Partnership will amplify the visibility of Five Star Fans’ mission to change the college sports industry and empower fans to have a voice in the NIL recruiting market
NEW YORK – (April 4, 2024) – Digital Sport by Hot Paper Lantern (DSHPL), a specialty division within Hot Paper Lantern focused on brand building, fostering growth, and promoting clarity through communication in the sports world, has been named the public relations agency of record for Five Star Fans. This strategic partnership signals both companies’ commitment to driving innovation and transparency into the rapidly evolving collegiate sports market.
“Our collaboration with Digital Sport by HPL will allow us to further our mission of amplifying the experience of college sports by redistributing power to the athletes and fans,” said Tina Provost, Co-Founder and CEO of Five Star Fans. “DSHPL’s expertise in communications, media relations and investor relations will be invaluable to us as we continue this journey about which we are so passionate. This partnership marks a significant milestone for us as we continue to innovate and connect with college sports fans.”
Five Star Fans has pioneered a cutting-edge fan engagement digital platform, seamlessly extending the thrill of stadium or arena experiences into the digital realm. Their core product is a marketplace for top recruits and current student-athletes, where fans can earn or buy “likes” to send to the athletes. When an athlete enrolls in their chosen university, they will receive an NIL deal for the value of likes from Five Star Fans. The company will then reinvest a portion of the unselected universities’ likes back into their athletic programs.
“There has never before been a time like this in college sports, and we are committed to supporting the people who are driving change and impacting the future of college sports,” said Ed Moed, CEO of Hot Paper Lantern. “The NIL market is incredibly robust and impossibly clunky, only allowing a handful of brands and donors to influence the collegiate sport landscape. Tina and Jennifer's vision and value proposition is extremely innovative and will change how collectives fundraise and how fans interact with their favorite teams."
DSHPL will provide Five Star Fans with an extensive array of public relations services, covering media relations, strategic partnership management, thought leadership, and contributed content development.
To learn more about Five Star Fans, please visit https://www.five-starfans.com/.
About Digital Sport by Hot Paper Lantern
HPL Digital Sport is an integrated marketing and communications agency that helps brands enhance their reputations, build brand relevance and thought leadership through our core capabilities of branding, public/media relations, performance marketing, social media and sophisticated design. For more information, visit www.hpldigitalsport.com.
About Five Star Fans
Five Star Fans is committed to becoming the most exciting and engaging digital college sports platform and amplifying the college sports experience for fans by redistributing power to athletes and fans. Founded by two Division I College Cheerleaders, Tina Provost and Jennifer Barr Dean, the Five Star Fans team is dedicated to delivering high-quality fan engagement and supporting an athlete’s competitive career. Launched in July of 2023, Five Star Fans was first to market and is leaning into the exciting and rapidly changing world of college sports, specifically solving for sustainable fundraising and donor fatigue.
