The Sports Industry Is Going Mobile

Posted by Melissa Crooks
4
Sep 19, 2017
917 Views
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The sports industry has a reputation for forming closely knit communities which bring sports team members, fans, and professionals together in the industry. Today, many of such sports communities have gone mobile are a blossoming with mobile applications. With a firm belief that mobile apps will be beneficial to all members of their community, Sports clubs and teams of professional players are investing in mobile app development.

The app store is replete with all kinds of sports apps. These apps are increasingly becoming popular because:

1. Sports mobile apps promote team spirit

Mobile apps make it possible for sports enthusiasts to be connected. The fans can throw their weights behind their teams even when they are not watching the big game. That keeps the team spirit alive.

2. Sports apps send score updates and notifications about wins

Sports fans love to be up-to-date with information on the activities of their beloved team as they take place. They want to get news about a big win. With sports apps, fans are informed of the scores, goal scorers, the number of Goals and highlights of matches, all delivered as push notifications.

3. Sports apps provide tailored content to users

Wouldn't it beautiful to have an app that can scan through live games and give you real-time information on when your darling team is about to win so that you can quickly tune on and watch the action? You would love that, wouldn't you? Well, the good news is that there are many mobile applications app that do that already. They rate games by a propriety system and give you current and relevant information about the ones you are actually interested in.

Many of them are available on both Android and iOS platforms

Thuuz is one of such mobile applications. It understands how emotionally attached you can be towards your team thus when your team loses, the break the news to you gently.

This excellent app is a reference point for and an inspiration to other top app development companies.

Why sports clubs need an app

Sports clubs use apps to disseminate information to their fans. There are several sports apps with different features on the app stores. As a mobile app developer interested in creating apps for professional teams, it would do you a world of good to find out the apps on the app stores that are similar to yours.

What sports apps are available?

Although the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Hockey League (NHL), the National Football League and the Major League baseball, all in the United States have made huge investments in mobile app development, there are many individual teams without an app. As a matter of fact, only 16 out of the 30 teams in the NBA have official apps. All 30 teams in the NHL have official mobile apps. The NFL has 30 official apps, but for the MLB, individual teams have their interfaces in the League’s app.

A closer at the successful sports apps in the market gives us insight into what the users expect from their team’s mobile app.

There are two main types of apps namely the dedicated apps developed for specific sports clubs, and aggregators that provide information about many teams.

1. Dedicated apps

Dedicated apps are specially designed for major clubs and teams. FC Barcelona is a good example of big teams and clubs that need dedicated apps. Their visually appealing and easy to use FC Barcelona official app offers personalized content for all kinds of Barça sports you are interested in following such as handball, football, roller hockey, futsal, basketball women's football and Barça B. Many people can use their app because it supports English, Spanish, and Catalan.

The FC Barcelona app clearly shows how different elements of the multi-billion dollar industry is combined to provide fans with the most fulfilling experience.

One unique feature of the FC Barcelona app is that it is in sync with Radio Barça. What this means is that fans can listen to live commentaries of matches in English, Catalan or Spanish on their phones or tablets. They can also get real-time notifications of goals and the final score announcements.

App developers who want to create mobile applications for professional sports teams should pay close attention to the FC Barcelona Official app.

The New York Mets in the USA has a similar app for their fans. The app includes more than 15 different news feeds and receives content from various sites and blogs. It enables users to view the New York Mets schedule and statistics, listen to podcasts, and read current news. Tickets can be purchased directly from the app.

2. Aggregator apps

Aggregator apps are different from dedicated ones. They are created based on a belief that apps dedicated to specific clubs alone are not enough to satisfy the fans. Aggregated apps provide their users with information about several teams or clubs, match schedules for multiple stadia, league tournaments, and games using one platform.

The ESPN mobile app formerly known as SportsCenter is a good example of aggregator apps. The app which can be found on the Android and iOS markets keeps fans updated with global sports news, scores, professional analysis and news about the various teams and leagues.

On the app, fans can follow news about all their favorite athletes and most importantly customize a list of their favorite players or teams.

‘theScore’ mobile application is another popular aggregator. Users love it because it provides fast-breaking sports news and other updates. With the event calendar on ‘theScore,' fans can find upcoming games. The app is very useful for those who bet on their favorite teams because the match information they get comes with statistical breakdowns.

‘theScore’ is available on the Android and iOS stores and is integrated with social networks. Users can share important information with their friends and followers.

Sports app development

Collegiate sports fans will find the official National Collegiate Athletic Association’s sports app as they can have access to live video coverage of 65 championship events. Information about scores and schedules of multiple championships are available on the app.

For custom scores notifications and news, the app also allows users to follow specific schools.

Having examined popular sports apps and why fans love them, the next thing to consider are the reasons for developing mobile apps for sports teams.

Reasons to develop a mobile app for a sports team or club

1. Mobile applications create an enabling environment for sports fans to interact with one another and with members of their favorite sports teams.

2. Sports apps create e-commerce platforms where branded goods and other promotional materials are sold. Sporting goods worth over $64.8 billion were sold in the USA in 2015.

3. Fans can book for, buy and sell match tickets on mobile apps.

4. On mobile apps, fans can place bets on their favorite teams.

Sports app are useful because they help fans to build a formidable community and helps teams monetize their brand.
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