Sport1 teams up with Blockchain fan engagement outfit Starzz

Marco Kowalewski & Matthias Reichert

German sports channel Sport1 has struck a partnership agreement with Blockchain-based fan engagement company Starzz LLC that will see it take a stake in the outfit.

Starzz will be given a place on Sport1 TV, digital, audio and social media platforms. The pair have also agreed to develop joint approaches in the area of Web3 technology based on direct, interactive activation of stars and fans.

Sport1 described the partnership as an ideal fit to develop new use cases based on blockchain technology and reach as well as existing access to the market.

Starzz’s business model aims to enhance the interaction between sports clubs, athletes, celebrities or content creators and fans via services on the Supporterzz.com platform.

It will provide fan interaction via a social media network with newsfeeds, streaming and other functionalities, and a marketplace for merchandise and NFTs, as well as other use cases such as ticketing, marketing services, incentive and reward mechanisms for users.

The launch of the platform is planned for December 2023 and users can already register at starzz.eu.

Starzz provides the Supporterzz.com Platform alongside the Fanzz Exchange, underpinned by the native SRZ non-fungible token and Champion NFTs.

‘Champions’ – the Starzz universe of sports clubs, athletes, celebrities and content creators – will be able to launch their own Champion tokens for their fans, enabling them to vote in polls on the Supporterzz.com platform. Polls can range from selecting a soccer team’s jersey for the following season to choosing the tracks on a musician’s “best of” album.

Marco Kowalewski, Founder of Starzz, said: “We are very happy to have Sport1 as a renowned and well-known partner at our side, who is aware of the opportunities in the sports and entertainment market due to the digital transformation. Through this partnership, we hope to make the Starzz brand better known in the German-speaking region and to launch joint products with high user acceptance. The joint network will help create awareness for our unique product portfolio and make SPORT1 even better known internationally.”

Matthias Reichert, CCO and Member of the Management of Sport1 GmbH, said: “With Starzz, we have found the ideal partner to continue the journey we have started in the Web3 sector. We are firmly convinced that you can achieve more together with collaboration in the interplay of different competencies. We see sport as the ideal translator of technical possibilities into concrete and functioning use cases. To achieve this, we have to work together to generate added value and thus acceptance among our users. This is the path we want to take together with Starzz.”