New York Knicks Player Miles McBride Debuts Location-Based Social App as Snap Map Competitor

From the Court to the App Store

Miles McBride, the talented guard for the New York Knicks, is making moves beyond the basketball court by venturing into the tech startup world. The NBA player has launched a location-based social app designed to help friends stay connected through real-time location sharing, positioning it as a direct competitor to Snapchat’s popular Snap Map feature.

This venture reflects a growing trend of professional athletes leveraging their platforms, networks, and resources to build businesses outside of sports. McBride’s entry into the tech space demonstrates the entrepreneurial ambitions of modern athletes who recognize the importance of diversifying their careers and creating lasting impact beyond their playing days.

The Concept Behind the App

McBride’s location-sharing app focuses on enhancing real-world friendships by making it easier for people to connect spontaneously and coordinate meetups. The platform allows users to share their locations with selected friends, see who’s nearby, and facilitate impromptu gatherings without the friction of constant texting and coordination.

The app emphasizes privacy and user control, allowing individuals to choose exactly who can see their location and when. Users can set custom privacy settings, create temporary location-sharing sessions, and maintain complete control over their visibility. This addresses common concerns about persistent location tracking while maintaining the convenience and social benefits of knowing where friends are.

Unlike Snap Map, which exists as a feature within the broader Snapchat ecosystem, McBride’s app is purpose-built specifically for location-based friend coordination. This focused approach aims to provide a superior experience for users primarily interested in meeting up with friends rather than navigating a multi-purpose social media platform.

Differentiating from Snap Map

While Snap Map pioneered mainstream location sharing among friends, McBride’s app seeks to improve upon several aspects of the experience. The standalone nature of the application means users don’t need to adopt an entire social media platform just to access location-sharing features.

The app reportedly includes enhanced features for group coordination, making it easier to plan activities when multiple friends are in the same area. Smart notifications alert users when friends are nearby or when groups form in specific locations, reducing the need to constantly check the app.

Additional features may include location-based messaging, the ability to drop pins at interesting locations for friends to discover, and integration with local events and activities to help groups decide what to do once they meet up. These enhancements position the app as more than just a location tracker, but rather a comprehensive tool for facilitating real-world social connections.

The Athlete-Entrepreneur Trend

McBride joins a growing roster of professional athletes who have launched tech ventures and startups. From LeBron James’s investments in technology companies to Kevin Durant’s venture capital firm, athletes increasingly recognize that their influence, capital, and networks position them uniquely to succeed in business.

For McBride, the app represents both a passion project and a strategic business move. Athletes understand the importance of staying connected with teammates and friends across different cities, making location-sharing particularly relevant to their lifestyles. This personal connection to the problem the app solves provides authentic insight that can drive product development.

The venture also demonstrates McBride’s forward-thinking approach to building wealth and legacy beyond his NBA career. Professional sports careers are relatively short, making entrepreneurship and investment critical components of long-term financial security and personal fulfillment.

Location-Based Social App Market and McBride’s Opportunity

The global location-based services market, a critical segment for location-sharing social apps, was valued at around USD 51.3 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a robust CAGR of over 21% between 2025 and 2034. Driven by widespread smartphone adoption, the proliferation of mobile internet, and rising consumer demand for location-enabled services—including navigation, social media, and local commerce—this sector presents a significant growth opportunity. Specifically, the social networking app market is expected to reach nearly USD 98.4 billion in 2025 with a further expansion to over USD 265 billion by 2029, fueled by trends like visual content, influencer marketing, personalization, and privacy-focused features. These dynamics provide a promising backdrop for McBride’s location-sharing friendship app, which targets young adults, college students, and urban professionals who value spontaneous social interactions tied to location awareness. Success in such a competitive and technically demanding space will depend on strong privacy safeguards, seamless user experience, viral marketing leveraging McBride’s celebrity network, and product-market fit in key demographics. The app’s focused approach aiming to solve real social coordination challenges and integrate privacy and safety features aligns well with the evolving expectations of privacy-conscious and socially connected users in 2025.​