A family from Manchester has sold their home and quit their jobs to fund a new social network for sports fans. The Hughes family is behind GameDay Xtra, a platform aiming to host a page for every sports team and player worldwide, including amateur leagues.
Father Perry Hughes, son Sam (21), and daughter Mollie (18) have invested everything into the project. Sam suspended his university studies to work on the site, while Mollie manages social media. The platform offers live news feeds, group creation, play-by-play game tracking, and future interactive games. 'Super fans' can manage team or player pages if the official owners do not claim them.
The family claims a few thousand members are already using the site, with a broader launch planned for August. They see an opening in the market, despite competition from giants like Facebook. Perry Hughes says two Facebook executives have joined the closed trial.
Funding has been the biggest challenge. After being turned down by investors, the family sold their house and cars, and ran out of money twice. They have now secured backing from an undisclosed Russian investor. Revenue plans remain vague, but the family hints at an ad-based model similar to Facebook and Instagram.
Tech entrepreneur Emma Sinclair MBE praised their ambition but expressed skepticism. 'Sports fans already use multiple platforms. Competing with giants on a small budget is an expensive and ambitious job,' she said. The family remains confident, with Perry Hughes stating, 'We see ourselves sitting at the top table with the big boys.'
