NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES — The Crown League, the first professional fantasy sports league, today unveiled its first franchise, the Florida Mangos Wild, in advance of its opening season.
By professionalizing fantasy sports and providing team shares to the public, The Crown League is creating the first pro sports team investment opportunity for the everyday fan.
“Nearly 60 million people in North America participated in fantasy sports last year, and fantasy football is an integral part of the cultural landscape. We’re excited to revolutionize the way fans experience fantasy by creating the first professional league that combines the competitiveness of pro sports with the appeal of investments and ownership,” said Dan Nissanoff, The Crown League’s Co-Founder and CEO. “Every sports fan has wondered what’s it like to own a team, and this is their chance to do so.”
The Florida Mangos Wild is one of 12 franchises in which fans will be able to invest during Crown’s debut season, beginning in September 2019. The remaining franchises, whose identities will be unveiled throughout the month of May, will be based in Los Angeles, New York, Texas, New England, Chicago, Seattle, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Denver, with a 12th team location to be determined by public vote. Potential owners or fans who want to bring a Crown League franchise to their city can vote here.
Each of the 12 Crown League franchises will be managed by a professional general manager and front office comprised of industry experts from leading sports media properties such as Sports Illustrated, numberFIRE, Rotowire and Pro Football Focus, former NFL players and scouts, and more, who are responsible for the day-to-day management of rosters.
Owners (shareholders) will influence the decision-making of their franchises through Crown’s dedicated app via communications with their front office teams and voting on draft selection, lineup decisions, waiver transactions and trade proposals. While GMs will be responsible for their teams’ final decisions, they’ll ultimately be accountable to owners who will collaborate on pivotal matters pertaining to their team, including the retention or replacement of their GMs.
“By making pro sports ownership accessible to the masses, we’re giving fans the power they’ve always wanted – a say in their team’s direction and the potential financial rewards to go along with it,” says Derek Siskin, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of The Crown League. “Despite the passion fantasy sports inspires, its structure has never allowed for the kind of rabid team-based fandom that exists in every other pro sport. That’s the type of community and shared experience we intend to create.”
Crown will generate original content to keep owners and fans updated all season long and amplify the experience of rooting for each franchise. It will be the first fantasy sports property to provide distinct, in-depth coverage of a single fantasy league, providing daily analysis of matchups, teams, GMs and their moves.
“Today’s fantasy sports content lacks a shared context because of the fragmented nature of the existing fantasy playing market,” says Mat Sposta, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of The Crown League. “Our content will be focused on the impact of games and key events on Crown League matchups, delivering tailored entertainment that engages its owners and fans on their own terms.”
Matt Williamson and Ryan McDowell have been tapped as GM and co-GM, respectively, of the Florida Mangos Wild. Williamson spent 10 years as an NFL Analyst for ESPN following a career in scouting for both the Cleveland Browns and at the NCAA level, and is currently the host of the Locked on NFL Podcast. McDowell has written for multiple well-known fantasy outlets, including Dynasty League Football, Rotoworld, 4for4, and The Action Network, and is the co-owner of Dynasty Command Center. Together, Williamson and McDowell co-host the popular Dynasty Blueprint Podcast.
“The Crown League offers an innovative, hands-on, immersive experience that takes fandom and fantasy sports to the next level,” said Williamson. “It’s going to be great to hear directly from our owners and discuss strategy on how to take the Mangos to the top of the standings. All of the franchises are led by top minds in fantasy sports, and I’m expecting a highly competitive inaugural season.”
The Crown League anticipates that shares in each team will be available for public purchase in late June, although purchase will only be permitted after the SEC “qualifies” the offerings.*
For more news and information about The Crown League and additional franchise details, please visit thecrownleague.com and follow Crown on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
