- Socios.com looks back at a game-changing 2023 in which the leading fan engagement and rewards app cemented itself as the number one destination for global fan engagement, launching a host of new features to open more opportunities for users to earn rewards
- In 2023, the platform launched 5 Fan Token Offerings (FTOs), increased its user base by almost 30%, entertained 7 million votes on polls, gave away 500k rewards, as well as further integrating Fan Tokens within our partners’ fan engagement strategies
2023 marked a new chapter for Socios.com, the pioneering fan engagement and rewards app, as it increased its user base by 30%, surpassing the 2M user mark, and added Premier League giant and global powerhouse, Tottenham Hotspur, to its roster of leading global football partners.
The year also saw further evolution of Socios.com’s offering, with a host of new features added, expansion of existing partnerships, increased catalogue of rewards and experiences providing yet more utility for users as well as the wider integration of Fan Tokens into our partners’ fan engagement activities and digital ecosystems.
Socios.com spreads its wings in 2023
In September we were delighted to welcome European football behemoth, Tottenham Hotspur, to our growing Premier League community, following suit with the likes of Arsenal, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Everton, and Manchester City to empower and reward their respective fan bases through the endless possibilities of Fan Tokens.
The SPURS Fan Token launched in October in what was the fifth FTO carried out in 2023, following the sell outs of Benfica, Chivas, Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) and Palmeiras launches, spanning three continents carried out earlier in the year.
The introduction of Fan Tokens to nine-time consecutive Malaysian Super League champions, JDT, in June was a particularly momentous milestone for the platform. It marked the beginning of an exciting new journey as Socios.com’s first Malaysian club, selling out all the FTO supply (50,000 Fan Tokens) across 73 different countries, demonstrating the burgeoning hunger of sports fans all around the world for Fan Tokens.
Rewards and features continue to evolve
This year was another triumph for Fan Token holders! Users redeemed almost a whopping 50,000 rewards, almost double compared with 2022, ranging from Formula 1® VIP Race Weekend packages to once in a lifetime, money can’t buy experiences such as giving two fans the chance to feature in Atletico Madrid’s official team photo for the upcoming season.
2023 was an evolutionary year for the platform which saw us embark on a new stage in our journey, giving Fan Tokens an even more prominent role within club activities and granting Fan Token holders access to a wider range of benefits, many of which for the first time go beyond the Socios.com app.
In September, for example, we were delighted to announce the expansion of our partnership with Juventus, a major milestone for Socios.com having signed as one of the platform’s first clubs back in 2018. The expansion unlocks an exciting new catalogue of benefits and experiences for Bianconeri fans to redeem including chances to play at Allianz Stadium, obtain early access for matchday tickets, discounts on overnight stays at the J-Hotel, access to the club’s museum and Stadium Tour, discounts on memberships and the ability to receive personalised video messages from players.
As Socios.com looks to further consolidate its partners in 2024 with a number of exciting announcements on the horizon, the Juventus expansion shows the renewed commitment of trusted partners and the platform’s ongoing mission to provide increased utility to users.
We also added almost a dozen new features to the Socios.com app, giving users a host of new, refreshed ways to enhance their fan experience, connect with their teams and earn rewards for their loyalty.
The new Fan Favourite, Locker Room and Auction features have already gripped our thriving community. Almost 300k fans have chosen their favourite players from matches through Fan Favourite and 26k users have already redeemed digital collectibles via the new Locker Room feature which enables Fan Token holders to access club digital collectibles by ‘locking’ their Fan Tokens.
The new Auctions feature is bringing fans closer to the action like never seen before. The feature gives users the chance to bid on game worn and signed jerseys, through integration with leading sports memorabilia vendor, MatchWornShirt (MWS). Serie A fans are also able to relieve key moments from matches through Auctions to bid and win game scored balls – an extension of the ‘Get the Ball, Own the Moment’ initiative with Serie A which has so far seen 45 match scored balls redeemed across 25 matches including the 2023 Supercoppa Italiana final.
Most recently, we’ve even opened the door to non-Fan Token holders. The new Freemium feature enables new and existing fans to experience parts of the app for free, giving them a taste of the ways in which they can elevate their passion for their clubs. Freemium is currently rolled out to Predictor, Checkin, Free-kick Challenge, Swap & Pop & Weekly Trivia features but will be rolled out to further parts of the app in 2024.
New era of integration
Whilst our rewards and features continue evolving to provide increased utility for users, we can also reflect on what was a giant leap forward for Fan Tokens themselves in 2023 as we continue to work with our partners to craft these digital assets as a bedrock for club fan engagement.
Selling out all 500,000 SPURS Fan Tokens within a few hours of Spurs’ FTO was certainly a success story, but it is the integration of these assets into the club’s existing membership scheme – a first of its kind for Socios.com – which makes the collaboration between Spurs and the platform so unique.
The new partnership not only demonstrates the global recognition of Fan Tokens but also how our partnerships are continuing to evolve – marking a new chapter for the platform as clubs become increasingly familiar with the tool, develop innovative use cases for it and ultimately realise new ways in which it can provide value.
This year also saw the web view integration with dozens of Socios.com partners including AS Monaco, Dinamo Zagreb and the Davis Cup enabling fans to access the Fan Token experience though their club’s official channels, highlighting the scale of tech integration taking place within the ecosystem.
Looking ahead to 2024
In a year that saw a readjustment in the global web3 market, Socios.com took an evolutionary step in cementing itself as the number one destination for global fan engagement. As we thank our community for fueling us with their passion and loyalty in 2023, we can look forward to an even more adventurous 2024.
We’ll be particularly excited to present Socios.com users with a new, refreshed app which will provide fans with an improved interface and functionality as well as making updates to various features and further rolling out some of this year’s new feature additions including Auctions and Fan Favourite to other partners.
With a number of exciting announcements to come in the New Year, Socios.com will also look to continue the consolidation of its fan offering with partners in its mission to deliver increased utility – a growing request from Fan Token holders as outlined by this year’s Deloitte 2023 Sports Fan Insights Report, and expand the catalogue of benefits and experiences available to Fan Token holders… so watch this space!
As Socios.com’s offering continues to evolve year on year, we can reflect on a 2023 which saw the app grow to over 2M users, but more importantly, expand and integrate on an unprecedented scale, setting the foundations for a new exciting chapter in the platform’s quest to redefine the role of fans within sport.
