ClutchPoints
 | |
Type of site | Sports Media |
|---|---|
| Owner | ClutchPoints, Inc. |
| Founder(s) | Nish Patel |
| Key people | Nish Patel (CEO) |
| URL | www |
| Launched | 2015; 9 years ago |
| Current status | Active |
ClutchPoints is a sports media website owned by ClutchPoints, Inc. It was founded by Nish Patel in 2015. ClutchPoints covers the NBA, NFL, and MLB among other sports through a focus on team-specific fans across their editorial, video, and social content, with the latter being known in the form of creative graphics.[1][2][3]
Corporate affairs and business model
[edit]Nish Patel has been ClutchPoints’ chief executive officer since he founded the company. Willy He serves as Head of Growth, Dillon Reagan serves as Head of Operations, and Jeetu Chawla serves as chief operating officer and chief revenue officer.[4]
The company generates revenue through advertising and sales.[5]
History
[edit]ClutchPoints was founded by Nish Patel in 2015. As a college sophomore at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2012, Patel first built a Facebook page called NBA Memes that focused on memes on the NBA. Patel then created various NBA team-specific social media pages.[1][6][7][3] After building up an audience of close to 5 million, Patel began looking for help to grow the company. Patel eventually started Bruin Entrepreneurs, and through StartUp UCLA’s summer accelerator program, he was able to find investors interested in helping him start a company.[8][9]
The app includes the same written content on the website as well as individual game streams with tweets, analysis, play-by-play, and highlights in one feed.[2]
In April 2017, ClutchPoints raised $500,000 in seed money with Eytan Elbaz, Gil Elbaz, ActOne Ventures, and TenOneTen Ventures contributing.[10][11]
In February 2018, Baron Davis invested in ClutchPoints.[12]
In February 2020, ClutchPoints agreed to a podcasting content partnership with Blue Wire focused on two podcasts, Battle for LA and Establish the Pass.[13]
In July 2020, ClutchPoints released a web series on Kobe Bryant's 2010 NBA championship, The Final Ring, which featured interviews from Los Angeles Lakers players such as Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol, and Metta Sandiford-Artest, among others.[14][15]
In March 2021, ClutchPoints invested in and partnered with Players Media Group's subsidiary, PlayersTV, to co-produce original programming through the PlayersTV media network owned by athletes such as Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, and Kyrie Irving.[16]
In July 2021, ClutchPoints announced a partnership with GameOn Technology to develop a Messenger chat application focused on delivering NBA content.[17]
In December 2022, ClutchPoints announced a partnership with the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) to develop content on retired players across the ABA, the NBA, and the WNBA.[18]
In 2023, ClutchPoints became a certified Minority business enterprise via the Southern California Minority Supplier Development Council. In September of the same year, ClutchPoints acquired HBCU Pulse, a media company focused on Historically black colleges and universities-related news, entertainment, and sports.[19]
In June 2024, ClutchPoints announced a sponsorship deal with ZALA, a football team led by AJ DeLaGarza that plays in The Soccer Tournament.[20]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Byrd, Andrew (March 1, 2023). "For Fans, by Fans: Nish Patel, Founder of ClutchPoints, Launches HBCU Initiative". admonsters.com. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ a b Hurda, Craig (2018-04-25). "ClutchPoints gives a new view to mainstream sports (review)". AndroidGuys. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
- ^ a b Barrigon, Raul (February 9, 2021). "We spoke with the ClutchPoints CEO about his favorite ClutchPoints graphics". HoopsHype. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ "Team". ClutchPoints. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
- ^ Attah, Tobenna (September 28, 2017). "How Clutchpoints is changing the game in online video preproduction | TRF 635 Magazine". Retrieved 2020-06-17.
- ^ Kulkarni, Chirag (July 5, 2016). "How This Company Is Changing The Experience Of A Sports Fan Forever". inc.com. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- ^ Cato, Tim (November 2, 2020). "'I've never seen that before': How ClutchPoints is making the NBA more absurd". The Athletic. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
- ^ Wheeler, Mark (January 1, 2019). "Business Boom". newsroom.ucla.edu. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ "ClutchPoints". startupucla.com. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ "ClutchPoints Funding". AngelList. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
- ^ "ClutchPoints raises $500,000 in seed-round funding". ClutchPoints. April 27, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
- ^ "Former NBA star Baron Davis invests in ClutchPoints, Inc". ClutchPoints. February 9, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
- ^ Andrew Carnazola (2020-02-12). "Blue Wire, Clutch Points Agree on Podcast Partnership". Blue Wire. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
- ^ Brecher, Clint (2020-07-01). "8-episode Kobe-Lakers web series on the 2010 championship season set to be released". ClutchPoints. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
- ^ Morales, Luisa (2020-07-02). "Mamba Out: Kobe Bryant documentary to air this July". Philippine Star. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
- ^ Mullen, Liz (March 26, 2021). "Sports media platform ClutchPoints invests in, partners with PlayersTV". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
- ^ "ClutchPoints Aims to Expand Reach Through New Partnership with GameOn Technology". prnewswire.com. July 8, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
- ^ "CLUTCHPOINTS AND NBRPA FORM CONTENT PARTNERSHIP TO PRESERVE NBA LEGENDS' STORIES". legendsofbasketball.com. December 13, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
- ^ Culpepper, Reginald (September 28, 2023). "ClutchPoints Launches New Diversity Initiative 'Empowered' Through Acquisition of HBCU Pulse". hbcuconnect.com. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ Bassett, Bailey (June 4, 2024). "ClutchPoints to sponsor ZALA, led by AJ DeLaGarza, in The Soccer Tournament". ClutchPoints. Retrieved June 16, 2024.