New Bundesliga App: Helping the DFL to get even more popular on the international stage

17 September 2019 – The Bundesliga is one of the most exciting leagues in the world: Broadcasts in more than 200 regions around the globe, with a potential reach of more than one billion homes, the league has attracted a global audience of passionate football fans. Helping to keep these international supporters in the loop, the new Official Bundesliga App – now available in German, English and Spanish – provides an improved digital matchday experience.

Originally launched in October 2018 and available to download on iOS and Android devices, the modernized app has been continuously improved based on user feedback. This user centric approach is something the DFL is also using for further developments allowing the app to evolve along the needs of Bundesliga fans. Millions of users have already installed the Official Bundesliga App, gaining constant access to matchday updates via a streamlined and easy-to-navigate platform wherever they go. Built to work with the DFL’s new content delivery API, the app combines data from STS and Deltatre to ensure that feeds are populated with useful information all the way through every match. This is where the new app really excels, offering a vast improvement on its predecessor with industry-leading live in-game statistics and commentary. Every goal, card and substitution is reported, making it easy to keep up with the action when you are away from the big screen.

With this app, the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga hopes to strengthen its bond to international fans by helping them to feel closer to the German leagues and teams in an increasingly connected world. Thanks to push notifications that arrive faster than Kingsley Coman on a counter-attack, fans can receive instant updates pushed straight to their smartphones even when they’re not using the app. Users can select the games that they want to follow ahead of time and will be notified when play commences, ensuring that not a minute of action is missed throughout the season. The DFL’s new Electronic Program Guide (EPG) feature provides football fans broadcasting information at a single click via the Bundesliga App. In return, the platform provides the DFL with access to a more alert, engaged and diverse user base as it looks to compete on the international stage.

Since the app launch, user feedback has been consistently tracked and ongoing development has been aligned accordingly. This has helped to make it possible to achieve an all-time high in unique app users and an increase of approx. 70% in session durations compared to the previous year.

The new Official Bundesliga App was developed in under 12 months to provide fans with an unrivalled digital match day experience in the 2018-19 season. However, that was only the first half of the game plan. Despite a strong performance so far, the DFL hopes to push on in the second half and really hit the target. Fans are advised to ‘stay on the ball’, with new features set to be developed and implemented in the near future. From fan personalisation to future utilisation of emerging technologies such as augmented reality, the new Bundesliga App promises to bring fans closer to the action regardless of where they are in the world.