Industry Trends: Fantapper

61% of Americans between the ages 18-44 feel more connected to their favorite athletes and celebrities becuase of social media (Source).  This is an eye-opening statistic which reveals the extent to which people use social media to connect to athletes and celebrities.

Recognizing this overwhelming desire by fans to connect with athletes, Brand Affinity Technologies launched Fantapper, a free download that brings fans and athletes together.  Fantapper offers a one stop shop for fans looking to follow their favorite athletes through social media.  "Fantapper takes 'faneraction' one step further by bringing celebrity information and engagement opportunities to people wherever they are, with no searching required," said Ryan Steelberg, President and CEO of Brand Affinity Technologies (Source).


What is Fantapper



Fantapper is a web and mobile download that hosts various athlete and celebrity 'cards,' which contain information about the athletes and celebrities, such as background, stats, videos, and Twitter feed.

Once a fan has downloaded Fantapper, either on the web or on their mobile device, they then have the ability to select various 'cards' and follow their favorite athletes and celebrities from one location.  From a social media perspective, this acts as a one stop, multiplatform source to follow athletes.

Which Athletes are using Fantapper

Without a doubt, the most high profile athlete on Fantapper is Drew Brees.  A recent USA Today article highlights the way in which Brees adopted Fantapper as a way to better connect with his fans.

Other headline athletes using Fantapper include Blake Griffin, Brandon Jennings, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Andy Pettite, Josh Hamilton, Braylon Edwards, Clay Matthews, Devin Hester, Larry Fitzgerald, and Ray Lewis.  This is an impressive selection, but it should be noted that not all athletes offer the same amount of content.  For example, while Brandon Jennings offers eight features for fans to follow, Josh Hamilton only offers a Bio, videos, and career stats.

How Fantapper Affects the Industry
With so many fans looking to interact with athletes via social media, Fantapper has the potential to redefine the way athletes present themselves on the web.  Athletes such as Drew Brees and Brandon Jennings, who fully embrace Fantapper and use it as the primary source for their social media engagement, have the ability to change fan-athlete social media interaction.  That being said, Fantapper's success rests on its ability to recruit more athletes.  More athletes need to embrace Fantapper for this to become a one-stop sports social media source.

Video Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GquFqHKg3q8
Image Source: Fantapper via USA Today