The Web 2.0 world is a fairly large sized walled garden. Most people involved in the development, design, creation, and usage of web sites and applications built around the Web 2.0 concept share similar goals, objectives, tastes and opinions. Web 2.0 companies like Twitter and Facebook have brought a large group of us together online, but have paled in comparison to the seismic affect on consumer behavior we saw with Web 1.0 companies like Amazon and eBay.
Over the past few months, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see a string of companies invest in online companies that seek out an audience that doesn’t already have 4 online profiles or a few hundred followers – jocks. This particular audience is passionate about easy ways to get lots of information about their favorite sports teams delivered to them in a manner that’s easy for them to consume. Some parallels to the needs and wants of the existing technology-set, but this sports crowd is not passionate about technology for technology’s sake – you’ll have to give them something actually useful. The good news is, they’ll probably pay for it and not whine about open-sourcing everything.
I say – Welcome aboard! Web 2.0 is supposed to be about sharing ideas and creating mash-ups of technologies. I’m tired of seeing the same news “break” on the same day at all the the “elite” tech blogs. If you are too, check out this list of companies mashing up Web 2.0 ideas and technology with sports culture:
- SportsFanLive: It’s Like Netvibes For Sports
- SportsPassion Brings Team Players Together Online
- ESPN Helps The Active Network Raise $80 Million More
- Nofouls Puts Your Local Basketball Games on the Map
- Get Ready for Some COLLEGE Football!
- Sportgenic Gets A $10 Million Bump In Funding
- Ultimate Football Network Will Help You Manage Your Fantasy Football Leagues
- Redesigned Sports Socnet CrowdPicks Offers Users Incentive to Keep Active
