Top football clubs unite for exclusive content hub

Nearly 30 top football clubs – including Chelsea, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich – have joined forces for a new digital platform, which will offer fans exclusive behind-the-scenes original content on one site.
Dugout has partnered with 27 clubs as well as players for the scheme, which will see them split the advertising revenue 50:50.
Other clubs to come on board include Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and SC Corinthians Paulista as well as another nine Premier League clubs Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal.
Responses from over 24,000 fans worldwide were collated and analysed to ensure the site meets their expectations. The results identified that the days of club loyalty are coming to an end, with many fans following multiple clubs – 4.6 on average – as well as supporting individual players.
The site has been personalised to allow users a to choose multiple clubs, players and “influencers” to follow.
Each partner club has a dedicated profile page on the site which allows them the freedom to upload content they have created, such as training ground clips, or work with Dugout and its media partners to create content.
Dugout co-founder Elliot Richardson said: “The game today is truly global and fans don’t just want to watch matches in their own country – they want to follow their favourite clubs and players across the world, on and off the pitch. That’s what Dugout offers – unrivaled access so fans get behind the scenes of the clubs and into the lives of the players.
He added: “A combination of factors – from the explosion of international TV rights to the rise of social media – have provided Dugout with an unprecedented opportunity to reach the estimated 3.5 billion football fans across the world. We think they will love what they see.”
Dugout has already secured a number of media partners, including Allianz and Coca-Cola as part of a Mediacom partnership, and BetVictor.