‘Why Write When You Can Integrate?’ This Founder Shares the Benefits of Integrating a Chat API

FanScout is an app developed by David Brear to help sports fans find venues playing their favorite games and connect with like-minded fans, either in person or virtually, for real-time discussions. The idea originated from Brear's difficulty in finding a place to watch a specific hockey game in New York City. To facilitate live in-app messaging, Brear integrated Stream's Chat API, bypassing the challenges of building chat functionality from scratch. FanScout targets sports enthusiasts who face challenges in locating game broadcasts and aims to provide sports teams with data on fan engagement and sentiments. The app's chat feature, powered by Stream, enhances user interaction by providing segmented channels for team discussions, and Brear envisions expanding FanScout into a loyalty app with a point system to reward fan engagement. The integration of Stream's API was quick and efficient, allowing Brear to focus on customizing the UI and expanding the app's features, with plans to eventually monetize the chat section through team engagement and feedback activities.