Will social crowdfunders help breathe life into a sports broadcasting channel once given up for dead? Sommet Sports which signalled out on December 12 last year, is now looking to the crowd for $300,000 or more, to revive its programmes.

Sommet Sports had over 4% of kiwis watching its programme with a monthly viewership of over 1.1 million, which the company says “exceeded any other sports channel in New Zealand.” Its programme used to run on channel 14 and Sky channel 69.

“We’re looking to crowdfund $300,000 to get back up and running, and ensure that we have a sustainable model for the future. This includes setting ourselves back up on the internet, hiring part of our team back, and working on the partnerships we have in train. If we raise $500,000 we’ll go on Freeview HD, and at $1.2 million we’ll be available on every TV,” according to the company’s Pledge Me campaign information.

PledgeMe CEO Anna Guenther says: “The ambitious target of raising $300,000, the biggest ever New Zealand focussed crowdfunding project, will allow Sommet to resurrect the internet-based sport channel.” 

About Sommet Sports’ founder

The chief executive Andrew Reeves has been in the IT industry for over 25 years. As a senior executive in one of the largest international IT companies in Australasia, Andrew managed a multi-million dollar budget and over 200 internationally placed staff. 

For the last 10 years he has used his business and marketing skills to successfully transitioned into the DVB-T Consumer electronics/Broadcasting Industry where he established and his Freeview product distributed through the retail sector of New Zealand under the his own brand name Sommet.

Reeves is a self-confessed sports nut who follows many different  sport.  The teams that he follows are: West Ham (EPL), Freiburg (Bundesliga), Adelaide Crows (AFL), Queensland Reds (Super 15) , Brisbane Broncos (NRL) and Cincinnati bengals (NFL).

 Pledges

Those pledging $30+: Will get their names on the internet. There will be a web page listing all funders.

Those pledging $100+: Will be tagged with a number to show their speed in responding to the pledges, offered discounts and gifts. 

Those pledging $200+ (only 100 spots) will, among others, get  a Sommet T-shirt numbered to 100.

Those pledging $10,000+ (10 spots) will, among others, be a show sponsor for one week in the year.