Not all fans get to go to games regularly
Not all fans get to go to games regularly

There used to be a time when you supported your local team, maybe got along to the games when you could, and read the reports the next day. A lot has changed – and continues to change – for sports fans but the advent of online communication and mobile apps, in particular, has revolutionized the relationship between team and fan.

What was once a relatively one-way relationship is now multi-faceted – and mobile apps have been able to push that along. Technological advances have helped both sports teams and fans become much more involved and connected. Fans may use a BetUS mobile app to back their favorite teams – but there are now apps for a wide range of activities relating to sports.

Mobile apps have made it possible for fans from all across the world to follow a team in the same way and that is obviously advantageous to the clubs and teams, as well as the new fans. We now use mobile apps for just about everything in our daily lives, so it is not surprising that sports fandom is a big part of that. Here are just a few ways that these apps have become indispensable for today’s sports fan.

 

Live Streaming

Broadcasting deals are where sports teams, leagues, and organizations make a lot of their money these days. People will pay a lot of money to be able to watch live games in the comfort of their own homes – and mobile apps with live streaming features allow those fans to extend that freedom.

Although fans can watch even the smallest tournament online now, the big clubs and leagues owe much of their commercial success to fans from other countries being able to feel a part of the game day experience. These teams are growing a brand, as much as a fan base, and fans live streaming the games helps with that. 

 

Latest News and Statistics

Most sports teams will only play once, or maybe twice, a week. But there is a lot more going on than just game time. Where we used to rely on sporadic information coming out of the sports clubs to find out about new signings or injuries, we can now instantly discover all the latest news online.

Mobile apps make this process even easier and more convenient. Sports fans can find out the latest news – and even set up alerts – via dedicated mobile apps that concentrate on favorite teams. Most sports fans also love nothing more than checking out statistics for their teams, and the wealth of data being analyzed now can be provided by the apps too.

 

Personalized Content

With so much information at our fingertips, we have become used to being able to find out exactly what we want to know about anything whenever we want to. Game reports and a wide-angle view of our favorite sports teams are not enough for today’s mobile app-friendly fan.

That is why many teams and leagues have developed mobile apps that are able to provide a personalized experience. With so much information available, sports fans can set their own filters to get what they want. This is also a great way for teams and organizations to provide personal recommendations as well.

 

Interaction with Teams and Players

As briefly mentioned, just reading a report of the latest games these days is not enough when we are more used to interacting with vast numbers of people through social media platforms. Fans will fully expect to be able to interact with other fans – and even players – on dedicated mobile apps.

Although many player social media accounts are heavily monitored, or even set up with little actual player involvement, there is enough of a connection that makes the fans feel as though they are part of something. The most successful teams are able to forge strong bonds through this online interaction alone.

 

Sports Marketing

Those personal recommendations that we talked about a moment ago enable those in control of the mobile apps to build up profiles of their customers and fans. By collecting data and then providing just what those individual fans want, the teams and clubs can target their marketing campaigns more successfully.

Although there is a lot to be gained by the clubs by creating strong relationships with their fans, the opportunity to boost profits from merchandise and other sales is vast. By not simply blanket advertising fans, but identifying individual needs, profit margins can grow and build the success of the clubs even further.

 

Sports fans can feel as though they are a part of the team through mobile apps
Sports fans can feel as though they are a part of the team through mobile apps

 

Building Communities

Every way that a team or league can interact with sports fans – whether financially profitable or not – should be done with the idea of building and strengthening a community in mind. These teams have what can be a very loyal fan base already and good mobile app usage can make that even stronger.

 The global reach that these mobile apps give teams and leagues means that these communities can stretch far beyond the traditional fan borders. A Los Angeles Laker fan in London is no longer an anomaly and the most successful teams recognize the power that social media and mobile apps give them.

 

The Future is Mobile

Technology has completely changed the way that sports is played, watched, and consumed. Mobile apps have become an important part of that and it doesn’t seem as if anything will change on that front for a while. With even further advancements, including artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR), there is even greater scope for the future.

 Sports fans now fully accept technology and mobile apps as part of their experience following a team. The bond has now been made and there will only be a stronger relationship with apps to come.