Olyseum, with Iniesta, Puyol and De la Peña as promoters, is already the most downloaded sports app in 6 countries in its first week of release
The world of sport condensed into an app. That is the concept that was presented this September with the name Olyseum, a new social network dedicated exclusively to the world of sport that has achieved a good impact at its launch with the help of three big football names as promoters: Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol and Ivan De la Peña. In its first week of life, Olyseum has become the most downloaded sports app from the App Store in six countries. A good start, but its ‘game’ has only just begun.
Social networks, mobile apps and the digital world in general have meant a revolutionary change in the marketing of sport content. Now, it is much easier to get an audience, but precisely because of the ease of access what you offer has to be much more appealing. The important thing is not how to get there, but how to stay there; the interesting thing is not just to watch, but to identify.
From this concept of identification and exclusivity was born Olyseum, a network founded by Carlos Grenoir, an engineer with a PhD in computer science and telecommunications, who has launched the project with three partners: Kevin Mitnich, a renowned hacker who for years has advised NASA and governments on security issues; Jan Aramburu, a graduate in information technology, business management and eBusiness; and Enric Flix, an entrepreneurial expert and mentor of online projects.
It is a good alternative for all those addicted to sport who are tired of having to separate the wheat from the chaff in social networks. Olyseum offers them a single channel dedicated to sport where they can also be in direct contact with their favorite athletes, get to know their personal side and enter sweepstakes and exclusive competitions. “At Olyseum, we want to break the line that until now was so thick that separated the small elite group of media athletes from their followers and fans. We aspire to be the online sports ‘coliseum’, a place where athletes and fans can be closer and get to know each other, thus enriching the world of sport”, said its founder during its presentation.
The great novelty of this social network is that users will receive part of the profits that the company generates in advertising, sponsorship and digital assets. These gains will depend on how popular they manage to be on the network, how many followers they get, how many people they invite, and the valuations they obtain from the content they publish. “People are learning that in addition to using services to communicate, they can organize themselves to take advantage of their time and of the increasing value of networks,” assures Carlos Grenoir. “We want to reward users for all the time that they are investing in the platform, to make them part of the company and let them help to grow Olyseum, which is a common project”.
In addition to the exclusive content section generated by Olyseum and its ambassadors, the app has a sports news section with media sources in real time. There is also the ‘Iniesta Community ‘, where the captain of FC Barcelona, one of the athletes with the most followers on social networks, gives users the chance to see and live the football world through his eyes, providing personal publications, live videos, an image gallery and competitions in which you can win anything from a signed pair of boots to an invitation to attend a dinner with him.
As they say at Olyseum, the game has only just begun. New ambassadors will be joining the network and information on more sports will be added. On that, and on the people they manage to attract to its ‘playing field’, its future success will depend.
Related study programs
Johan Cruyff Institute Amsterdam uses a rich learning environment that fosters educational tools based on a student interaction model. We aim for a mix of students from sports and business sectors, which also enables students to share their unique experiences and learn from each other. Through ‘Cruyffian’ teaching methods the students will engage actively in creative challenges that require effort, commitment and intuitive thinking. Visit these web pages to find out more about our programs:
- Postgraduate Diploma in Sport Marketing Online (Start: February 2017)
- Master in Sport Marketing and Sponsorship Online (Start: February 2017)
- Master in Coaching – English edition (Start: May 2017, Amsterdam)
- Master in Sport Management (Start: September 2017, Amsterdam)
