How to Build a Sports Ownership Platform like Keeps

Sports fandom is evolving in a big way. Fans today don’t just want to watch, they want to feel like they’re part of the team, influencing decisions and sharing in the journey. This shift is reshaping how sports organizations connect with their supporters. Blockchain and tokenization are at the forefront of this change, allowing fans to get involved through things like digital collectibles, governance tokens, and access to exclusive perks. 

Platforms like Keeps are showing us what this new era of fan engagement looks like, where it’s not just about cheering from the stands, but being an active part of the team’s story. It’s about creating a community where fans and teams are in this together.

Every time we’ve studied sports-tech platforms, one truth stands out: ownership only succeeds when it feels authentic to the fan’s identity. Tokenization can’t just be a financial instrument; it has to unlock things like exclusive content, voting rights, or unforgettable player moments. IdeaUsher has seen firsthand how platforms that weave these utilities into fandom become more than apps; they become part of the fan’s story. This blog serves as our way of passing on what we’ve learned about building a sports ownership platform like Keeps that does exactly that.

Key Market Takeaways for Sports Ownership Platforms

According to ResearchandMarkets, the global sports market is on a strong upward trajectory, expected to grow from $477.8 billion in 2024 to $507.69 billion in 2025, fueled by digital innovation and an increase in sports tourism. This growth opens new doors for sports ownership platforms, where fans can have more than just a front-row seat, they can actually own a piece of the action. These platforms are changing the way people engage with sports, offering both financial benefits and personal involvement.

Source: ResearchandMarkets

Sports ownership platforms like Keeps are making waves by allowing fans to buy fractional ownership in teams, offering them a stake in their financial success. At the same time, private equity firms like Arctos Sports Partners and TPG Sports are jumping into the mix, targeting entire leagues and major franchises. 

With tech and regulations evolving, it’s becoming easier for a wider range of people to invest, and the soaring valuations of sports teams, averaging over $5 billion for top franchises, only make ownership more attractive.

Strategic partnerships are playing a key role in driving this growth. For instance, the collaboration between Playfly Sports and Sports For All is expanding youth sports in India by integrating sponsorships and data-driven platforms. 

What is a Sports Ownership Platform?

A sports ownership platform is a digital marketplace that enables fans and investors to buy, sell, and trade fractional, regulated shares in sports-related assets. It sits at the intersection of finance, technology, and fandom, breaking down barriers to ownership in an industry historically reserved for billionaires, private equity firms, and institutional investors.

At its heart, this model is about democratization, transforming spectators into stakeholders.

For Fans

These platforms create access where none existed before. Instead of being passive supporters, fans can own a piece of their favorite team, player, or stadium. Beyond potential financial upside, ownership often comes with influence, voting rights or engagement in club decisions, making fandom more interactive and meaningful.

For Clubs & Leagues

Ownership platforms provide a new channel for raising capital while deepening ties with their most loyal supporters. Clubs also gain data-driven insights into their fanbase, strengthening loyalty and building sustainable community engagement.

For Investors

Sports ownership becomes a new asset class. What was once illiquid and closed off can now be part of a diversified portfolio. Investors can tap into the commercial and cultural growth of sports with structured financial products.

Types of Sports Ownership Platforms

While united by the same core concept, platforms diverge into two main models:

Deconstructing Keeps: It’s Not a Fan Token App

When we talk about fan platforms, it’s important to differentiate between those offering real ownership and those just gamifying the experience. The former lets fans have a stake, while the latter focuses on engagement through rewards and challenges. Understanding this shift is crucial for reshaping how fans interact with brands and creators.

Let’s break down the two models that are currently leading the market.

The Socios Model: Brilliant CRM, But Not Ownership

Platforms like Socios.com introduced blockchain to millions of fans through utility tokens. These digital assets give fans access to exclusive perks, like voting on club decisions (e.g., jersey designs, goal songs), unlocking virtual experiences, and trading tokens. It’s a smart engagement tool, a digital membership club that connects fans to clubs in new ways.

However, it’s important to understand that this is not ownership. The value of fan tokens is more speculative, driven by hype and market sentiment. You’re not owning a piece of the club; you’re buying access to a VIP room. The tokens offer perks, not assets.

The Keeps Model: Fandom Meets Genuine Investment

Keeps takes the idea of fan engagement a step further. It’s not about offering perks; it’s about offering real, regulated ownership. Here’s how the models differ:

How Does the Keeps Platform Work?

