Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has a new team and he also has a new business venture. The New York Jets star is looking for fans to help him with his latest project: the Online Sports Database (OSDB).
Rodgers has a goal of raising $1.25 million in bridge funding and is doing so by starting a crowdsourcing campaign (per Ashley Cullins of the Hollywood Reporter). The future Hall of Famer says he wants something that fans can be greatly involved in.
"I like the idea of giving fans the opportunity to invest and get behind something they feel connected to, like OSDB," Rodgers said.
OSDB dates to 2021, when Rodgers and actor Ryan Rottman launched the online database. The two had dinner, where Rottman proposed a sports version of IMDb.
"We went to dinner one night, and I just said, 'As an athlete, is this something you think you would utilize? Like, do you think it would help you? Do you think people would care?'" Rottman said.
When Rodgers asked Rottman if he told anyone else of his idea, the actor said, "A couple buddies."
Rottman remembers Rodgers responding with "Well, don't tell any more because there's a need for this. There's a white space for this, and I think you and I are the guys that do it."
Since the launch, they have added information on 26,000 professional athletes. A subscription version of the database is expected to go live in September.
The concept of fans investing in sports is not new to Rodgers, having played for the Green Bay Packers for his entire career until now, a team with over half a million shareholders.
"We always really loved the fact that the fans could invest in the Green Bay Packers [and loved] the community it created. We wanted to bring that same mentality to OSDB," Rottman said. "We want like-minded sports fans to be involved. We want you to go out there and talk about OSDB, that you own a company with Aaron Rodgers, and really create a community. Because sports is about teams and communities."
