A Secret Sweetspot

In Pursuit of the Trivial

One of the most intriguing things about trivia is the fact that it's taken from the Latin word "trivium," which means "crossroads." Trivia became popular among students in the latter half of the twentieth century, when they debated questions and answers pertaining to their course material and beyond.

When Chris Haney and Abey Scott brought “Trivia Pursuit” to the globe a few years later in 1979, it quickly became one of the most popular board games ever. The winner of this well-known game is determined by how well he or she answers a series of general knowledge questions devised by the game's designers.

In 1984, the game alone made nearly $800 million in sales. The game has sold over 100 million copies globally and has been played by an estimated 1 billion people since its release.

Quiz programs like Dotto, The $64,000 Question, and Twenty One were very popular in the 1950s, making this a pivotal decade in the history of trivia. There was no quiz show on network television until 1982, when Merv Griffin came up with the concept to resurrect “Jeopardy!” After the success of “Jeopardy!” in the 1980s, other series like Who Wants to be a Millionaire began to appear in the 1990s. The international versions of the game show have broadcasted in over 160 countries since it’s premiere.

Trivia games have gone from being a board game, a TV game show to an online phenomenon thanks to the rise of the Internet. There were trivia games on computers much like that. When it comes to online trivia quizzes, Funtrivia was the first to make it seem like one. Founded by Terry Ford, the site has become the most popular in the United States for trivia games.

As trivia has influenced our cultural consciousness throughout the years, we believe the history of trivia has yet to be fully re-written with the introduction of how the world’s biggest fandoms can consume trivia and how it can satisfy the fans' trivia cravings.

Fandoms as Social Universes

In today's society, fandoms are becoming an increasingly common social and cultural phenomena. This last three decades has seen the rise of fandoms, which have grown in size and influence over the general population. Fans play an important part in developing a consumption-related fandom, where cultural meanings and economic values are socially negotiated and traded.

SuperOne defines consumer fanaticism as the degree one is invested in the like or interest in a specific celebrity, football flub, trend, artwork, film, etc. Not just inside the fandom, but also outside of it, SuperOne wanted to offer players with sources of meaning for the formation of their identities. This is where we contribute to the fans' feeling of social belonging and status by connecting them with other people who share their interests. Because when it comes to their own identities, fans are entwined with the joys of popular culture.

A fan is someone who has a strong, positive emotional conviction about someone or something renowned, frequently expressed via the acknowledgment of style or originality. As well as being curious about and interested in fannish practices, he/she has a strong desire to do so.

Fandom is defined in a variety of ways, but they all express the same phenomenon: fan loyalty to a fan culture or fandom. Consumer tribes, brand communities, and subcultures of consumption are all terms used to describe fandoms in the consumer research we have conducted. It is clear from our studies that fandom is a social and cultural universe of meanings and practices that aids players in developing their sociality; religiosity, production activities, and alternative ideologies.

Driving the Future of Fandoms

Many sports and entertainment fans use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Discord and Reddit to discuss their fanaticism, but these platforms do not have a consistent structure for bringing them together as a community. As it is, there aren't any national sports verticals that have a single digital meeting point for fans to connect. Social media sites may be home to the most fanatical interests, but they aren't devoted only to fans.

Digital social media for sports and entertainment enthusiasts has a fragmented market. In the digital era, it seems odd that one of the most loyal and passionate groups does not have a dedicated home where they can communicate and connect.

A closer look at these fandom industries is warranted to better understand the motives, as well as the possibilities, that exist in this particular sector.

Sports and entertainment fans want to be able to relate to one another and talk about their shared interests, regardless of how they feel about their favorite celebrity. Social and psychological well-being is enhanced when one feels passionately about a prominent local club and other supporters are present. People who "just get them" or who are up for pleasant and well-informed competitive talking want to be a part of a community. They want a location where they can chat and compete with others who "just get them."

In the past, social media has changed the way sports and entertainment fans consume information about their favorite interests. Over the decades, sports and entertainment fanaticism became a universal phenomenon and a global religion that is found all over the world. Because of their passionate support, fans are a valuable marketing target. It's a gold mine for SuperOne. Only in the United States, more than a hundred million die-hard sports and entertainment fans, and this number is only going up. Millennials are in fact sports and entertainment enthusiasts, but they're always looking for new ways to keep up with their favorite teams and players to express their fanship.

SuperOne is a platform that will change the social sports and entertainment scene by bringing all fandoms together under one social roof. As we link traditional sports and entertainment enthusiasts with each other, create provocative content around gamified experiences, and let users connect and earn incentives for connecting with like-minded fans, we’re transforming the trivia scene and revolutionizing how fans engage with what they love. A unique game moving in a totally new direction.

This also provides marketers a wealth of opportunities to create sponsor communications that may help boost sales. Marketers and brands are increasingly relying on social media to establish direct relationships with consumers and to provide engaging live in-game experiences that increase customer loyalty and raise brand exposure. To read more about that, please read the business chapter for in-depth exploration on how the intersection between sports, entertainment, and social media is representing a substantial commercial potential.