Dugout, the world’s first digital platform supported by the biggest football clubs and players, has today launched the company’s first ever app – giving football fans unrivaled behind-the-scenes access and exclusive content straight to their mobile and tablet devices.
The app’s release follows the successful launch of Dugout.com at the end of November 2016, which has already seen over 8 million users join the platform, 13 million page views and 37 clubs create their own pages – including nine of biggest clubs in the world.
This impressive list of partners includes A.C. Milan, Arsenal F.C., Chelsea F.C., FC Barcelona, FC Bayern Munich, Juventus, Liverpool FC, Manchester City FC, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid CF, as well as over 100 of the world’s best-known footballers.
Dugout President, Elliot Richardson, commented:
“Dugout was built for football fans across the world – delivering the ultimate place to explore and access the biggest clubs and players on the planet. The app launch is a huge moment for us because we now know most of our users are accessing the platform using their mobile, meaning that we can now give them a bigger, better and more personalised experience – with unparalleled amounts of exclusive and original content, produced by the world’s biggest clubs and players working with Dugout and seen nowhere else, totally free.”
In addition to clubs and players, Dugout is partnering with leading football influencers and legends to create their own profile pages and produce content exclusive to Dugout users.
85% of Dugout’s audience currently accesses the platform via their mobile devices, so the launch of the app is an important stage in the company’s development. Available on both the App Store and Google Play, the app includes a wealth of new features including the ability for fans to create their own personalised experience by choosing clubs and players to follow; vertical video shot by players on their own phones; stunning image galleries; and new user interface functionality to make navigating and discovering content both simple and rewarding.
Also launching today is an exclusive iMessage Stickers pack for iPhone and iPad. This fun addition to the Dugout product suite means football fans will be able to send more than a dozen stickers in chat or layer them on top of photos in iMessage.
The clubs that already joined Dugout are: A.C. Milan, Arsenal F.C., AS Monaco FC, A.S. Roma, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona Sporting Club, Bologna FC 1909, C.D. Leganés, Chelsea F.C., Club América, Crystal Palace F.C., Everton F.C., FC Barcelona, FC Basel 1893, FC Bayern Munich, FC Porto, Galatasary S.K., GNK Dinamo Zagreb, Heart of Midlothian FC, F.C. Internazionale Milano, Juventus, Liverpool FC, Maccabi Haifa FC, Manchester City FC, Manchester City Women FC, Olympique De Marseille, Paris Saint-Germain, RCD Espanyol, Real Madrid CF, Santos FC, SC Corinthians Paulista, Southampton FC, Stoke City FC, Sunderland AFC, Swansea City AFC, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United.
Each club and player has a dedicated Dugout profile to upload content and interact with fans, and in addition Dugout works with these partners to create high-quality, original content. This content includes videos from clubs exclusive to Dugout before they’re shared with the rest of the world, lifestyle and personal updates from players, and original video series featuring ball skills and tricks from players that can’t be seen anywhere other than Dugout.
The trend of following multiple clubs – on average 4.6 clubs per person – was revealed in polling of 25 major football countries. The research also found that fans now “support” individual players, meaning that these stars help grow the global fan base of every team they play for during their career.
The Dugout app is initially available in eight languages: English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese and Bahasa (Indonesian), with more to be added in the coming months.
