Great soccer builds great fan bases, and great fan bases build powerful soccer communities worldwide. What was once a 90 minutes show playing out on the big screen has today turned into an in-depth culture featuring the latest soccer news, fixtures, and game statistics. Bringing that game-boosting technology to life and emphasizing the relevance of soccer globally are Asaf Peled, Gilad Beiman, and Yuval Larom, three sports enthusiasts to whom soccer is more than just a game!

Driven to create a soccer haven for all eager, the trio developed 90min as the ultimate online soccer community! 90min allows worldwide sports fans to share opinions, explore game fixtures, check recent scores, read transfer rumors, and ultimately celebrate their love for the game online!

It might have taken three to tango - or create a platform like 90min - and many obstacles to overcome, but here’s how Asaf, Gilad, and Yuval’s story of uniting soccer fanatics internationally became one for the books! Read more here:

A Child’s Dream

Ever since he was a little kid, Israel-born Asaf Peled dreamt, lived, and breathed sports. As a devoted fan of the San Antonio Spurs, Asaf would spend his time watching basketball and wished he could commentate their games like a true professional. The bouncing ball, the running men, the excitement of every score engulfed the flames that burned inside Asaf as a young adult. Being the voice behind the screen felt empowering to Asaf, as he wanted his advice to reach the players and get them to listen.

This moment was pivotal for Asaf’s career. He became determined to get his soccer opinions out there and started sharing his layman soccer opinions across various forums. Writing throughout his adolescence was fun for Asaf, to say the least, but he grew even more ambitious. Deep inside, he wanted to do more than just writing about soccer - he wanted to unite the world into the biggest soccer debate!

Three Times the Drive

As a die-hard sports fan, especially when it came to soccer, Asaf had always felt concerned with the lack of investment in soccer establishments. Since he was eager to interact with other soccer enthusiasts, Asaf contemplated the creation of a soccer fan community site that would be beloved by the world.

The unyielding wish to build a sports empire became a reality when Asaf met two of his future co-founders, Gilad and Yuval. Gilad Beiman was the founder of the Israeli Web portal Tapuz, whereas Yuval Loram worked as the platform’s strategic advisor.

The three enthusiasts crossed paths in 2011, and once their common goal of revamping soccer came up for discussion - they knew they would be the ones to do it. That same year, 90min was launched to the world, as the first platform to ever put soccer in the spotlight!
The soccer platform was initially released under the name FTBpro and was based on a contributor model. Soon after its launch, the platform was renamed to 90min and was presented to the world as a place built by and for die-hard soccer fans.

The Key to Success

By giving soccer fans the chance to start a conversation with each other, the three inventors made 90min into a worldwide beloved sports site. Using the concept of “citizen journalism” Asaf and his co-founders enriched 90min in content, quality and performance. The platform is multilayered and features everything from debates and polls, to live commentaries, blogs, and lighthearted content like memes, tweets, status updates, and more. With the rising digitalization, catching up on the latest sports news has never been easier, and 90min ensures every soccer fan finds what he needs at a click of a button.

Company Challenges

Although 90min promised a more detailed approach to soccer, the platform was unable to manage the demanding tasks alone. To improve the overall user experience and facilitate its research, timeliness, and delivery of news, the 90min team created a sister platform, called Minute Media. With it, Asaf, Gilad, and Yuval managed to both boost the quality of 90min and compensate for all existing financial shortcomings.

Whilst 90min brought the best and latest of soccer news to light, Minute Media had the role of helping the former expand overseas and acquire global recognition. Moreover, Minute Media did not focus on soccer news only but featured a range of other sports as well. Supporting one another and building a joint brand, Minute Media and 90min managed to take the trio’s business internationally, and land it in the US, Indian, German, and other relevant markets.

Aside from tying up loose ends, the three inventors also struggled to beat the competition that continuously emerged on the market. To do that, they needed to become the leading soccer platform worldwide and the first to bring the freshest and hottest sports news to fans. And that’s exactly what they did!

With a team of busy bees working to dig for news, updates, interviews, and the latest transfer rumors, 90min became the Jack of all trades of sports, with a special emphasis on soccer!

A Full-Blown Success

A few months after its launch, 90min had its first angel investment, worth 300,000 dollars, led by Shahar Erez and Boaz Dinte. This investment was just the tip of the iceberg though, as 90min acquired another $5.8 million dollars in 2012, invested by Battery Ventures and Gemini Israel Ventures. In 2014, the site raised a whopping $18 million, again by Battery Ventures and Gemini Israel Ventures, as well as UK-based Dawn Capital. This funding resulted in a richer site content spectrum, allowing the introduction of video and mobile content and the opening of a few new offices in Southeast Asia.

In 2013, the soccer media platform secured another $15 million from a Series D investment round, led by German media group “ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE”.

With it, ProSiebenSat.1 and 90min co-branded a joint venture that targeted German soccer markets using a combined digital offering. Monthly, 90min generates around 100 million page views and its success is expected to grow further at an estimated monthly rate of 15%. In 2018, 90min acquired $17 million invested by Goldman Sachs and European venture firms, La Maison Luxembourg and Vintage Partners. By 2020, the soccer media giant reached $160 million in investments, backed by investors like Maor Investments, North Base Media, Qumra Capital, and Remagine Ventures.

Some of the most popular news outlets that contribute from 90min include The Huffington Post, USA Today, The Independent, Ran.de as well as the official Premier League Club sites of Chelsea, Liverpool, and West Ham. Aside from this, the platform also partnered up with Nike, Kia, Paramount, and Heineken.

90min, Today

Presently, 90min is headquartered in London, the UK, and counts 175 employees.

It also holds the status of the third most successful soccer news platform worldwide.

The company has already entered international markets and has made its impact on the community by allowing them to keep up with any soccer news and fixtures they want to see.

As for its most recent plans, 90min recently took part in the UEFA EURO 2020 cup and presented a coverage plan from both a brand and editorial perspective. Not just that but the platform has also been named the official UEFA national information provider of the EURO 2020. It is available in eleven languages and has over 50 million global fans and visitors. 90min essentially started with three passionate soccer fans who were eager to bring modern-day sports closer to global fans.

Today, the platform represents a pure testament to the grandioseness and phenomenalism that continue to make soccer the most important secondary thing in the world!