A new sports app geared toward Gen Z users will provide curated, community-focused content focusing on their favorite players. The Heir app with Web 3.0 sports technology venture was co-founded by Jeffrey Jordan, son of NBA legend Michael Jordan.
HEIR is on a mission to define a new era of digital culture where innovators and their supporters are empowered and rewarded through web3.
— HEIR (@Heir_Company) December 15, 2021
Fans will have the chance to chat with the App’s partner athletes, watch exclusive content, and review team highlights and statistics. The app’s community outreach features games and events, with rewards and offers for users.
The app trusts that its exclusive and curated approach will serve as a relevant content pipeline rather than the catch-all approach of mainstream television and streaming platforms.
“Industry research has shown that Gen Z tends to seek out digital communities that share their interests, and they relate more to players and their personalities off the court over traditional fandom of sports teams and leagues,” Jordan told SportsMedia.
As of now, the Heir roster includes current NBA stars Anthony Edwards, Tyler Herro, RJ Barrett, Bennedict Mathurin, Lonzo Ball, and Josh Okogie. Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is also signing on with Heir. More players will be joining this year.
Exclusive content will also be added, with users able to make purchases on digital and NFT items through a Solana blockchain.
“Too often, culture creators and early adopters are not beneficiaries of the world-shifting culture they help build,” the company About Me explains. “With new frontiers in web3, the HEIR platform will deliver economic value to original culture creators and those who consume it early with new decentralized capabilities that drive ownership. We believe in the power of ownership and legacy for all,” it reads.
Using his father’s career and business ventures as an inspiration for Heir, Jordan has seen how individual fandoms are just as profitable as team fandoms.
“Michael Jordan was the genesis of a player-first athlete. His stardom evolved the fan experience as we saw fans start to follow individual athletes instead of just teams,” Jordan said.
In 2021, the company raised over $10 million in seed funding with investments from Thrive Capital, Solana Ventures, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and New York Knicks executive William Wesley.
The company also signed high school basketball players who had NIL deals to play in a two-on-two basketball tournament last summer.
