GreenPark Sports today announced a seed funding round of $8.5M from SignalFire with participation from Sapphire Sports and Founders Fund, among others. The company is led by Chad Hurley, co-founder of YouTube; Nick Swinmurn, founder of Zappos; and Ken Martin, co-founder of Blitz.

The $1T sports industry is comprised of 5B sports fans. Among these, 2B "social fans" represent the largest, most lucrative segment of the population. GreenPark Sports believes these fans behave fundamentally differently than previous generations. In order to unlock their potential, the sports industry must engage them via social, interactive experiences that take place across a diverse array of digital touchpoints.

New Generation of Fans Pose Challenges and Opportunity

Fans no longer consume sports passively, watching single games for uninterrupted hours. Instead they seek interactive experiences that allow them to participate in the action. These fans are digital natives, highly social and share their experiences via online discussions or by competing with other fans to predict the outcomes of games and the output of players. Social fans switch contexts rapidly and frequently, and their attention is extremely fragmented - between devices, content categories and engagement platforms. Furthermore, half of these fans prefer eSports to traditional sports, and the large majority are fans of both categories.

"GreenPark Sports is developing fan-forward, digital experiences and mobile games for this new generation of sports and eSports fans," said Ken Martin, co-founder and CEO, GreenPark Sports. "Providing a single, interactive, consistent experience across a variety of fragmented contexts is the key to retaining these fans' attention."

All-Star Team Applies Investment To Aggressive Hiring

"GreenPark Sports is a perfect combination of market opportunity, industry experience and tectonic shifts in customer behavior. With this team's impeccable track record and vision for the future of fandom, this was an investment we had to make," said Chris Farmer, founder and CEO, SignalFire.

GreenPark Sports will apply the $8.5M in new funding toward continuing to hire a world-class team covering everything from creative arts professionals, engineering and development talent, as well as go-to-market and gaming industry strategists. Applicants can view job openings at www.greenparksports.com.

"Our entire team is passionate about helping the next generation of fans reconnect with the sports they love," said Chad Hurley, co-founder and chairman, GreenPark Sports. "We want to breathe new life into what made people fall in love with sports and competition in the first place. Whether you enjoy traditional, eSports, or like most of us are a fan of both, GreenPark Sports is the place to connect and compete with other fans like you."

About GreenPark Sports: Founded in 2018, GreenPark Sports is a publisher and developer of fan-forward, digital experiences and mobile games for the new generation of sports and eSports fans. Co-founded by Chad Hurley (YouTube Co-founder / former CEO), Nick Swinmurn (Zappos founder / former CEO) and Ken Martin (BLITZ Co-founder / former CCO), GreenPark Sports was created to reimagine the role of today's digitally-native fan as an active participant in the live sports/eSports they love.