Bracket.Game: Transforming Sports Fan Engagement

The Challenge

Fans have always been incredibly engaged with their favorite sports teams, but traditional fan engagement methods offer limited to no real-world impact. Bracket.Game is changing this dynamic, making it possible for fans to become part of the action in real-time and then use their collective dollars to impact team decisions and player actions.

There are 3 major obstacles that need to be addressed when bringing this to life:

1. Making the app enjoyable enough that even casual fans want to participate.
2. Ensuring that created agreements by fanbases are fulfilled once their terms have been met.
3. Creating an app that is so simple and accessible, that even non-technical fans can engage with it.

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The Solutions

1. ‍Allow users to buy shares and see their value increase along with a team’s success: Bracket.Game allows their users to purchase or sell shares of the fanbase of their favorite teams. The value of a share goes up or down depending on the popularity of that team, usually correlated with that team's success. If your teams are doing well, then so are you!

2. Utilize smart contracts to execute agreements and transactions automatically: Bracket.Game has built smart contracts that enable shareholders of fanbases to vote on team decisions, engage directly with players, and manage collective treasuries in a secure and transparent manner.

3. Create a simple and intuitive app to replicate a Web2 experience: While Bracket.Game is harnessing Web3 functionalities, they shield their users from the complexities of blockchains, wallets, or crypto. By employing the Dynamic SDK, Bracket.Game has developed a user-friendly Web2 interface, enabling Web2 logins while seamlessly integrating a concealed wallet for each user. By ultimately allowing all transactions and payments to appear in any token type (including USDC), users can take advantage of Web3 guardrails without extra learning curves.

“We lean on Dynamic for all things auth and wallet.  They – and their huge set of integrated crypto partners – have single-handedly allowed us to achieve our dream scenario: A crypto app that my mom can use, off-the-shelf. I just can't speak highly enough about the ease and power of their product, and most of all the sincere dedication of their team. They literally feel like a part of our own team at this point.”

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Conclusion

Bracket.Game launched its public Beta for March Madness, building a Prize Pool of over $400K USD – more than 3 times what was offered by ESPN’s bracket. Since then, there have been bracket games for Masters, NBA, NHL, and more. The high level of engagement seen during the beta launch indicates strong demand for more engaging and influential fan experiences. While still early in its mission, Bracket.Game has laid the groundwork for a new era of fan engagement. One where fans are not just supporters, but stakeholders with a real say in their teams' futures.

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