ESPN Founder Bill Rasmussen Tries For Another Lightning Strike With CollegeFanz.com
By Staci D. Kramer - Fri 07 Sep 2007 12:25 PM PST
Twenty-eight years to the day after the launch of ESPN (NYSE: DIS), Bill Rasmussen has launched another service based on the hope that sports fans equal money. CollegeFanz.com (beta, of course) is just what it says: a site aimed squarely at college students and alums. The enterprise is being back by PE firm The Musser Group to the tune of $500,000-$1 million, according to a spokesperson. Release.
Distribution should be easier this time around—no cable deals needed, all D2C—but the market he’s trying to tap into is far more crowded. So far, I have yet to see anything that makes it stand out from various college sports sites or the college areas within major sports destinations aside from the virtual campus that takes a while to load even on a fast connection and Rasmussen’s involvement. Features include the now-expected social networking, scores, college sports info. And, yes, there already is a CollegeFans.com, a shopping site run an ISP likely to see a boost in traffic from people spelling the new site wrong.
Posted in: Entertainment, Sports, VC+M&A






