Ballr Looking to Raise up to US$20m in New Funding from Hong Kong Investors

High-flying mobile gaming start-up Ballr is looking to raise up to US$20 million in new funding this year from Hong Kong investors, as its advertising-backed interactive football app taps into an ever-expanding fanbase across Asia-Pacific.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Ballr will be covering most major leagues from this season onward, said its founder and chief executive Sam Jones, on a stopover in Hong Kong during an Asian tour to promote the company’s live interactive gaming application.
• Starring in Ballr’s promotion were five former Manchester United stars – Paul Scholes, Gary and Phil Neville, Nicky Butt and Ryan Giggs, all part of the club’s famous “Class of 92” all-conquering side.
• Ballr, whose smartphone game is available on both Apple’s iOS and Android mobile platforms.
• The free Ballr football app delivers a rapid micro-gaming platform that users can engage with on their smartphones, as they watch live football matches.
• Users are given 18 players to pick during a live match.
• Points are gained or lost by Ballr users based on the performance of their selected players in the match.
• Ballr plans to raise new private financing in Hong Kong to support the firm’s expansion.

“I’m trying to get 100 million users in two-and-a-half years, but my wife thinks I’m mad,” Jones told South China Morning Post. “So check this out: about three billion people worldwide watch the Premier League, a billion of those watch in Asia and 350 million in [mainland] China.”

“So we only need to convert a small percentage of that global number through broadcast promotions, club partnerships and the support of players who are helping us accelerate growth in this global football community,” said Jones.

Ballr’s goal to reach more users is expected to be accomplished through its focus on Asia-Pacific, which research firm Newzoo estimates has 1.1 billion computer desktop, mobile and console gamers.

The mainland, the world’s largest smartphone market, boasts a vast potential number of casual gamers Ballr can target from the nation’s 1.3 billion total mobile subscribers as of May 31.

“We are in Hong Kong for a reason and that’s because China is the most important market for us,” Jones said. “The mainland is interesting because the Premier League is shown across multiple broadcast providers. So we need to get a media partner there.”

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