“Gridiron Grunts,” a mobile app developed by Chapel Hill-based StraightCast Media, and one of its founders are now part of Fox Sports Media. And Fox says it has plans to expand the fan-friendly news app to other sports.
The two firms worked together in 2014 to produce the “On the Bus” segment for the Fox NFL Sunday program. In the past, StraightCast also worked with ESPN and the NFL Network.
Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Jeb Terry, a veteran NFL player and a graduate of the MBA program at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, joined Fox as vice president of program management as part of the deal.
“I am thrilled to be joining FOX Sports Digital,” said Terry in a statement. “The Fox Sports team, brand, and entrepreneurial DNA make it the ideal place to continue our efforts to bring fans the content they love from the athletes they cheer.”
In an interview with the Triangle Business Journal, Terry said of the deal: “We looked in the mirror and we were like, ‘this makes sense.”
All operations of the firm have been relocated from Chapel Hill, he added.
Terry and former teammate Ryan Nece launched StraightCast in 2010.
“This technology gives athletes an easy way to create and upload video content that FOX Sports can then share across multiple platforms to give fans greater behind-the-scenes access,” said Devin Poolman, Senior Vice President, Product Development at Fox Sports Digital, in a statement. “We’re excited to have Jeb join FOX Sports Digital and look forward to him leading the efforts to expand this athlete-driven content to more sports.”
“On the Bus” featured video provided by players.
Read more about the deal at:
http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/latestnews/2015/08/13/fox-sports-digital-strikes-acquisition-deal-with-straightcast-me
