Portland’s Pick6 Gets Off the Ground with A Different Kind of Fantasy Experience
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Thursday, January 07, 2016
H. E. James of GoLocalPDX Partner Site Oregon Sports News
Have you ever considered playing fantasy sports, but then changed your mind because it can be a bit of a pain? To play most fantasy sports, you have to register with third-party sites like Draft Kings or FanDuel, and it will likely cost you money. One of the few advantages is sharing a fantasy league with friends, where you all meet for a manual draft.
I’ve participated in a fantasy league here and there over the years, but while I’m a fan of sports, I’m not a fan of giving up my money for a fantasy experience over which I have little control. Once my decisions are made, my roster is locked. If I’ve chosen poorly, my momentum, and possibly my money, are gone.
Portland-based tech startup Pick6 Sports Solutions is gearing up to change this for fantasy sports fans. Working directly with franchises, the company has created an ingenious way to combine fan loyalty with real-time fantasy player picks to create a whole new experience for teams and their fans.
All About Connections
I’ve written before about how it is in the best interest of sports franchises to make sure they are just as connected as any other brand. The value of a brand goes up the more connections, digital or otherwise, it can make. With the family-friendly nature of spectator sports, it’s also natural for franchises to want to offer fans experiences ways to connect that may not lose them money or find them teetering on the fine line between legal and illegal.
Pick6 Solutions fantasy apps may give franchises and their fans that opportunity. Started in 2014 by two Portland businessmen, the organization has now partnered with two Pacific Northwest teams, the Portland Winterhawks and the Seattle Storm.
The Winterhawks were the first connection made for founders Nick Lawson and Manuel Pineyro. This partnership has proved lucrative for Pick6, as the Winterhawks have made verbal commitments to invest in a seed round of funding.
Try It Out
For the time being, you can try out Pick6 via the iOS App Store Unfortunately, it’s not available for Android. I downloaded the Winterhawks app to my phone and registered via Facebook.
The app allows you to purchase tickets for games and then check into them. You can even make picks while watching or listening from the comfort of your own home. As your picks play and accumulate stats, you accumulate points.
Instead of a traditional fantasy experience, where money is bet over the internet, this is a fantasy experience even kids can play. The points you earn via the performance of your picks can be redeemed for swag from your team.
If a pick is playing poorly, you can make an in-game change. You’re not locked into your predictions by Tuesday only to see your fantasy team fail miserably on Sunday.
As the company grows, I’m excited to give this a try. Even from Idaho, I can follow along this Friday as the Winterhawks are hosted by the Seattle Thunderbirds. The last time the two teams met, Portland won 4-1. I’ll be sure to check in and make my picks. Thanks, Pick6.
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