Name: Locker Room wants to reinvent how fans talk sports
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Locker Room wants to reinvent how fans talk sports

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Courtesy: Betty LabsLocker Room, a social audio app where fans can talk sports and spontaneously join live conversations, launches Tuesday on the .The state of play: The company behind Locker Room, , has raised $9.3 million in seed funding led by Google Ventures with participation from Lightspeed Venture Partners and the Alexa Fund, Axios has learned.Why it matters: Locker Room sits at the nexus of major sports media trends like the "second screen" companion, the audio/podcasting boom, and the rise of multicasts and broadcast customization.How it works: Locker Room functions similarly to Clubhouse, another social audio app that was among venture capitalists this summer and raised $12 million from Andreessen Horowitz.The big picture: Locker Room isn't the only app betting on social audio. In addition to Clubhouse, there's also:The intrigue: Leagues and networks are increasingly offering multicasts, alternative commentary and other ways to customize broadcasts, while esports livestreams provide a glimpse of a ."Locker Room lets 'commentary' mean whatever you want it to mean. Create a watch party, react in real time to big plays, or just listen to a conversation that suits your mood. It's not just about Joe Buck not being your only option; it's about reinventing the century-old idea of live commentary."— Howard Akumiah, Betty Labs Founder/CEOThe challenge: Sports feeds aren't in perfect sync, which could hurt Locker Room's in-game experience. If another person's feed is a few seconds ahead of yours, they'll spoil the action.Between the lines: Media members, athletes and others have been using Locker Room's beta app for months, and some popular formats have emerged:"I'm on camera a lot for ESPN, but sometimes I just want to casually talk sports when I'm at home. So it's nice to have a place where I can do that and not have to worry about looking at the camera or anything."— Jeff Darlington, ESPN reporterThe bottom line: Locker Room is more live than a podcast, more accessible than sports radio, more personal than Twitter and more casual than a livestream. That doesn't mean it will succeed, but it certainly makes it interesting.Early voting in the 2020 election across the U.S. on Monday had already reached 71% of 2016's total turnout, according to state data compiled by the .Why it matters: The coronavirus pandemic and its resultant social-distancing measures prompted a massive uptick in both mail-in ballots and early voting nationwide, setting up an unprecedented and potentially tumultuous count in the hours and days after the polls close on Nov. 3.Europe is swiftly shutting down as the unprecedented spike in new cases hits perilous new heights. The big picture: Cases are growing uncontrollably across most of the continent. While spikes in hospitalizations and deaths have thus far been less sharp in most countries, fears of overcrowded hospitals are growing. The U.S. may be tracking just two or three weeks behind.Politics: Everyone running for re-election — fire Fauci if re-elected.Health: — 18 states set . Business: The unemployment — against oil's recovery.World: Restrictions .Sports: Third wave drives even .

Courtesy: Betty LabsLocker Room, a social audio app where fans can talk sports and spontaneously join live conversations, launches Tuesday on the .The state of play: The company behind Locker Room, , has raised $9.3 million in seed funding led by Google Ventures with participation from Lightspeed Venture Partners and the Alexa Fund, Axios has learned.Why it matters: Locker Room sits at the nexus of major sports media trends like the "second screen" companion, the audio/podcasting boom, and the rise of multicasts and broadcast customization.How it works: Locker Room functions similarly to...

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Locker Room wants to reinvent how fans talk sports

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