By Benjamin Causse, SVP EMEA Sport Sales at Deltatre

When club websites came to prominence, they were regarded in a particular way; as an official source of official information, a good place for fixtures, and perhaps some basic team information. Since then, a lot has changed. Club websites and native apps now sit as a growing component to each club’s Owned & Operated strategy. They are pivotal in controlling advertising, collecting first-party data, and gaining valuable fan insights.

As digital landscapes shift, football clubs must adapt to maximize opportunities. Deltatre has been at the forefront of helping clubs redefine their digital presence. Here are five innovative digital strategies that football clubs can implement to enhance fan interaction and increase revenue.

Transforming Club Websites into Content Powerhouses

Who’s done it? MLB

In late 2018, MLB had a problem. The incumbent publishing platform used by the league, its teams, and other partners had been sold and, with the new season fast approaching, there was a need to find a new publishing platform for its digital properties. The new platform needed to rapidly improve the time it takes to publish content whilst meeting the unique demands of an international sports organization.

Efficient content publishing platforms can transform a website into a content powerhouse, reducing time-to-market and improving fan engagement.

The result: A 95% decrease for time spent needed to publish a story on mlb.com.

Combining a .com experience with OTT Subscription Services

Who’s done it? Juventus

Juventus looked to Deltatre to design and power a new digital ecosystem, combining the fan-focused juventus.com site with the direct-to-consumer subscription OTT service Juventus TV. This new ecosystem seamlessly integrated editorial content and live streaming, giving fans one central hub for all things Juventus.

Through workshops and design hustles, a new user experience was imagined putting cutting-edge design and front-end technology against a world class sport-data and live video experience.

Juventus’ digital ecosystem has been completely revamped to offer users a seamless experience across all of the club’s touchpoints. Thanks to a hybrid configuration and the inclusion of a video experience platform, the club can now host both their digital and streaming propositions in one single destination.

The result: An immediate and seamless movement from Juventus’s editorial content and video subscription service

A new distribution strategy to light up dark markets

Who’s done it? ICC

At the start of 2024, Deltatre and ICC launched a new hybrid solution which combined digital content with both on-demand and live video content.

The newly developed ICC website and app, creates a cutting-edge, unified digital experience across web, mobile, and TV platforms. What’s so successful here? The hybrid solution provides a cost-effective way to distribute their rights whilst maximizing reach, rights value and meeting the demands of fans who would otherwise have to go without.

At the heart of this is the seamless integration of the ICC’s website, app, and its ICC.TV streaming service, all managed through a single Content Management System. This singular platform allows cricket fans to engage with their favourite sport through live match streams, highlights, interviews, in-depth stats, player rankings, and more, regardless of the device they are using.

The result: During the first major tournament since launching the new hybrid platform, ICC witnessed a 30% increase in engagement vs the previous major event.

One website platform for 30 clubs

Who’s done it? MLS

In 2020, Major League Soccer (MLS) contracted Deltatre to design and build the multi-tenancy website model for MLSSoccer.com and all the 30 Clubs powered a multi tenancy model. The multi-tenancy model brings partners with flexibility within a framework, providing value to clubs, teams, affiliates, and member associations within sporting institutions.

The MLS design teams worked collaboratively with Deltatre's designers to create unique designs across MLSSoccer.com and the 30 teams. All of which come complete with different pieces of functionality. Whether that’s Visual Stories and Live Blogging, the integration of statistics, live scores or the flexibility to change the layout of each page for each individual club.

The result: Freedom within a framework with 30 teams adopting their own look and feel, whilst saving money. An appealing approach with the growth of the multi-club model and growing prominence of women's teams.

Multi-format content for multi-format engagement

Who’s done it? Atalanta

Atalanta BC, the reigning UEFA Europa League champions, partnered with Deltatre to underpin its digital assets with a newly launched website and mobile apps for iOS and Android. The new digital ecosystem centralizes content management within a single CMS, enabling seamless publishing across all platforms in both English and Italian – enhancing engagement with Atalanta’s growing global fan base.

Atalanta BC partnered with Deltatre to launch a new website and mobile app, offering a personalized fan experience. With real-time updates, stats, match information, and interactive content, Atalanta's digital ecosystem became a hub for global fans.

The addition of login functionality enabled personalized content, such as exclusive news and membership programs, allowing Atalanta to build a stronger connection with their supporters.

The result: Inception to live in 3 months, and in time for the new season.

Football clubs of all sizes must embrace innovative digital approaches to stay competitive and connect with their fans. From adopting content management platforms to integrating OTT services, the future of fan engagement lies in seamless, multi-platform digital ecosystems. By learning from the successes of clubs like Juventus, Atalanta, and MLS, football clubs can enhance their digital presence and maximize their growth.

Interested in discovering more about Deltatre’s work with global football clubs? Explore our Football Clubs Hub which contains more use cases, tips and product information.