Keeps works like a digital stock exchange, but instead of trading tech shares, you’re buying fractional ownership in real sports assets. A club puts part of its equity or revenue on the platform, it’s tokenized, and fans can purchase those tokens in an initial sale—then trade them freely on a secondary market. In simple terms, it’s your chance to move from cheering in the stands to actually owning a piece of the team you love.

Asset Tokenization

A club designates part of its equity or revenue streams (such as merchandise sales or stadium rights). Keeps then digitally represents these assets as tokens through a regulated process. Each token is a legally recognized share of ownership.

Primary Offering

Much like an IPO, these tokens are offered to the public for the first time. Fans and investors can buy in directly, securing their initial stake.

Secondary Market Trading

After the initial sale, the tokens can be traded freely on Keeps’ marketplace. This creates a 24/7 liquid market, with prices rising and falling based on factors like club performance, financial results, and fan demand. For the first time, sports ownership becomes as accessible and dynamic as trading stocks online.

The Key Differentiator: Securities, Not Utility Tokens

Unlike “fan tokens” that focus on engagement perks (e.g., voting on a jersey design), Keeps’ tokens are regulated financial securities. They represent actual equity or revenue rights, backed by the real-world performance of the club.

• Regulated by financial authorities (e.g., SEC, FCA)
• Transparent and enforceable under securities law
• Built for investors who want both passion and financial credibility

This legal recognition gives Keeps users confidence: their investments are anchored to tangible value, not just speculation.

Why It Matters

Keeps is not a novelty. It’s a serious financial product that blends emotional loyalty with economic opportunity. Fans gain access to assets once reserved for billionaires, while clubs gain a new capital channel and deeper fan loyalty.

What is the Business Model of the Keeps Platform?

Keeps operates with a platform business model that connects sports teams seeking investment with fans and institutional investors looking for regulated ownership opportunities in sports assets. Rather than producing or owning sports content, Keeps acts as a facilitator for investment, data, and fan engagement, enabling transactions and driving network effects.

Revenue Streams:

• Transaction Fees: Keeps earns a percentage on each transaction made on the platform, typically ranging from 1.5% to 5% per trade.
• Asset Management Fees: Teams pay Keeps for services like regulatory compliance, investor management, and liquidity facilitation, contributing up to 15–30% of the platform’s revenue.
• Premium Fan Experiences & Data Services: The platform offers exclusive services, such as enhanced analytics and access to team events, with subscription rates ranging from $4 to $20/month.
• Advertising & Sponsorships: With an engaged fan-investor base, Keeps sells advertising space and forms partnerships with brands for exclusive engagement campaigns, generating 10–25% of revenue in digital platforms.

Financial Performance & Growth:

Keeps aims to have 100,000 organizations on the platform by 2027, with transaction volume expected to reach hundreds of millions USD annually. As more fans and sports organizations join, network effects will drive increasing revenue through fees and data services.

Funding & Investors:

Keeps raised $78 million USD in a 2025 funding round, including $33 million in equity and $71 million in credit facilities. Notable investors include Tribe Capital, Rebel Fund, and individuals from Robinhood, Venmo, Stripe, Plaid, Coinbase, and Ramp. The company’s valuation has grown fivefold since Series A, showing strong investor confidence.

Performance Metrics & Targets:

Keeps is targeting 100,000 sports organizations by 2027, with plans to save clients over $250 million in fees annually. Key performance indicators like platform user base, investment flows, and average transaction size are tracked to ensure sustained growth and scalability.

Features to Include in a Sports Ownership Platform

After launching several platforms in the SportsFi space, we’ve learned what really clicks with users. It’s not about chasing trends like blockchain or the metaverse, it’s about features that solve real problems and make the experience smooth. Based on real data, here’s what we’ve found works every time.

1. “Stake, Don’t Just Support” Model

Users don’t want just a loyalty program; they want real ownership. By offering fractional shares in actual revenue-generating assets, like stadium naming rights or merchandise sales, fans feel directly invested. This model leads to much higher user retention because it ties their success to the club’s performance.

2. The Automated Dividend Engine

We’ve found that automating the payout process is a game-changer. When fans see dividends directly transferred to their wallets based on real financial data, they start to trust the platform. Smart contracts triggered by oracles ensure transparency, making users feel secure and engaged long-term.

