The Irish Hockey Association has become the latest sporting governing body to launch it’s own app, initially for iPhone, in order to provide up to date news, fixtures and results in the palm of supporters hands.
The association has developed the app in partnership with eSports Manager, a Mayo based company that specialises in sporting websites and applications and has built strong relationships in GAA, Rugby Soccer and other sports.
“The launch of the iPhone app is an important part of our digital media strategy,” said Karl O’Shaughnessy, Marketing Manager at the Irish Hockey Association.
“We have been actively developing our digital media initiatives over the last number of years such as our website redesign, social media platforms and live hockey online streaming. The iPhone app is a logical progression at this point.”
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[ismember]The Hockey app is free to download and free to use despite not presently carrying any sponsorship or advertising. It is based on a similar template to that used by other sports bodies including Munster Rugby, whose app is supported by TG4, and Dublin Ladies Gaelic Football that carries advertising for O’Neills on most pages.
eSports Manager provides websites and apps that reach out to more than a million largely amateur sports followers and club members.
It provides clubs with a low cost online presence that is supported by advertising and competes in a similar space to My Club Finances, Teamer and Silver Hatch Sports.
There are a number of ways in which an association or sports club can monetise an app, all of which are in use to some or extent and are tried and tested across a range of sectors.
1. Asking people to pay for the app.
If the content and the experience are a valuable addition, payment can be an option though Apple will take 30% of the revenue generated in exchange for providing the platform and the payment process.
2. Seek a sponsor.
If the sport or company already has an existing sponsor tis might be seen as a good way of providing additional benefit.  Depending on the relationship it could also be charged seperately.
3. Carry Banner Ads
There are a host of ad agencies and service providers who, like Google Ads, will serve relevant banner ads to your users, most of the revenue of which will be based on affiliate deals rather than just putting them up.  Care needs to be taken to know your audience and what they will accept.
4. A Blend of Free and Paid
Putting up a lite version, supported by banner ads can provide enough to make users want more.  A full version might allow for push notifications of match results or fixture changes, be advertising free, and be seen as worthwhile for a cost of around €1.99.
5. Micro Payments
Apple will enable payments within the app that use a system users are familiar with and trust.  There is a cost for accepting the payment so this needs to be borne in mind if the channel is substituting one that costs nothing but could with thought and planning be used for tickets, merchandise or even virtual products like images and badges that add value to the relationship with a sport’s fans and value to the brand.
The iPhone app will be followed later this year with an Android app and further functionalities will be added to both in due course.[/ismember]

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