The Italian soccer club Juventes, colloquially known as Juve, is one of the biggest in the world. Its fans exist on every continent, and they love their team. “Forza Juve!” is common among fans wherever they post online, be it the Juventes hashtag, their Facebook page, or endless videos about the team on YouTube.
To reward that passion, Juve has prepared a special something for their fans: an app built to give them insider views of their favorite team. Jeep and Adidas sponsor the app, and it’s available on every major VR platform (Play Store, App Store, Oculus Store, Steam, etc.). It’s a combination of video and high-resolution photography that users can explore. With a premium surprise and some fun fan content, Juventes VR is a free glimpse into what makes the team so strong.
Virtual Tours
The bulk of the app consists of the virtual tours through Juventes history and facilities. Fans will see the same view that Gianluigi Buffon sees when he makes incredible saves. A glimpse from center circle offers some of the anticipations of kickoff. VR brings the concept of pitch or field day, current incentives to get fans into the stadium, to your home. Soccer is a worldwide phenomenon. Many fans of great teams will never set foot inside their stadium. Juventes seems to understand that, and the particular hunger fans have for the game, footage, and players.
The jam-packed app has features American teams and leagues can learn and adapt. Medical facilities show off state-of-the-art equipment and offer a glimpse into the state of physical therapy at the professional level. Locker room views show off incredible facilities, maintained with care and finesse. Even practice facilities teach fans more about what the team goes through to study and learn. At J University, we learn that soccer is an academic pursuit with whiteboards and slideshows.
There are also lots of behind-the-scenes celebratory content, like a shot of Juventes Women’s team during practice or the champagne uncorking after the team clinched its 6th straight Serie A title. At the museum, fans can see memorabilia up close. A glimpse into the store shows the team’s new kits on display. All of this content is available at no charge, and can quickly take up about a half hour of time just exploring.
Incentives and Premiums
For $7, fans can get “signed” to Juventes. Users attend a brief press conference in VR, a contract is signed, and the team presents their official Juventes jersey! American sports leagues could easily duplicate this experience. Imagine if you could get signed to your favorite team using Pop a Shot, and compete with other “signed” players.
Draft events have also become more popular over time. Everyone wants to see how their team will shape up, and this incentive puts fans front and center.
Juventes promises more content in the future, but have done a reasonably good job of keeping the app updated. There are celebratory videos and documentary content to view, as well as insider views of headquarters.
Final Thoughts
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4RL5BZnBKM&w=560&h=315]
Juventes VR isn’t made for every sports fan out there, but it will excite those who love the sport of soccer (even if you’re not a Juventes fan). Although it’s probably true that only Juventes fans will be most hungry for this app, it’s good to see the beautiful game dipping further into VR. Soccer carries one of the largest fanbases worldwide, and Europe is full of software developers driving the next generation of gaming.
Sports teams like Juventes are looking for new methods to engage with fans through VR, which offers to place them in action. For those who may never see Allianz, Juventes VR provides a realistic perspective. We also see the opportunity for Juventes to broadcast its games, or highlights, through the application.
VR broadcasts are catching on, and leagues utilize announcers watching the same perspectives that you are. Fan content like Juventes VR offers a unique perspective, but we would like to see more game related content to make the app genuinely worthwhile. As is, it’s fun for a diversion, but not as an immersive application.
