VIKTRE Is The First Ever Social Network Exclusive To Athletes
The year is 2015, and social media has become a behemoth. It is no longer avoidable. Scores of companies have attempted to solidify a position in the industry over the past decade-plus, but only the decidedly innovative ones have truly risen to prominence. VIKTRE, the first-ever social network exclusive to athletes, hopes to be next in line.
On the surface, VIKTRE operates similar to Facebook. The home page is a scrollable timeline of original and secondhand content shared by the host of current and retired athletes that have already joined VIKTRE. Fans and athletes can comment on these posts and fans earn points based on the amount they participate. The top 100 active fans are listed in a leaderboard and the points that they’ve earned can be redeemed for unique sports memorabilia and experiences.
Unique to VIKTRE, the real fun for athletes occurs in a private network. In a world where the media has infiltrated all aspects of their lives, VIKTRE has provided athletes with a ‘safe zone’ where they can discuss, well, anything. Founder and CEO Al Steele sees the private network as a forum that many athletes have been yearning for.
“The private network is the first of it’s kind where elite athletes from all sports and geographies can connect, collaborate, network and further their professional and personal development. We are also launching a mentorship program and job placement service in early 2016 that will provide support for athletes in transition from active to retired or recently transitioned into retirement, to help them define their next chapter and how to get there.”
The commitment that VIKTRE gives to their athletes has already drawn in names like David Ortiz, Donovan McNabb, Rodney Harrison, Natalie Gulbis, and Rubens Barrichello. Still, the real beauty of the private network lies in giving the names that history forgot a place to plan for the future and reminisce the past. Having a clear and separate public and private profile has been hugely appealing to athletes. The plan for the company right now is to spend another few months focusing on bringing in athletes and preparing them for the spotlight.
“Our athletes are assigned to a Curator from our Content Team in the onboarding process to assist with their profile and content development. We also aim to build out the Content team to develop original VIKTRE content, including telling ‘behind the scenes’ stories of the athletes, in their own voice, directly to their fans.”
Once the company feels comfortable with where they are with their athletes, expect a major marketing push to bring in the fans. VIKTRE is set to launch an IOS app in mid-January with the Android counterpart coming mid-March. The mobile-centric content delivery will serve as a contrast to the newspaper style of The Players’ Tribune. Although it remains to be seen just how big of a hit it will become, VIKTRE is creating a social media experience unlike any other.
Interested athletes can sign up at go.viktre.com and fans can sign up at viktre.com