3. Hyper-Gamified Onboarding

Onboarding can make or break user acquisition, and we’ve learned that making it fun works wonders. Gamifying KYC/AML processes with progress bars and instant verifications turns a typically dull process into a satisfying experience, which significantly reduces drop-offs and keeps users hooked from the start.

4. Transparent Analytics

Serious investors want access to serious data. By offering a real-time, public dashboard showing everything from club performance to token values, fans and investors feel confident in the platform’s legitimacy. Transparency isn’t just nice, it’s essential.

5. Tiered, Experience-Based Rewards

Fans want to feel special, not just get financial rewards. Offering dynamic NFTs that unlock exclusive experiences, VIP tours, player meet-and-greets, or digital collectibles—has proven to deepen emotional engagement. The sense of exclusivity fuels continued investment and loyalty.

6. Meaningful (But Manageable) Governance

Fans love having a voice but don’t want to control everything. Polls on things like charity partnerships or stadium playlists allow them to feel involved in decisions without complicating the club’s operations. It’s a manageable way to give fans influence while maintaining balance.

7. Second-Screen Experience

Match day is the peak of fan engagement, so integrating live match data into the app is key. Real-time notifications about player performance and asset value changes, plus fun interactive features like AR filters, make fans feel the thrill of both the game and their financial stake, all in one.

8. A Fiat-First Gateway

A smooth entry point is crucial for mass adoption. Our experience has shown that a Stripe-powered fiat on-ramp is essential. Making it easy for users to buy tokens with a credit card in just a few minutes removes the barriers that keep non-crypto users from joining, making it far easier to grow the platform.

Why are Businesses Investing in Sports Ownership Platforms?

Businesses are investing in sports ownership platforms because they open up new revenue streams through tokenized assets, giving fans a real financial stake in their favorite teams. These platforms also break geographic boundaries, tapping into a global fanbase and creating a scalable, high-growth market. 

1. New Revenue Channels

Sports ownership platforms break traditional revenue models by enabling the tokenization of assets such as future revenues and stadium rights. This creates scalable, high-margin opportunities for clubs, allowing businesses to invest in a dynamic, growing capital market tied to the sports industry’s expansion.

2. Global Investor Base

Ownership platforms remove geographic barriers, allowing clubs to raise funds from fans worldwide. For businesses, this creates a massive, untapped global market, turning a local sports team into a global investment opportunity and driving exponential growth through a worldwide fanbase.

3. Deeper Fan Engagement

When fans invest financially in a team, their engagement becomes deeply personal, leading to higher loyalty and increased spending. For businesses, this creates a more valuable, sticky user base, turning passionate fans into long-term stakeholders with a vested interest in the team’s success.

4. Data-Driven Growth

Sports ownership platforms generate high-value, first-party data on fan behavior, investment patterns, and engagement. This allows clubs to offer personalized experiences and targeted sponsorships, while businesses benefit from leveraging this data to drive revenue and grow the platform’s value.

5. Web3 Scalability

Built on blockchain technology, sports ownership platforms are poised to integrate into the Web3 and metaverse future. Businesses investing in these platforms are positioning themselves at the forefront of a future-proof market, one where digital ownership and engagement will continue to evolve and expand.

How to Develop a Sports Ownership Platform like Keeps?

Building a sports ownership platform is not just about technology, it’s about creating a compliant, scalable ecosystem that transforms fans into stakeholders while delivering measurable value to clubs and leagues. Here’s how we guide our clients through the development journey:

1. Define Asset Ownership Model

We start by working with you to define the right ownership framework—whether regulated securities, NFTs, fan tokens, or a hybrid approach. At this stage, we also map out compliance with relevant financial authorities, ensuring your platform launches with both innovation and regulatory trust.

2. Design Blockchain Infrastructure

Next, we architect a blockchain solution tailored to your needs. From Ethereum for security to Polygon or Solana for scalability and speed, we help you choose the right chain and build a robust infrastructure that supports fractional ownership and high-frequency trading.

3. Smart Contracts for Ownership

Our team then designs and programs smart contracts that power the platform’s core functionality, fractional stakes, liquidity pools, and trading mechanisms. We ensure these contracts are both secure and upgradeable, protecting assets without compromising flexibility.

4. Integrate Secure Wallets 

To provide a seamless yet compliant experience, we integrate secure custodial and non-custodial wallets alongside KYC and AML systems. This not only keeps your users safe but also positions your platform to operate confidently in regulated markets.

5. Data Oracles & Analytics Engine

We connect your platform with trusted sports data providers to deliver real-time asset pricing and performance insights. Additionally, we develop powerful analytics dashboards so clubs and organizations can better understand and engage with their investor-fan base.

