SportsBug

What SportsBug does

SportsBug, LLC is a US-based technology company founded in 2024 that operates a proprietary real-time audio streaming platform designed to deliver play-by-play sports commentary to fans inside stadiums and arenas with sub-one-second delay, versus the 30-90+ second delays typical of conventional streaming. The company's core product transmits existing professional radio broadcasts over standard 4G and 5G mobile networks directly to fans' smartphones, requiring no new venue hardware, no WiFi deployment, and no changes to existing broadcast infrastructure. Distribution is delivered through integrations with consumer-facing apps already installed by millions of users, specifically MLB's official Ballpark App and Learfield's Varsity Network App, with partnerships anchored by the New York Mets (Citi Field, Opening Day 2026), Audacy (WHSQ 880 AM), Learfield (over 1,200 collegiate institutions), and the University of Oregon as the college launch partner.

The platform serves three primary customer segments: professional sports teams and rightsholders, college athletics programs, and sports sponsors and advertisers, with sports fans attending live events as the end consumer. SportsBug monetizes through B2B partnerships with teams, venues, and rightsholders who receive incremental fan engagement, sponsor integrations, and revenue share on premium content and merchandise, rather than through direct fan charges. The service is free to fans, and the company explicitly states no cash investment is required from stations, rightsholders, or teams.

SportsBug is led by Founder, President and Chairman John Roe and CEO Patrick Seaman (Broadcast.com alumnus), supported by an executive team drawn from Westwood One, Metro Networks, Audacy, McKinney, and other media and sports organizations. The company maintains 1-10 employees and has not disclosed external institutional funding, operating primarily through enterprise partnerships and an international expansion agreement with ResultX Group for Asian and other markets.

Name

SportsBug

Legal name

SportsBug, LLC

Website

https://sportsbug.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SportsBug operates a proprietary 4G/5G audio streaming platform that delivers sub-one-second-delay play-by-play broadcasts to fans inside stadiums, distributed through MLB Ballpark App and Learfield's Varsity Network App, serving professional teams, college programs, and sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Audio Streaming Technology

NAICS

Other Spectator Sports (711219), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Digital Audio Broadcasts (Live Radio, Play-by-Play, Podcasts) (MPAKAOAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Streaming Distribution & App Platforms (CTV, Mobile, Web) (MPAKAOAL), Sports Audio Rights & Live Game Audio Networks (MPABAJAK)

Keywords

• Real-time audio streaming
• In-stadium play-by-play
• Live sports broadcasting
• Mobile audio delivery
• Sports media technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Dodd City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Venue/Team Partnerships: Revenue generated from partnerships with sports teams, venues, and rightsholders who gain incremental fan engagement, new revenue streams through targeted advertising, premium content, and merchandise sales. The service requires no cash investment from stations, rightsholders, or teams.
2. Sponsor Benefits: Fan engagement and sponsor benefit opportunities created through the no-delay audio streaming platform, providing sponsors with captive in-venue audience access.
3. Free-to-Fan Service: Service is provided free to fans; revenue is generated indirectly through partner relationships rather than direct fan charges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SportsBug develops and operates a proprietary real-time audio streaming platform that delivers sub-one-second delay play-by-play commentary to sports fans inside stadiums and arenas via existing 4G and 5G mobile networks. The platform requires no new venue hardware, integrates with partner apps such as MLB Ballpark App and Varsity Network App, and enables teams, rightsholders, and broadcasters to offer live in-venue audio to fans. The service is provided free to fans, with revenue generated through team/rightsholder partnerships and sponsor integrations.

