Ex-NFL player, FOX analyst Charles Tillman invests in Moment app
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FOX studio analyst Charles Tillman is helping reinvent the way athletes connect with fans, and in turn, raise money for their respective charitable organizations.
Tillman, who played 13 seasons in the NFL, is not only an investor but also a featured athlete on Moment, a mobile app that allows players to deliver personalized 30 to 60-second video messages to fans, with 80 percent of the purchase price going to an athlete’s cause or charity of choice; Tillman’s price is $200 for a message.
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The app also highlights dozens of other figures, include Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard and NBA analyst Jalen Rosen, among others.
For Tillman — whose proceeds benefit Cornerstone Foundation which provides resources to critically and chronically ill children — Moment is the “modern day autograph” and perhaps the new alternative to fans grabbing a selfie or posting a Snap with their favorite players.
“It’s a way for me to really connect with you,” Tillman told Fortune in February. “What’s better than an autographed picture of me to John that reads ‘Get well soon?’ An actual video that you can archive that lives on forever. It’s something that you can actually Tweet out, something that you can Instagram. I think people want that more. I think it will resonate with people more, and that gives you a better way to connect with your fans.”
Added Michael Williams, Founder and CEO of Moment in a statement: “We like to think that Moment is taking the autograph experience to the next level — making it possible for fans to interact with public figures no matter how far apart they are. But ultimately, our goal is to use these conversations to support a greater cause, and the athletes on our platform share this passion and vision.”
As someone who is conservative with his money, Tillman told SportTechie that when he has an opportunity to invest or attach himself to a company, he puts himself in the consumers’ shoes and asks, “Would I buy this product for this price?” With Moment, he saw real potential with the app, this “new way for digital fundraising,” as he described it.
Right now, Tillman isn’t tied too closely to the day-to-day operations of the company and is instead focused on fulfilling the video requests that come in via the app. Still, he hopes Moment can be the “next thing.”
“I know this is a start-up company, but I would love to be a part of something huge, something that will change how we perceive fundraising, a new digital platform,” he told Fortune. “If it goes well, we can pave the way and be a game champion.”
