Like many of us,
Songwhale first fell in love with Pittsburgh thanks to the Steelers.
Songwhale's co-founders, Ty Morse and John Greenlee, were living in Manhattan and Minneapolis when they started the company, which sends free digital content at events to fans' cell phones and other wireless devices. Shortly after a meeting with the Steelers about a possible partnership, Morse decided to relocate Songwhale's headquarters from Manhattan to Pittsburgh.
Songwhale opened offices in Lawrenceville this past summer, and has gone on to form partnerships with the
Pittsburgh Technology Council and Carnegie Mellon's
Entertainment Technology Center.
“We've grown ten times as fast in Pittsburgh,” says Morse. “It's been an amazing opportunity that no one would expect. The city has really been a catalyst.”
The Songwhale Network is supported by advertisers and free to users. It can be accessed by any device with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Direct-to-Device, or texting. Last season Songwhale brought exclusive player interviews, music and giveaways for free tickets and autographed footballs to fans at Heinz Field.
In the spring they'll provide a similar service at Pirates games and hope to introduce live video in the fall, similar to what
Yinzcam does for the Penguins.
They've also partnered with Seven Springs and the
Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, and plan to announce partnerships with several local universities to provide digital content for their sports programs, as well as more academic content like notes, online libraries, and emergency alert systems.
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Writer:
Rob Cullen
Source: Ty Morse, president of Songwhale
Image courtesy Songwhale