A fresh but pricey new way to video-chat with your favorite athletes
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If you’ve ever dreamt of being able to talk to your favorite celebrity or athlete, even for 15 minutes, we have good news. A Dallas startup company called Starliink launched last week on the Apple Store. The app is designed to connect users to celebrities, athletes and more via a one-on-one video call much like FaceTime. However, there is a catch to consider before you download.
The call fee can range anywhere from $50 to $10,000, and the celebrities on the other end have control over the start and end times of your session.
Starliink does have a pretty impressive lineup. The influencers on the platform at launch are Seattle Seahawks players Richard Sherman, Bobby Wagner and Cliff Avril as well as Indianapolis Colts corner back Vontae Davis, Los Angles Rams punter Johnny Hekker, Hall of Fame defensive lineman Charles Haley and NBA trainer Justin Zormelo.
At one point, Haley’s price point was at least $250 for a session, which makes the call a big investment.
Those are just a few of the names that have joined Starliink for no expense. Starliink takes a small service payment for each call, and the influencers can decide to take the rest of the money or donate it.
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In an interview on GeekWire, Starliink co-founder and CEO Reed Duchscher said he started the company with the goal of connecting fans and athletes.
“It always broke my heart seeing the disappointing looks on an individual’s face that had waited hours in long lines for a small chance to see their favorite influencers up close with no luck,” Duchscher said. “When we created Starliink we wanted to provide the access that I am fortunate to have on a daily basis.”
So how does this all work?
After the initial download, a user searches for his or her favorite stars and checks their availability. After finding an available time slot, the request begins pending, which ends in either an acceptance or a decline from the star. If your call is accepted, prepare to meet your hero at the scheduled time.
Whatever path Starliink is headed down is completely dependent on its roster of its influencers and the interest of its users. If the app catches on, we will probably see more and more notable celebrities jumping on board.
