Thuuz Sports

Disappointed by how poorly his two favorite football teams were playing against each other on a Thursday night in November 2009, Warren Packard considered the other games he could watch.  It was late fall and there were college basketball, college football, and hockey games being played.  With all of those different options, Packard thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice if somebody could just tap me on the shoulder and say, ‘you should be watching this game.’”  That thought is what sparked the creation of Thuuz Sports.

This case covers the evolution of Packard’s idea from side project to Thuuz Sports, a start up with the mission of providing fans with personalized sports entertainment.  Thuuz, which assigned every game an excitement rating and alerted users about games they would not want to miss, began as a B2C app.   When Packard and his team realized that the biggest pain point was with the companies that saw sports as a way to drive interest, Thuuz pivoted and began prioritizing a B2B2C approach.  The case explores how Thuuz approached a number of challenges, including running low on cash, developing a pricing model, and positioning its Automated Highlight Reels.  As the only businessperson at the company, Packard was very resource constrained, making prioritization of issues and initiatives even more imperative.    

Students are asked to evaluate the B2C and B2B2C approaches, identify growth opportunities, and recommend how to pursue those opportunities.