As the gridiron gladiators of the National Football League continue their march toward the Super Bowl, PlayUp USA in New York has put its mobile social network in the hands of sports fans in the United States. Parent company PlayUp in Australia developed the free iPhone and iPad app for sports fans with the help of $50 million raised in the first quarter of the year, and released it in the States and around the world on Oct. 20. Jonathan Press, CEO of PlayUp USA, says the company raised that funding round—its third—from a collection of undisclosed private investors around the world and is eager to build its ranks of users with U.S. sports fans.
PlayUp is a social app that fosters connections between sports fans who are interested in the same teams and games. Those fans can text message each other directly, as well as create chat rooms to discuss a game or particular subject. Users can search for live games, see upcoming events, or browse by sports type to find other users who share their passions for certain teams. The app also shows current scores and stats, such as players’ positions on the field. Press says the U.S. development team of 12 is creating mobile sports games that users will be able to play within the app. “People talk about sports 24-7 and have devices in their hands 24-7,” he says. “We’re looking for ways to marry the two.”
PlayUp also offers data from live games around the world that is updated by Stats Inc., he says, to give users a chance to react in real time to the games. PlayUp is building on the already robust amount of sports
