startups to invest in now. The platform will officially launch later this year.

Headquartered in New York, Buzzer believes in hiring the best talent and is committed to fairness and inclusion. Buzzer administers a mentorship program focused on cultivating a community of industry leaders across sport, technology, and media paired with mentees from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as part of its broader Strive Initiative. To learn more, download Buzzer on iOS in the App Store and Android in the Google Play Store, visit www.buzzer.com, and follow @Buzzer on Twitter and Instagram.

About Sapphire Sport

Sapphire Sport is a first-of-its-kind venture capital platform bringing together the capital and industry experience of premier global sporting, media and lifestyle brands, including City Football Group, AEG, Sinclair, MLB, adidas, principal owners and investors from franchises in all five major U.S. sports leagues as well as strategic family offices and institutional investors. https://sapphiresport.vc.

About Canaan Partners

Canaan is an early stage venture capital firm that invests in entrepreneurs with visionary ideas. With over $5 billion under management, a diversified fund, and hundreds of exits to date, we partner with entrepreneurs building the next generation of technology and healthcare companies that will transform how we live, work, and thrive. To learn more about our people and our portfolio, please visit http://www.canaan.com.

SOURCE Buzzer

Related Links

https://buzzer.com/

Modal title

Also from this source

Buzzer Expands Sports Portfolio with the Addition of Men's Tennis in Partnership with ATP Media


BUZZER RENEWS ITS MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIPS WITH NBA AND WNBA LEAGUE PASS AGREEMENTS

BUZZER RENEWS ITS MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIPS WITH NBA AND WNBA LEAGUE PASS AGREEMENTS

Explore

More news releases in similar topics

  • Computer & Electronics
  • Mobile Entertainment
  • Entertainment
  • Telecommunications Industry
  • General Sports

Contact Cision

  • Cision Distribution 888-776-0942
    from 8 AM - 9 PM ET

  • Chat with an Expert
  • General Inquiries
  • Request a Demo
  • Editorial Bureaus
  • Partnerships
  • Media Inquiries
  • Worldwide Offices

Products

  • Cision Communication Cloud®
  • For Marketers
  • For Public Relations
  • For IR & Compliance
  • For Agency
  • For Small Business
  • All Products

About

  • About PR Newswire
  • About Cision
  • Become a Publishing Partner
  • Become a Channel Partner
  • Careers
  • COVID-19 Resources
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Asia
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • Czech
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Mexico
  • Middle East
  • Middle East - Arabic
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Russia
  • Slovakia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • United Kingdom

My Services

  • All New Releases
  • Online Member Center
  • ProfNet

Contact Cision

Products

About

My Services
  • All News Releases
  • Online Member Center
  • ProfNet
Cision Distribution Helpline
888-776-0942
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Information Security Policy
  • Site Map
  • RSS
  • Cookie Settings
Copyright © 2023 Cision US Inc.