Buzzer, a mobile application centered around short-form live sports content initially as a direct-to-consumer platform, is “winding down” its operations due to fundraising developments and market conditions. The company recently transitioned into being a technology provider and partnered with the National Hockey League, National Basketball Association and PGA Tour on various projects.
Buzzer was initially founded by Bo Han with the mission to connect Gen Z sports fans with their favorite leagues and teams. The company’s official Twitter account released a statement announcing the decision and thanking its users over the last several years.
Han was critical in expanding Twitter’s presence in sports as the leader of live sports rights acquisitions for over seven years. In building the Buzzer brand, he wanted to appeal to younger generations of consumers and centered the programming interface on instant gratification.
Whether it was through mobile notifications or instant highlights, the operation intended to reach different segments of the marketplace and raised $44 million in total investment. Prominent athletes involved in the funding of the platform included Michael Jordan, Wayne Kretzky, Kevin Durant and Patrick Mahomes. Buzzer’s app was officially shut down on May 19 to focus on “Powered by Buzzer.” That effort has abruptly concluded.
The company was looking to license technology related to sports notifications and had deals with the subscription service DAZN and sports betting company, FanDuel. Moreover, microtransactions were a key factor to its business model, a space that is still early in its development in terms of using it to access content.
Ultimately, the app wanted to give users the ability to tune into a game live through informing them of action via a push notification. While the concept has the potential to work down the road, Buzzer will not be moving any further into the space.