6.  Create Fan Engagement Features

Finally, we layer in the features that elevate your platform from functional to unforgettable. From gamification and rewards to voting rights and immersive AR/VR experiences, we design engagement tools that strengthen loyalty and deepen the emotional bond between fans and clubs.

Tools & APIs Needed for a Sports Ownership Platform 

Building a sports ownership platform requires a comprehensive tech stack that seamlessly merges Web3 technologies with traditional finance. The platform must be secure, scalable, compliant, and user-friendly. Here’s a breakdown of the key components needed to make it all come together.

1. Blockchain: The Foundation of Trust and Transparency

The blockchain is the backbone of the platform, ensuring data integrity, transaction transparency, and immutability.

2. Smart Contracts: The Digital Rulebook

Smart contracts are self-executing contracts that automate everything from ownership transfer to regulatory compliance. Here’s what powers them:

• Solidity: This language is the backbone of Ethereum, Polygon, and Avalanche’s smart contracts. It’s widely supported and offers a mature ecosystem for building decentralized applications.
• Rust: Rust is the primary language for smart contracts on Solana and NEAR. It’s fast, secure, and memory-safe, making it ideal for high-performance applications.
• Truffle Suite: A comprehensive suite that simplifies development for Ethereum-based projects, Truffle handles everything from compiling to testing smart contracts, reducing developer overhead.
• Hardhat: Hardhat is another robust Ethereum development environment, known for its debugging tools and flexibility. It is a developer’s favorite for testing and deploying complex smart contracts.

3. Wallets & Payments: Bridging the On and Off-Ramp

Enabling a seamless experience for users to interact with crypto and fiat is essential. This includes everything from wallet connections to payment processing.

MetaMask

As the most popular Web3 wallet, MetaMask is an essential tool for users to interact with the platform, whether they’re on desktop or mobile. It connects easily with decentralized applications.

WalletConnect

This open protocol allows users to connect their wallets to dApps via QR codes. It’s a key tool for mobile compatibility, ensuring users can interact with the platform regardless of their device.

Fireblocks

This enterprise-grade solution is crucial for securing digital assets at scale. It uses Multi-Party Computation technology, which ensures funds are protected from hacks and mismanagement.

Stripe

For users unfamiliar with cryptocurrency, Stripe’s crypto on-ramp APIs allow for seamless purchases of digital assets using credit or debit cards, providing an easy transition between fiat and crypto.

4. Data Oracles: The Bridge to Reality

Oracles are essential for feeding off-chain data into the blockchain. In a sports ownership platform, these oracles bring in game scores, player statistics, and financial data needed to trigger actions in smart contracts.

Chainlink

As the leader in decentralized oracles, Chainlink offers tamper-proof data feeds for price information, player stats, and real-world events, making it an indispensable tool for triggering smart contract actions.

Band Protocol

A strong competitor to Chainlink, Band Protocol focuses on providing cross-chain data and can be a good fit for applications that require more custom data sources.

5. KYC/AML APIs: The Guardians of Compliance

Ensuring regulatory compliance is critical in any securities-based platform. These APIs help onboard users while keeping the platform secure.

• Jumio: This AI-powered solution automates identity verification. Users scan government-issued IDs and take selfies, which are then verified against the database, making the process seamless.
• Onfido: Onfido uses AI to verify identity documents and biometrics, offering a smooth and secure onboarding process that integrates well with various fintech platforms.
• Civic: Civic’s decentralized approach gives users control over their personal data while providing a secure identity verification process. This can be particularly valuable for platforms that want to emphasize privacy.

6. Fan Engagement Tools: Building the Community Experience

A sports ownership platform needs to be more than just a place to buy and sell shares. It should foster community and fan engagement through immersive and gamified experiences.

• ARKit / ARCore: These augmented reality platforms from Apple and Google allow users to engage with virtual content. For example, fans could see real-time player stats overlaid on their mobile screens or collect AR-based memorabilia during games.
• Unity / Unreal Engine: Both are powerful game engines capable of creating immersive virtual experiences like virtual stadium tours or metaverse-inspired fan zones, turning the platform into a dynamic space for fans to explore.
• Gamification APIs: Services like Braze and Salesforce Marketing Cloud offer tools for integrating leaderboards, achievements, and rewards into the platform. These features are critical for keeping users engaged and incentivized.

