QUICK TAKE
- Fans of Cypriot football club Apollon FC will make history when they become the first of any major sporting organisation to choose the first team home & away kit designs.
- Fans are voting on a series of designs provided by sportswear giants Puma for the 2021/22 season using $APL Fan Tokens on blockchain-based fan engagement and rewards app Socios.com.
- Apollon compete in the top tier of Cypriot football and have won 3 domestic championships. The club scored another first earlier this season when fans chose the first eleven for a game with local rivals Aris Limassol through Socios.com. The fan-picked team went on to win the game, which took place last October, 6-0.
- In addition to voting, Fan Token owners can connect in chat forums, access VIP rewards, club and sponsor-related promotions, and partake in games on Socios.com.
- 20 leading sporting organisations have partnered with Socios.com so far, including FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. Many more major clubs are expected to launch Fan Tokens in the near future.
LIMASSOL, JANUARY 07th 2020: Leading Cypriot football club Apollon FC will let fans choose the home and away kit designs for the 2020/21 season on blockchain-based fan engagement and rewards app Socios.com.
Apollon, who have reached the Europa League Group Stages on four occasions, made fan engagement history in October of last year when they asked their fans to pick the team for a friendly with local rivals Aris Limassol. The fan picked side went on to win 6-0.
Now the three-time Cypriot champions are breaking new ground in fan engagement once more, this time asking fans to use their $APL Fan Tokens to choose between a series of home and away kit designs, provided by world famous kit manufacturer Puma, on the Socios.com app.
Fan Token owners will also have the opportunity to create and subsequently vote on a unique message to be placed on the collar of the chosen shirts through Socios.com, once voting in the initial poll has concluded. $APL holders will also be invited to participate in the promotional video to mark the official launch of the 2021/22 kit.
$APL Fan Token holders will be able to influence multiple club decisions each season on Socios.com and access other benefits and engagement opportunities through the app, including the chance to connect with other supporters in Socios Chat. Fans can also look forward to VIP rewards, exclusive club and sponsor related promotions, in-app games and competitions and the chance to be crowned the number one fan in their region/country through an in-app leaderboard.
Other notable examples of fan engagement through Socios.com include Juventus fans choosing the club’s new goal celebration song, as well as deciding on a limited edition redesign of the club’s iconic ‘J’ logo and the design of the first team bus for the 2020/21 season. Supporters of FC Barcelona placed a unique fan designed artwork at the heart of the Camp Nou dressing room, Roma fans delivered questions direct to head coach Paolo Fonseca in a live press conference and PSG fans chose a unique message for the captain’s armband as well as voting on their end of season awards through the app.
Nicos Kirzis, Chairman of Apollon FC said: “When we announced our partnership with Socios.com, we set out to innovate and become leaders in fan engagement. Especially during the pandemic and with stadiums being empty, we felt that Socios.com was the most optimal tool to keep our fans close and make them feel appreciated.
Following a series of amazing polls, we are now letting $APL token holders choose the official 2021/22 Apollon FC kits as well as the custom message which will be printed on the jerseys, this way every time they watch the team play, they will know that they are part of it and the players will know that they got the fans by their side.”
Alexandre Dreyfus, CEO and founder of Socios.com said: “Letting fans choose the kit and the team are the types of polls we dreamed of when we first decided to create a fan engagement app.
“Apollon are now making those dreams a reality. I’ve said it before, but the club is showing what an incredibly powerful fan engagement tool Socios.com can be and laying down a marker for other clubs to follow suit in the process.
“I think this is an awesome poll to kick off a new year that will be filled with many more examples of unprecedented, innovative and exciting fan engagement.”
-ENDS-
For Further Information:
Chiliz / Socios.com
Andrew Clarke – Head of PR
For more information please visit www.socios.com / www.chiliz.com
About Socios.com
Socios.com is the blockchain-based fan engagement app that enables sporting organisations to engage with and monetize their global fanbases through digital assets known as Fan Tokens.. To date, 20 major sporting organisations have partnered with Socios.com, including FC Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. Fan Tokens are digital assets that provide owners with engagement opportunities, such as voting rights, the ability to compete in leaderboards and forthcoming features including Chat and Games. Fan Tokens also enable holders to earn club-related rewards, as well as discounts and other benefits linked to their clubs and club sponsors – a USP boosted by the launch of the Socios.com ‘I Am More Than A Fan’ VISA Debit Card. Dozens more organisations from football and other sports are primed to launch Fan Tokens, with many more IP holders set to join the Socios.com roster of partners which already includes MMA giants UFC and the Professional Fighters League (PFL). We expect Fan Tokens to become the next generation of transactional based engagement for sports fans.
