newjerseynewsroom.com

BY JERRY MILANI

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Aldo Pigna is a die hard sports fan in many ways, even to the point where he used to own race horses. However the Scotch Plains resident usually made his living on the finance side, and saved his sports interests, at least for his teams, on the fan side. However the convergence of sports and social media has changed that, and even found Pigna a job where his passions meet.

He is now the day to day business operations manager for New York based PlayUp, a recently launched digital company that focuses on Pigna’s sweet spot, the worlds of where sports activation and “Fandom” meet the digital world. “I love my teams, so now instead of sitting on my couch and trying to get my wife involved, I can watch, follow on my mobile phone and text in real time with my friends for whatever game we are watching…it could be a marriage-saver for many,” he joked.

By day, Pigna helps manage all the business operations of the company, originally launched successfully in Australia, India and the UK but now growing exponentially in the U.S., with over 25,000 live sporting events free on your iPad or iPhone via a simple download.

"No one is a fan alone," summarizes Jonathan Press, CEO of PlayUp USA, who deals with Pigna’s passion, and ranting, every day in their new SoHo offices. "You don't want to consume sports by yourself. We've created a forum where fans can communicate and be heard."

Elements of PlayUp have been available on various sites for some time; sports supersites like ESPN.com and CBSSports.com noticed years ago that fans were increasingly utilizing a "second screen" while they watched their favorite sports, to get more information on the game and, importantly, to connect with fellow rooters.

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The PlayUp App, which has been available for U.S. sports for about a month, connects four major parts of sports fandom in a single place, according to Press.

The first is scores and statistics, the basics as needed but in a simple interface, sometimes for hundreds of events simultaneously. The social element is next, with a main chat room and unlimited public or private groups for every single contest. PlayUp also includes games, which add a built-in Fantasy component, and finally personalization, for quick access to any particular fan's favorites.

The Fantasy-type games can be as simple as who will score the next touchdown, or trivia contests, to more complex season-long affairs, according to Press. And, much like Farmville, can be integrated into the overall PlayUp experience.

"There are endless opportunities around this," says Press. "From premium content in player and team rooms to the free and paid games to micro-transactions and advertising and sponsorships, once there's a fan base there is a lot we can do."

Press noted that they have achieved over 75,000 downloads with only a fraction of the planned features in place, and huge events, perfect fits for social media, like the Super Bowl, NCAA Tournament and Olympics when millions of fans watch at once, are still to come.

For a staffer like Pigna, that is the best of both world - a thriving business by day, and a chance to engage his passions in the digital space hopefully, when away from the office.