Product overview

SportsBug is a real-time audio streaming platform company that delivers lag-free play-by-play radio broadcasts to sports fans inside stadiums and arenas. The core offering is SportsBug's proprietary technology platform, which eliminates the traditional 30-90+ second delay in live sports audio by delivering broadcasts in under one second over 4G/5G networks. The platform integrates with consumer-facing sports apps including the MLB Ballpark App (for New York Mets games at Citi Field) and Learfield's Varsity Network App (for University of Oregon college sports). SportsBug requires no new hardware in venues and no changes to existing broadcast infrastructure, making it a low-friction solution for teams and rightsholders. The service is free to fans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SportsBug Real-Time Audio Streaming Platform Proprietary streaming media platform that delivers real-time, sub-one-second delay play-by-play commentary to sports fans' smartphones inside stadiums and arenas via 4G and 5G networks. The platform requires no venue hardware installation and works with any mobile device and carrier, serving sports teams, rightsholders, broadcasters, and sponsors.
• MLB Ballpark App Real-Time Audio Integration Integration of SportsBug's real-time audio streaming into MLB's official Ballpark App, enabling New York Mets fans at Citi Field to access WHSQ 880 AM broadcasts featuring Howie Rose, Keith Raad, and Pat McCarthy with sub-one-second delay through an app already installed by millions of fans.
• Varsity Network App Real-Time Audio Integration Integration of SportsBug's real-time audio streaming with Learfield's Varsity Network App, enabling University of Oregon fans to stream no-delay play-by-play radio broadcasts for football, men's and women's basketball, and baseball games. The integration scales across Learfield's network of 1,200+ collegiate institutions reaching 107+ million college sports fans.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• New York MetsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026SportsBug partnered with the New York Mets and Audacy to deliver real-time radio play-by-play at Citi Field. Audacy's Mets digital radio broadcast is available in-stadium with sub-one-second delay starting Opening Day 2026 (March 26). Fans access WHSQ 880 AM broadcasts featuring Howie Rose, Keith Raad, and Pat McCarthy through the MLB Ballpark App.
• AudacyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Audacy provides Mets radio broadcasts on WHSQ 880 AM for in-stadium streaming. SportsBug's technology delivers Audacy's content to fans at Citi Field with sub-one-second delay, expanding Audacy's Mets listening audience to include in-venue fans.
• University of OregoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 May 2025University of Oregon serves as the launch partner for the Learfield and SportsBug real-time audio initiative. Beginning August 30 with the Ducks football season opener, fans attending home games stream Learfield radio broadcasts in real-time (less than one second delay) via Varsity Network App. Coverage extends to Men's and Women's Basketball and Baseball.
• LearfieldcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2025Strategic alliance to deliver no-delay, real-time play-by-play audio broadcasts to college sports fans watching live sports in stadiums and arenas. SportsBug integrates with Learfield's Varsity Network App and local radio partners. The service is free to fans. Learfield reaches over 107 million fans and has ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions.
• ResultX GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational growth partnership with ResultX Group, bringing over 50 years of combined experience in sales and sports broadcasting. Partners Julian Jackson (30+ years in Asian content industry) and James White (30+ years in sponsorship and events for sports brands) will help SportsBug expand into Asian and other international markets through direct-to-consumer real-time engagement.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Audacy: Major US radio broadcaster and SportsBug's own partner. Audacy operates traditional radio distribution for sports play-by-play (including the Mets on WHSQ 880 AM) and represents the incumbent whose existing infrastructure SportsBug augments with low-latency streaming.
• Westwood One: National sports radio network and audio content distributor in the US, previously run by SportsBug COO Chuck Bortnick. Competes in the same sports audio rights and distribution space, but uses traditional broadcast infrastructure rather than low-latency streaming.
• iHeartMedia: Largest US radio broadcaster with significant sports play-by-play rights portfolio (iHeartSports). Represents the most capitalized incumbent that could replicate SportsBug's low-latency technology or acquire a similar capability.
• Compass Media Networks: Sports radio syndication and play-by-play distribution network serving professional and collegiate teams across the US. Directly comparable in serving rightsholders and broadcasters, but distributes via traditional radio affiliates.
• SiriusXM: Satellite and streaming audio subscription service carrying extensive live sports play-by-play including every MLB game. Comparable as a high-scale distribution channel for sports audio, though subscription-based and not in-venue focused.
• Learfield IMG College: College sports multimedia rightsholder and SportsBug's own partner reaching 1,200+ institutions. Operates the Varsity Network App that distributes SportsBug's audio and represents a potential channel owner or future competitor in college sports audio streaming.

Direct peers

• TuneIn: Live audio streaming platform offering sports radio play-by-play and other audio content to consumers worldwide. Closest direct competitor in delivering live sports audio to listeners, though without SportsBug's specific low-latency positioning for in-venue use.
• Stadium Audio / Broadcast Sports International: Provider of in-venue broadcast and audio services for sports venues, including commentary distribution and referee communication systems. Comparable as an in-venue sports audio specialist, but uses traditional broadcast infrastructure rather than streaming.

Others

• StreamGuys: Audio streaming infrastructure and CDN provider serving broadcasters, podcasters, and live sports. Functions as a potential enabling technology partner or alternative vendor for the same low-latency audio delivery problem SportsBug solves.
• Venuetize: Stadium-focused mobile engagement platform delivering in-venue fan experiences, mobile ordering, and content. Adjacent in addressing in-venue fan engagement via mobile, but focused on broader venue experience rather than real-time audio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SportsBug