Sidearm Sports, the Learfield-owned digital outlet that provides websites and mobile apps to more than 180 Division I athletic departments, has reached a mulityear agreement with Minneapolis-based technology company Bleachr to expand its in-stadium mobile offerings.
Sidearm Sports will integrate Bleachr’s location-based mobile technology, including geofenced social media and messaging, in-seat food ordering and fan loyalty programs, into its official team apps that previously have been more focused on content. The goal is to provide a more full-featured wireless experience and eliminate the need for multiple apps to serve a fan on game day.
“There’s a lot of fragmentation out in the market, and we’re trying to solve a problem for colleges,” said Jeff Rubin, Sidearm Sports president and chief executive. “When you have a separate team app, and then food apps, social media apps, loyalty apps and so forth, it gets very cluttered very quickly. But we’ve looked to create something that together really gets at fan engagement in a single product.”
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Bleachr’s tech includes in-seat food and merchandise ordering.
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The partnership represents the first entry into the college market for Bleachr, whose clients have included several independent minor league baseball teams, including the highly successful St. Paul Saints.
“Together with Sidearm, we will reach the mobile-first generation and provide fans with features that enrich the game-day experience,” said Rich Kinzler, Bleachr managing director of business development. “Teams have a new direct connection to fans that provides the opportunity for big, real-time data and fan analytics.”
Financial terms of the Sidearm Sports-Bleachr partnership were not disclosed but the pact is based on revenue sharing in which Sidearm Sports’ portion will be at its largest at the outset of the deal and then decrease over time. The deal does not involve any transfer of equity.
The first college scheduled to use the combined Sidearm Sports-Bleachr partnership will be Syracuse University, located in Sidearm Sports’ home market.
