zujuGP — the digital football platform helmed by businessman Kiat Lim and fronted by football icon Cristiano Ronaldo — unveiled its digital gamification arm, Kickoff by Zuju, today (August 10).
Kickoff by Zuju is the world’s first, immersive, second-screen mobile gaming experience that enables football fans to play along their favourite teams and players during a live football match in real-time.
The digital platform will be released in time for the upcoming English Premier League season, which starts tomorrow.
Kickoff by Zuju amplifies the action taking place during live football matches
A whopping 87 per cent of sports fans use a second screen while watching a live sports broadcast, and this is particularly evident amongst the younger generation of fans, with 47 per cent of Gen Zs watching sports on TV or other digital platforms simultaneously watching or interacting with other live content.
However, this second-screen experience has always been limited to viewing static content or browsing on socials, and monetising audience engagement has been similarly limited — butKickoff by Zujuis set to change this by amplifying the action taking place during live football matches with a complementary mobile gaming experience.
During a match, fans onKickoff by Zujucan use their mobile phones to participate micro-events such as goals, shot attempts, touches in the penalty-box, crosses, and free kicks, all as the match is happening live — unlike traditional fantasy games where “gameplay” occurs prior to the match.
The mobile experience is free-to-play and operates within a freemium model, where users have the option of purchasing premium features such as virtual goods, gameplay-related benefits, and power- ups, as well as subscriptions to unlock special social interaction and community privileges.
Cristiano Ronaldo will release a limited edition collectible card collection
As part of Kickoff by Zuju’s launch, Cristiano Ronaldo, who helped in the development of the free-to-play app, will be featured in a global campaign comprising a series of videos, posts, and activations that are set to be released across social platforms.
The football icon will also be releasing a limited-edition collectible card collection which will be exclusively available on onKickoff by Zuju. Users can unlock and win copies of these cards through the digital platform, which will then be physically delivered to them.
Additionally, Ronaldo will be attending real-life engagements such as meet-and-greets, which is also exclusive to users of the platform.
Creating a digital football playground for fans
Kickoff by Zujuleverages the Lim family’s extensive football connections across the globe, with partnerships that cover all the major football leagues and tournaments.
Down the line, Kickoff by Zujuaims to partner more football leagues, teams, and international football stars to build on the immersive digital experience of real-world matches through special events, exclusive in-game challenges, as well as limited-edition collectibles, and create even more engaging ways for fans to interact with football content.
Last April, zujuGP acquiredgaming solutions startup TOKIGAMESto develop and deliver rich, immersive digital experiences and activities to football fans around the world.
Within a year, the team has forged a new category of football gaming, delivering a world’s first platform that offers a dimension of fan engagement which cuts across real-world matches and mobile gaming.
Featured Image Credit: Kickoff by Zuju
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