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Buzzer Raises $20 Million to Bring Fans More Live Sports

Last Updated: July 23, 2021
The effort was led by Sapphire Sport, Canaan Partners, and an impressive list of start athletes and team owners.

Buzzer, the mobile platform that’s making the biggest moments in live sports more accessible than ever before, successfully raised $20 million in Series A funding, the company announced Wednesday. Led by Sapphire Sport and Canaan Partners, the round was joined by a number of superstar athletes and franchise owners from across the sporting landscape.

“With the proliferation of new distribution platforms, fans are finding it harder to know when and where live sports are happening, creating an experience that is not optimized for their expansive interests based on how they consume,” Buzzer founder and CEO Bo Han said. “We envision Buzzer becoming the discovery and curation tool that brings Gen Z fans back to live sports with simple access to ephemeral moments.”

Notable athlete investors include Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Naomi Osaka, Patrick Mahomes, Renee Montgomery, Devin Booker, Connor McDavid, Bobby Wagner, LaMelo Ball, Auston Matthews, DeAndre Hopkins, and Sabrina Ionescu.

Boardroom’s Ros Gold-Onwude and rapper J. Cole also joined the the effort.

Example of Buzzer's mobile interface

Buzzer will use the $20 million fundraise to make additional hires, forge partnerships, and develop new product features that emphasize social connectivity.

Currently in its early access phase, Buzzer makes it easier for sports fans to discover and drop into live games on their mobile devices by unifying an ever-widening community of sports networks within one platform. Users are free to curate their feeds and set alerts for their favorite events so they never miss a game-changing moment.

The NBA, NHL, and PGA Tour are currently available on Buzzer, with more partners to be added in the months to come.

“We’re grateful to have so many influential industry leaders as partners who have a shared vision of creating a platform and community built to close the generational gap in live sports consumption. We’ll continue to build Buzzer with fans’ interests in mind and with a partner-first approach that presents new opportunities for them to reach new audiences, define new revenue streams, and offer added value to their existing subscribers,” Han said.

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“There’s nothing more exciting than a close game or buzzer beater – those are the moments we live for as players,” Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “Buzzer ensures fans never miss these moments in real time and helps us make our connections with them stronger, especially with younger, mobile-first sports fans. I believe Buzzer represents the future of live sports and I’m thrilled to join them on their journey.”

As traditional television ratings trend downward across the board, Buzzer is delivering on an innovate, frictionless way for sports fans to lock into the events they most want to follow, whether they’re carried over national broadcast, regional sports networks, or streaming-only platforms.

As the media landscape continues to shift, this Series A fundraise is proof that a long, long list of star athletes is backing Buzzer to take flight as the very first name in short-form live sports in the years to come.

Sam Dunn

Sam Dunn is the Managing Editor of Boardroom. Before joining the team, he was an editor and multimedia talent for several sports and culture verticals at Minute Media and an editor, reporter, and site manager at SB Nation. A specialist in content strategy, copywriting, and SEO, he has additionally worked as a digital consultant in the corporate services, retail, and tech industries. He cannot be expected to be impartial on any matter regarding the Florida Gators or Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter @RealFakeSamDunn.

About The Author
Sam Dunn
Sam Dunn
Sam Dunn is the Managing Editor of Boardroom. Before joining the team, he was an editor and multimedia talent for several sports and culture verticals at Minute Media and an editor, reporter, and site manager at SB Nation. A specialist in content strategy, copywriting, and SEO, he has additionally worked as a digital consultant in the corporate services, retail, and tech industries. He cannot be expected to be impartial on any matter regarding the Florida Gators or Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter @RealFakeSamDunn.