Footballing world to take on social media

Alan Littler

Several of the world’s biggest and most supported football clubs have teamed up to launch a new football-based social media platform that aims to emulate the success of Facebook.

The platform is known as Dugout.com and was officially launched yesterday. Similar to other social networks, it is designed to provide users with their own dedicated profile pages that they can update and customise. Each club that is part of the programme will also have its own updateable page offering users and fans exclusive interviews, content and behind-the-scenes footage from some of the top names in the game.

The site has claimed that the creation of the platform is the first time so many of the world’s largest clubs have united for any kind of commercial venture. It is aiming to build a massive fan base by offering users exclusive content more than 24 hours before it is released on any other social networking site.

A number of European giants in the game, such as Barcelona, PSG, Bayern Munich and Juventus, are all a part of the site alongside nine English teams at the time of writing, including Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

There is a shareholder structure in place, as there is with any sort of business or venture. While this has not been made public, senior executives from seven of the nineteen clubs on the site have been listed as directors according to files published with Companies House. These clubs are Liverpool, Manchester City, PSG, Arsenal, Chelsea, Juventus and Bayern Munich.

The site is based in the UK, and has so far struck deals with 20 clubs. On the day of launch, 19 of the clubs had profiles set up. Furthermore, of these 19 clubs, 18 of them are European, with Mexican team Club América representing the rest of the world.

Dugout has also teamed up with more than 150 of the game’s current crop of stars to help build up the site. Players such as Neymar, Gareth Bale and Joe Hart have already signed up. As well as this, Dugout wants to partner up with some of the leading influencers in the game, as well as past legends of the sport like Brazilian striker Pele.

The platform is free for users to sign up and use and is available in eight languages. With the sport gaining traction in Asia, among the languages in which the site has been launched is Indonesian. Furthermore, the service aims to model itself on Facebook and will generate revenue from onsite adverts.

Dugout has launched different versions of the site for use on all devices, from desktop to mobile, and has secured a number of corporate partners already, including Coca-Cola and Allianz.

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Alan Littler

Operations Manager at Engage Web

A bastion of fitness and athleticism, yet also a chocoholic, our Operations Manager Alan is a man of contradictions known for his fiendish powers of organisation.

Footballing world to take on social media