Splash Sports is the leading skill-based sports gaming platform built for friends to use their knowledge to compete for real money.
In just a few years, they’ve partnered with the NBA, acquired RunYourPool.com and OfficeFootballPool.com and raised millions in venture funding.
In this Q&A with CMO and CRO Kyle Christensen, we discuss things such as how they got to this point, the future of peer-to-peer gaming and advice he has for other founders who are building in the sports industry.
Hello, who are you, what is the name of your company and what’s your role?
Hello! My name is Kyle Christensen and I am the Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer for Splash Inc.
What was the company’s original premise and how did it get started?
We are the leading peer-to-peer sports gaming platform in the US with the premise that it is better to play games of skill with your friends, not the house.
We bring people together through the gamification of live events.
We nurture, foster, and inspire the competitive spirit in all of us.
How is the company doing today and what does the future look like?
Splash embraces a multiplayer gaming marketplace, where the players compete against one another with rewards and incentives for community building.
We’ve partnered with brands such as JackLinks, Taylor Made, and the NBA to bring this vision to life.
We believe the future of gaming lives within thriving communities.
Our mission is to create a thriving, self-policed network that benefits all stakeholders and our goal is to continue building partnerships with brands and creators with the same focus.
Here’s how we expect to see that vision realized as we move forward in the future:
- Leverage the creator economy by empowering influencers and community leaders to build and manage their own skill-based gaming competitions to generate revenue and following – all while owning their follower data.
- Implement a fair and transparent revenue-sharing model that rewards players, commissioners, and the host platform proportionally, based on performance and engagement.
- Utilize advanced data analytics and machine learning to monitor player behavior, identify potential issues, and maintain a healthy, self-policed community to avoid the threat of overregulation.
- Advocate for regulatory changes that enable peer-to-peer gaming models and protect player interests, while ensuring fair and responsible competition.
- Engage with key stakeholders, including players, commissioners, and brands, to continuously refine our approach and address evolving needs.
Have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous through working with the business?
Absolutely.
One is that costs are continuous and revenue is cyclical. So always keep an eye on your expenses and keep them consistent.
The second is to focus.
As a start-up, you want to try a lot of things and see if something works.
But the opposite is true. Speak with your customers, understand their ultimate needs, and deliver the best possible product to meet those needs.
If you focus on that and start to stack wins, you will look up and see that things are working.
What advice do you have for other people trying to build and market a company within the sports industry?
I said it before and I will say it again. Focus.
Keep a singular message in the market that grabs the attention of your ideal customer. Find them where they are and deliver on the brand promise.
Sounds simple and is if you really focus.
What are some predictions you have for the industry over the next year?
The gaming market is poised for exponential growth, with the total addressable market (TAM) expected to surpass $200 billion as more states legalize online gaming.
Alongside that, the creator economy is projected to reach $500 billion by 2026, highlighting the immense potential of empowering individuals to build and cultivate their own gaming communities.
With the growth of the gaming industry with the proven tactics of the creator economy, P2P has the potential to revolutionize the way people engage with and experience gaming – and I see this as an upcoming trend that will gain more traction in the industry over the next year.
Given the rapid changes and betting incidents we’ve seen affect the gaming world in recent years, innovation is needed and we see peer-to-peer gaming rising in popularity.
The traditional gaming model doesn’t need replacing – but it could stand to do with some healthy competition.
Peer-to-peer gaming creates new revenue and experiential opportunities (and even occasions new charitable possibilities) for players, commissioners, platforms, and brand sponsors, all while helping to ensure the long-term sustainability of gaming through fair and ethical practices.
Are there any particular tools, software, or resources you use to be more productive?
AI has helped me increase my output quite a bit.
Huge fan of the new Claude release.
What advice do you have for founders trying to build a team and hire talent?
Make sure that they are invested. Personally, financially, emotionally, and any other -y. The startup grind is hard and sometimes feels hopeless. So find someone who can pick you up when you need it and then do the same for them.
Can you list any specific professionals in sports who have been particularly helpful to you or ones that you admire? Why?
I’ll mention a hometown (Loveland, CO) friend – Jeremy Bloom.
Jeremy not only was an incredible athlete, going to the Olympics and playing in the NFL, but he challenged the status quo for college athletes to be paid and I think had a tremendous impact on the NIL deals that are taking college sports by storm. Now Jeremy is a successful founder of Integrate, where he is still the CEO.
Are you currently hiring and if so, where can people apply and find out more?
Check back after football season 🙂