7. Analytics: Measuring Success

To optimize user experience and business performance, having a strong analytics platform is essential for tracking key metrics like trading volume, user engagement, and platform health.

• Google BigQuery: Google’s serverless data warehouse is perfect for handling large, complex datasets, allowing platforms to analyze user behavior and financial trends on a massive scale.
• Dune Analytics: A specialized tool for on-chain analytics, Dune allows users to query blockchain data and visualize metrics such as transaction volumes, asset popularity, and unique users, providing actionable insights into platform performance.
• Custom Dashboards: Custom dashboards for platform operators and individual clubs allow for a deeper understanding of the fan base and business performance, turning raw data into valuable insights.

Use Case: Tokenizing Fan Engagement

A sports club approached us with a goal to create deeper, more meaningful fan engagement beyond just memberships or merchandise. They wanted to raise capital sustainably, offer fans a financial stake in the club’s performance, and gain valuable insights into their global fanbase, all while staying fully compliant with UK financial regulations. 

They chose Idea Usher to help turn this vision into a reality, from blockchain development to legal consulting.

Our Solution

We delivered a white-label fan ownership platform designed to offer real-world value to fans, increase club revenue, and engage a global audience. The core features were built around a unique, asset-backed model of fan involvement.

1. Fractional Ownership of Stadium Revenue

Instead of offering just club shares, we tokenized a part of the club’s stadium revenue, things like ticket sales and naming rights. Fans bought digital tokens representing a share of this income, and in return, they received quarterly dividends paid in stablecoins. This made their investment directly tied to the club’s financial performance, creating a real, ongoing financial connection.

2. Dynamic Player Performance Tokens

To take fan engagement to the next level, we created performance-based tokens that let fans profit from their favorite players’ success. Using Chainlink Oracles, real-time stats like goals and assists were fed directly to the blockchain. This made the value of player tokens fluctuate based on performance, adding an exciting, gamified element to the experience.

3. A Dual-Sided Monetization Strategy

We built the platform to help the club generate consistent revenue through multiple channels. The club earned a percentage on every token sale and trade, while also offering premium sponsorships with hyper-targeted opportunities using detailed fan data. This created a new, valuable revenue stream by connecting the club with an engaged, affluent audience.

4. Reward-Driven Experience for Fans

The platform went beyond just trading, it created a rich fan experience. Token holders could unlock exclusive rewards like VIP tours and meet-and-greets, while also having a say in club decisions, like choosing charity partners or celebration songs. This made fans feel truly connected and involved in the club’s journey.

The Result: A New Paradigm for Sports Fandom

The launch of the fan ownership platform exceeded expectations. The club raised significant capital, engaged a global fanbase, and positioned itself as an innovator in the sports world.

User Engagement & Community Growth:

• 45,000+ registered users from 92 different countries.
• 28% of token holders were international, tapping into an untapped global market.
• A 92% weekly retention rate indicated a highly engaged and valuable user base.
• Over 15,000 votes cast in the first three fan governance polls, showing deep fan involvement.

Conclusion

Shared sports ownership is revolutionizing the sports economy by empowering fans to become stakeholders in the teams they love. While Keeps has led the charge in regulated sports investments, there is still plenty of room for new ideas and innovations to shape the future of this space. For businesses and sports organizations, the opportunity to tap into fan-driven revenue is greater than ever, especially with the right platform in place. Idea Usher is here to help you navigate that journey, providing the expertise to plan, build, and scale these platforms to unlock new levels of engagement and growth.

Looking to Develop a Sports Ownership Platform?

At Idea Usher, we build the platforms powering the next generation of sports ownership. We don’t just develop apps, we engineer new digital economies that change how fans connect, invest, and engage with their favorite clubs.

Our team partners with you to deliver a secure, scalable, and compliant platform—like Keeps- that creates real business impact:

• Real Ownership – Enable fractional, regulated asset ownership that gives fans a tangible financial stake.
• Unbreakable Engagement – Build loyalty with gamified experiences, community features, and exclusive rewards.
• New Revenue Streams – Tap into global investment, fan-driven capital, and smarter sponsorship opportunities.

Why Build with Us?

With 500,000+ hours of coding experience and a team of ex-MAANG/FAANG developers, we bring unmatched expertise in blockchain, compliance, and security. We navigate the complex technical and legal landscape, so you can focus on what matters most, building your club’s legacy.

Explore our latest projects to see how we’re driving transformation in the sports industry.

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