All Segments
a16z Podcast | When Fantasy Football and Crowdfunding Collide
15 segments available
With 15 million fantasy football players angling for the win in thousands of fantasy leagues, ESPN joined Tilt.com for a discussion about how crowdfunding provides a platform for an obsessed community.
Segments Timeline
Introducing the Guests
Michael Copeland introduces James Bashara, founder of Tilt, and Ryan Spoon from ESPN, setting the stage for a discussion on the intersection of fantasy football and crowdfunding. The conversation hints at the unique collaboration between a major sports network and a crowdfunding platform, piquing interest in how these two worlds collide.
"so I'm Michael Copeland I'm with andreessen horowitz and we are lucky today to have James Bashara founder and CEO of tilt and Ryan spoon SVP digital product of a network we all love ESPN so and we've ..."
The Meeting That Sparked Collaboration
Ryan Spoon recounts how the partnership between ESPN and Tilt began during an executive briefing day, where they met multiple companies. He highlights the lasting impact of their discussions and how they identified a shared vision for a project that would integrate fantasy football with crowdfunding.
"just start about how did that project come together what was it and and we'll get into the details of how it worked so Ryan how did you make this man's acquaintance so probably like a lot of folks in ..."
Tilt's Unique Crowdfunding Approach
James Bashara explains Tilt's focus on consumer-driven crowdfunding, emphasizing smaller campaigns for personal events like birthdays and fantasy football leagues. He discusses how the existing behavior of users pooling money for fantasy leagues provided a natural fit for collaboration with ESPN.
"build crowdfunding software for the web for the world the the big the two big differentiators between us and anyone else's we focus on the consumer side smaller more bite-sized crowdfunding campaigns ..."
Fantasy Football's Digital Engagement
Ryan Spoon shares insights into the massive engagement of fantasy football players on ESPN's platform, highlighting the significant user activity and the importance of fantasy leagues in their digital strategy. He discusses the peak usage times and how fantasy football drives traffic and engagement.
"already getting together on tilt to put the money pot whoever wins gets X amount and here walk big time in I think it's one of the first things that we noticed when we built the site people are using ..."
Building the Fantasy Payment Solution
The discussion shifts to the technical aspects of the collaboration, where Ryan and James describe the simple user experience they created for group payments in fantasy leagues. They explain how Tilt's platform facilitates easy money collection for league dues, enhancing the overall user experience.
"identified was if you think about that calendar of fantasy usage a very core part of the pre and and draft is how you collect a team together how you collect twelve people together and facilitate that..."
Navigating the Challenges of Partnership
James and Ryan discuss the challenges of integrating a startup with a large organization like ESPN. They reflect on the courage required to move forward with the partnership and the importance of aligning product roadmaps to meet the demands of the fantasy football season.
"honestly it was a lot of luck and harmony and they just took the courage to work with a two-year-old coming word yeah so let's talk about that courage company you know you seem very courageous but lik..."
The Intensity of Launching Together
James shares the pressure of launching the fantasy payment feature during the peak season, emphasizing the need for a seamless user experience. He highlights the scale of ESPN's audience and the importance of ensuring everything works perfectly during high-traffic moments.
"product roadmaps our business roadmaps that those sync according to a schedule it's not flexible and how did you guys sink into that well Ryan's downplaying it because I'd say him and George Georgia l..."
Community Engagement in Fantasy Football
Ryan discusses the unique community aspect of fantasy football, explaining how it fosters deep engagement among fans. He highlights ESPN's efforts to elevate conversations within this community and the importance of creating special moments that encourage sharing and interaction.
"but that's a huge huge courageous bet in did you ever get nervous or yeah I was nervous for about seven weeks leading up to it I mean it's it's something we we've we've worked with Microsoft with Dick..."
Leveraging Social Media for Fantasy Engagement
The conversation turns to how ESPN utilizes social media to enhance user engagement in fantasy football. Ryan explains the strategies they employ to create visually appealing content that encourages sharing and interaction among fantasy players.
"so I want to get into the the aspect of the community that you tapped and why I mean at least from the outside I think of sports fans as sports fans you know fantasy football is a completely different..."
Transforming Online Communities into Offline Experiences
James discusses how Tilt enables online communities to organize offline events, such as fantasy draft parties. He shares examples of how users leverage the platform to create memorable experiences, showcasing the connection between online interactions and real-world gatherings.
"how do you elevate the conversation how do you make it personal and there have been two really or three really kind of key things that that we've worked on that have worked the first is a move to iden..."
Innovative Ideas for Crowdfunding
James shares an innovative idea for a crowdfunding campaign involving Magic Johnson and LeBron James, illustrating the potential for Tilt to tap into sports fandom. He reflects on the challenges of pitching such ideas to a large organization like ESPN.
"forms of community and sharing James for you guys that tilt how are you seeing you know your platform and crowdfunding moving outside of sort of the places that we usually associate with crowdfunding ..."
The Importance of Data in Fan Engagement
Ryan discusses how ESPN collects data on fan interests and how this information can be used to enhance user experiences. He emphasizes the need for personalization and how they are working to improve user engagement through tailored content.
"online turn into really offline special moments and experiences and you see some of these there was a draft party I think we saw one that was like six thousand dollars to rent out an entire bar becaus..."
Monetizing Fan Engagement
The conversation shifts to monetization strategies, with Ryan explaining how ESPN leverages user data to drive content consumption and engagement. He discusses the importance of rewarding users for personalizing their experiences and the ongoing efforts to improve user interaction.
"don't think so fun idea I think we we haven't upon something a little more last thing yes it was much much moral so let me ask you Ryan and James YouTube but let's start with you Ryan you have these y..."
The Evolving Front Door to ESPN
Ryan elaborates on the changing landscape of how users access ESPN content, highlighting the shift towards mobile devices. He discusses the importance of creating a consistent user experience across different platforms and how they are adapting to these changes.
"of the real estate across all pages is specifically for you versus me so our experience will be very different how that relates to how that relates to monetization a couple ways RR you know what we ar..."
Final Thoughts and Predictions
As the discussion wraps up, Ryan and James share their thoughts on the future of fantasy football and make light-hearted predictions about their favorite teams. They reflect on the successful partnership between ESPN and Tilt and the exciting possibilities ahead.
"it's how you're doing right and your front door during Monday Night Football should be the game as frictionless as possible so James again knowing what you can know about your customers that you the f..."