Los Angeles, CA – July 13, 2016 – LA Live: Kobe Bryant on the ESPYS red carpet
(Photo by Scott Clarke / ESPN Images)
NBA legend Kobe Bryant has financially invested in and joined the board of 15 Seconds of Fame, a social media app that delivers personal video content to fans at live events to boost engagement.
The five-time NBA champion has agreed to invest in and advise the fan engagement startup through his investment company, Kobe Inc., which he formed in 2014. Terms of the deal, including the size of Bryant’s investment, have not been disclosed.
15 Seconds of Fame Chairman Bruce Cohen said Bryant’s insight into sports, entertainment, sponsorship and media will play “a major role in the growth of 15SOF.” The app plans to to leverage Kobe Inc.’s experience in live events to expand.
Earlier this year, the app, which delivers content to users’ mobile devices, inked a multi-year deal with Major League Baseball Advanced Media to deliver fans video content of their appearances on live baseball game telecasts. It has also previously partnered with specific teams throughout the MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL and NCAA to deliver in-game videoboard content.
“I’ve seen first-hand how much these personal video moments matter to fans and, through IP innovation, 15SOF has essentially opened up a new medium to consumers, as well as brands and licensors,” Bryant said in a statement.
The app also delivers fan content at live events that aren’t sports, such as concerts.
Bryant, who retired from the NBA in 2016 after a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, has been busy investing in companies through both Kobe and a $100 million venture-capital fund he launched last year with investor Jeff Stibel, called Bryant Stibel.
