ClutchPoints, a sports media company created by fans for fans, has recently acquired HBCU Pulse, a media company dedicated to covering news, entertainment, and sports related to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This acquisition is part of ClutchPoints’ broader commitment to amplifying HBCU sports and will serve as a vehicle for a new diversity initiative titled “Empowered.”
The “Empowered” program aims to provide HBCU student journalists and athletes with opportunities to drive sports coverage for their respective institutions. This includes creating video, social, and podcast content that will be featured on the HBCU Pulse platform. Throughout the program, students will gain hands-on work experience, receive mentorship from ClutchPoints staff, and earn financial compensation, including scholarship opportunities. Additionally, students will sign on for a one-year term, with the potential for extensions or full-time offers at the company. To further promote financial equity, students will also earn a revenue share from the content they produce.
Randall Barnes, the founder of HBCU Pulse, has joined ClutchPoints as Head of HBCU Culture and will oversee the program strategy. “I am excited to join the ClutchPoints family and have long admired its mission to disrupt the sports industry online,” said Barnes. “Both companies were founded in a dorm room, so having the opportunity to provide these resources and access to HBCU students is full-circle.”
Earlier this year, ClutchPoints became a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) via the Southern California Minority Supplier Development Council (SCMSDC). The company has since developed new programming and initiatives reflective of its widespread audience while partnering with brands whose values are rooted in pushing diversity, equity, and inclusion forward. “ClutchPoints is rooted in creating authentic sports content for fans around the world, and working with HBCU talent allows us to amplify the culture from an authentic point of view,” said Chief Revenue Officer Jeetu Chawla. “Supporting underrepresented communities is a passion point for us, and this initiative is the first of more to come.”
Twelve HBCU students have been selected for the inaugural “Empowered” cohort. These students attend Florida A&M University, Fort Valley State University, Hampton University, Howard University, Jackson State University, Norfolk State University, Savannah State University, Southern University, and Xavier University of Louisiana. Applications for the program will open again during the Spring 2024 semester.
ClutchPoints was founded to create a culture of community and accessibility in sports media and has revolutionized how sports are covered and consumed with its “by fans, for fans” approach. Its origin as a Facebook social media outlet for basketball fandom has since expanded to feature expert reporting, graphic design, and original IP across various sports leagues via ClutchPoints.com, all social media channels (@ClutchPoints), and the ClutchPoints app. Since its inception, ClutchPoints has aimed to close the gap between traditional news and social commentary while maintaining journalistic integrity.
In another significant development, ClutchPoints has announced a new chat application in collaboration with GameOn Technology, an industry-leading conversational AI platform. This new experience will focus on the news outlet’s NBA content and is set to launch during The Finals, expanding ClutchPoints’ potential reach and interactions with its fanbase. The new chat experience on Facebook Messenger will act as a discovery and engagement tool for users, providing them with real-time access to the news they are most interested in.
“ClutchPoints generates an incredible amount of media content, with over 750 features produced weekly,” said Kalin Stanojev, Chief Product Officer and Co-founder of GameOn Technology. “They create relevant and perspective-driven content for every fan, in every city, and for every league. We are thrilled to amplify these efforts, starting with their NBA content by bringing localized fandom to a growing global fanbase.”
“With over 35 million fans on social media, the number of incoming questions we receive is immense,” said Nish Patel, CEO of ClutchPoints. “Working with GameOn is giving us the opportunity to amplify our voice on a new platform, ensuring we stay ahead of the curve. We aim to continue to offer support for these passionate fans with access to news, fun memes, and our partner content at all times.”
This move comes as an extension from GameOn in scaling up their lineup of heavyweight clients, including Mike Tyson, the NHL, PGA TOUR, and Arsenal FC. GameOn’s commitment to providing content to basketball fans began with its partnership with the NBA itself, launching the league’s official chat application in November 2019.
ClutchPoints has also announced a first-of-its-kind media partnership with the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) to preserve the stories of basketball’s most notable pioneers across the NBA, ABA, and WNBA. ClutchPoints will expand the NBRPA’s “Legends Media & Entertainment” storytelling efforts by creating new intellectual property for its editorial and social media platforms. Utilizing a mix of fresh and licensed content from the NBRPA, ClutchPoints will produce new franchises, including interviews, documentaries, game shows, and more.
“We wanted to innovate how retired players are covered by giving them the same platforms as today’s stars,” said Nish Patel, founder and CEO of ClutchPoints. “These legends have changed the culture of basketball, and we look forward to refreshing those stories for longtime fans and introducing them to newer ones.”
“With the growth of Legends Media & Entertainment over the last several years, this partnership with ClutchPoints is a perfect opportunity to expand our content and have it exist on a larger platform,” said Scott Rochelle, CEO and President of NBRPA. “Our exclusive content, as always, will continue to bring to life these amazing stories from our Legends and now to an even larger audience. We look forward to collaborating with ClutchPoints to continue bringing compelling, impactful, and timely content as well as co-creating unique opportunities from our events.”
ClutchPoints continues to support its commitment to amplifying diverse voices in sports through these initiatives and partnerships. For more information and to receive the latest updates, visit ClutchPoints.com.
Source: HBCU Connect, PR Newswire, Legends of Basketball, Wikipedia
