LONDON: Otro, a digital football fan platform that went live across the world Tuesday, has secured funding from venture capital firm 23 Capital.
According to UK media reports, the funding secured by Otro, which provides fans with curated content from global football stars, was in the region of £50 million ($63.61m).
Fans who have paid to sign up to the app will have access to content from football superstars such as Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Neymar and the like.
This premium service offers subscribers exclusive interviews, live Q&As, documentaries, films and live chats, in a subscription model that has been likened to Spotify.
Jeremy Dale, CEO of OTRO, said: “Football fans all over the world want a deeper connection with their heroes and this is where Otro comes in. This line up of players is beyond even my wildest dreams and I know that fans are going to love them coming together to form one club where they share their stories. We’ve specifically designed Otro to be a community where members and players engage directly. These players are the founding members of Otro and they are now inviting their fans to join their other club.
23 Capital played a pivotal role in the creation and evolution of Otro via its funding partnership. Jason Traub, CEO and founder of 23 Capital noted: “23 Capital’s funding and specialist sector knowledge of the sports, music and entertainment industries has been central in helping create and build Otro. With an estimated 3.5 billion fans across the world, football is a major driver of online content. Otro is a digital fan club that brings high quality, curated content from many of the world’s leading footballers into a single digital offering for fans. It breaks new ground in creating a platform where the players can maximise their digital IP while connecting with their fans through their love of football.”
Dale added: “This has been a long journey, as many things that are so transformational often are. It has been so valuable having Jason and the team at 23 Capital as our investment partners. They’ve been supportive, patient and provided great advice throughout the journey.”
