FanCake Is The First Mobile Sports Social Game

FanCake iPad Screen Shot

Play Live TV in the quarterfinals of Euro 2012 by UEFA and Game 5 of the NBA Finals with the free FanCake iOS mobile app and earn FanCake Rewards Program Credits that can be used in exchange for cool swag. Fans earn sports tickets, merchandise, gift cards and more for their attention to a TV while participating on their iPhone or iPad during various sport games such as football, basketball, baseball, hockey and now soccer. FanCake is the first live social game that rewards fans for watching sports on TV.

FanCake Screen Shot

Players earn rewards by accumulating FanCake Credits through checking into games, catching FanCake medals based on real-time sports moments, taking part in prediction challenges, and commenting on the action taking place during the event. “Do not FanCake while driving,” said Justin Beere, Communications Lead at Kwarter, which gave me a chuckle during our recent phone interview.

The Czech Republic plays Portugal in the first loser out Euro 2012 game. There will be two FanCake “Euro ’12 Moment” Trophies to claim for each game from here to the Finals. If Milan Baros or Cristiano Ronaldo scores their first goal, a 600 point Credit Euro Moment occurs. The other opportunity happens if one of the four Czech defensive players’ scores, a 700 Credit Euro Moment Trophy will fly by your screen for the chance to tap and win it.

The NBA #Finals offers FanCake Bonus Reward opportunities due to the magnitude of the game. For Game 5, 6 and 7, pay attention to the final buzzer of the close out game because this will be a chance to earn a special Trophy and $100 gift card from ScoreBig.

FanCake Credits can be redeemed for real rewards in the FanCake Catalogue. The Catalogue includes the partners who deliver these premium rewards to sports fans, including Fanatics.com, Kiip, Oracle Arena & O.co Coliseum in Oakland (managed by SMG), ScoreBig and Total Hockey, with more to be added on an ongoing basis.

Sample rewards include 20 percent discounts at Fanatics, $20 off tickets from ScoreBig, as well as FanCake Rewards boxes filled with logo stickers, video game downloads like Madden and NBA Jam, T-Shirt and other exclusive FanCake items. Gift cards are being offered for some of the world’s most recognizable brands, like Nike and Papa John’s Pizza. One of the newest rewards are the “ManPacks.”

“They build apps around TV,” commented Justin. Founders Carlos Diaz and Sam Hickman are a couple of serial entrepreneurs who originally hail from France. This is their third start up company. Kwarter was founded in San Francisco, CA. They saw a niche and went for it by putting together a small beta team who built their proprietary FanCake app while part of Rocketspace Tech accelerator. Sam is the techie while Carlos is the sportsbiz person.

The app was easy to download via the App Store. A heads up as you open the app, by leaving the notifications on you earn an extra 200 points of Credit that in added to the 500 you receive for signing up via your Facebook account, Sports Techie. Facebook integration allows users to compete directly with their social circle and share FanCake highlights to their Facebook wall. Tweeter is easy to turn  on should you wish. Get additional FanCake Credits for inviting friends to join the app. The rewards have no cash value but they do not expire. For now, you are not allowed to transfer Credits, although, “this may change in the future,” according to Justin.

To download the FanCake app on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, visit http://bit.ly/getFanCake. Expect about one app update a month. An Android version is coming.

Localization is already happening inside the chat rooms that are set up and not private. Justin said, “There are Euro Cup ’12 rooms in Spanish, French and Hebrew.” The newest iOS has a microphone button feature you can tap that transcribes into a text box. It made good sports business sense by Kwarter to use this new iOS feature to help internationalize their software.

“Brands pay to integrate with fans,” shared Justin. Kwarter does not build third party apps; rather, they plan to partner up with broadcasters who want an application like Fancake. Currently, they have no Pro sports team partnerships or player endorsements. One reason is that Stadiums do not all have Wi-Fi and therefore it can be impossible for online gaming to be consistent enough for play, and for social sharing. Look for player endorsements sometime soon. Monetization will be a model that focuses on strengthening the relationship between fans and teams, earning money for brands and partners.

Kwarter is a privately held company. Right now there are 8 employees. They went through a series C funding round of $1 million and are looking for a possible VC series A round sometime this summer for an undisclosed amount. “No exit strategy is in place,” says Justin.

About FanCake

FanCake is the first live social game that rewards fans for watching sports on TV. Users play along with live sporting events and earn FanCake Credits by checking into games, catching FanCake Medals, and answering predictive challenges correctly. FanCake Credits get redeemed within the app’s catalogue for tickets, sports merchandise, equipment, and more. The free FanCake app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is the first game from mobile application factory, Kwarter. For more information, visit http://www.kwarter.com, Facebook.com/fancake, or follow @FanCakeApp http://twitter.com/#!/fancakeapp on Twitter.

About Kwarter

Kwarter is a mobile application factory building rich, immersive apps at the intersection of the social engagement, mobile and television spaces. Headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., Kwarter was founded in 2011 and launched its first app, FanCake, in March 2012. For more information, visit www.kwarter.com.

FanCake iPhone App Predict Rewards

The next time LeBron goes for a triple-double, or Matt Cain throws another Perfect game, or somebody in Euro Cup 2012 scores a hat trick, be sure to be watching on TV with your Smartphone or Tablet on, and your FanCake app open to play, predict and win swag.

Thank you to SSPR for arranging this blog interview.

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