Website: SportsZu.tv

SportZu.tv was founded by two Colorado companies, Interactive Marketing and Innovation (IMI), a strategic marketing company and SportsHD Productions, a high definition video production company (SHD).

IMI, SHD and the SportZu.tv initial investors own 100% of SportZu.tv.IMI and SHD have decades of experience in television and interactive content production and editing, video channel development, venue management, media operations, sponsorship sales, marketing and sports team operations. Both companies have significant local and North American contacts in the sports, corporate and media world including executive relationships with the National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, National Lacrosse League, Canadian Football League, Major League Lacrosse, Central Hockey League, Arena Football League, Fox Sports, CBS Sports, ESPN and others.

David Ehrlich, CEO. President and founder of IMI, Ehrlich is a former “40 under 40″ Sports Business Journal award winner while Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Kroenke Sports Enterprises (KSE) – owner of the Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche, the Pepsi Center and a variety of other sports franchises and entertainment properties. Ehrlich has over 10 years of executive experience in the sports and entertainment industries.

Matt Bortz, President. Founder and President/COO of SHD, Bortz was the former President of BORTZ Sports, a sports marketing and consulting firm. In the course of his 15+ year career, Bortz assisted a variety of major professional and collegiate sports leagues and affiliated teams, including the NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS and the PGA Tour. Bortz has significant interactive platform experience, having consulted with NBA.com, PGATour.com and others in the interactive space.

Craig Jonas, Chief Business Development Officer. Founder, Principal and Chief Business Development Officer for SHD, Jonas has consulted for several sports entities (Basketball Travelers, PE4Life, and Inside Edge) and was Vice President for Business Development for the broadcast and interactive media technology firm, Sportvision. Prior to joining Sportvision, Jonas served as Executive Vice President for Coach’s Edge and initiated the $100M+ merger with Sportvision. Jonas is a former successful head college basketball coach and a current member of the National Sports Marketing Network Denver Board.

What does SportZu.tv do?

SportZu.tv is the bridge between the passion of professional sports and the audience and community of youth sports. SportZu.tv is an interactive sports community for professional sports organizations and youth sports organizations focused on kids ages 8 to 18, and their parents and coaches.

SportZu.tv was created to serve the youth sports market in three ways:

1.       Provide entertaining and educational high quality video (over 2,400 minutes of professionally produced content) featuring professional sports teams, coupled with amateur video content provided by the SportZu.tv community of users;

2.       Enable sports leagues and teams to reach out through SportZu.tv video channels to their local community while marketing their own games and activities; and

3.       Provide players, coaches and parents with an excellent resource for (a) improving their sport performance and understanding through interaction with high quality videos featuring professional players and teams, and (b) creating their own sports channel to communicate to others on their team and share experiences with others in their local and online community with similar interests. 

How do you generate revenue?

SportZu.tv generates revenue by selling advertising as well as creating sponsorship opportunities for groups that wish to be associated with a given SportZu.tv channel. An example of the former is the sale of an advertising package to Dairy Queen. An example of the latter is the sale of the presenting sponsorship of the SportZu.tv Doctor’s Corner to Peak Orthopedics (launch July 2008).

To motivate its content partners to activate their channels, SportZu.tv also provides a revenue share to such partners from revenue generated on their channel. Partners are then economically motivated to keep their channel active and fresh.

SportZu.tv is also preparing to launch additional ancillary revenue platforms such as pod-casting subscription services and merchandising that will follow a similar revenue sharing model.

Currently SportZu.tv is managing its own advertising and sponsorship inventory.

How have your marketed your site?

SportZu.tv has created proprietary marketing templates for its relationships with professional sports teams and youth sports organizations. SportZu.tv’s professional team marketing is focused on high-impact mass audience promotions while the youth sports organizations’ marketing elements focus more on connecting directly with the youth audience and attracting new SportZu.tv members.

Notwithstanding the different approaches, there is crossover in the marketing efforts. SportZu.tv obtains access to each partner’s member and fan databases for direct marketing and conducts on-site marketing at high attendance events and tournaments.

Sample professional sports team marketing benefits include:

1. Editorial exposure on team websites and through email blasts;
2. Syndicated SportZu.tv video footage on arena jumbotron;
3. Event presence and in-venue giveaways;
4. Video access to players and team management; and
5. Re-purposed game, community and in-venue footage.

 
Sample youth sport organization marketing benefits include:

1. Email introductions about the relationship and benefits;
2. Email newsletter alerts about video and channel updates;
3. Exclusive video promotions;
4. Focus group sessions with players, parents and coaches; and
5. Syndicated video player and footage of special events.

Funding History

SportZu.tv’s initial funding came from a “friends and family” round and we recently closed an additional round of financing with the same investor group.

Are you currently looking for additional funding?

With adequate funding to continue our expansion outside of Colorado, we would take on additional strategic funding partners under the right circumstance, but it is not currently a priority.

What type(s) of technology do you currently use?

SportZu.tv was built on the Drupal platform (ex: MTV.com, Sony Music, Warner Brothers).  A key driver for the choice of the Drupal platform is its open-source nature, which enables us to easily import additional functionality, remain current with new technology and scale quickly.

Under our platform SportZu.tv members can express themselves by creating personal video channels, taking sports communication and interaction to the next level.

Teams and Leagues using SportZu.tv can:

1. Create a video library and syndicate content across assets;
2. Showcase new and repurposed footage on the channel;
3. Extend current sponsor exposure and relationships;
4. Create exclusive video-based contests; and
5. Strengthen connection and communication to key audiences.

Coaches using SportZu.tv can:

1. Host team information on a private channel or group;
2. Upload and share user created videos and/or copy professional “tips and drills” to their team channel; and
3. Communicate important team information and updates to all team members and families.

Youth Athletes and Parents using SportZu.tv can:

1. Communicate with friends and family about their games;
2. Put game video and pictures on their channel or group;
3. Watch other family’s video of games they missed; and
4. View tips and drills, nutrition, sportsmanship and sports psychology from industry professionals.

What is your favorite SportZu.tv feature?

We believe that the SportZu.tv user’s ability to create a personalized video channel either as an individual or a coach creating a team channel or for a web site using the SportZu.tv syndicated video player, is a critical advantage as the web becomes increasingly video-centric.

Any bold predictions for the future of sports and technology?

The 8-18 year old wants to control his or her own content experience. Teams and youth sports organizations will have to cater to that desire and utilize SportZu.tv like platforms to reach youth. If they can do that effectively they will engage the youth audience and the youth audience will shape their product and content in exiting ways that people had not anticipated.

What are the founders’ backgrounds and qualifications?