English Premier League football club Manchester United has launched its first official profile on Snapchat. Announcing the news, the globally renowned club said it is on “a mission to inspire and entertain millions of fans around the world with new experiences that will transform how they celebrate and watch sports content.”
The profile @manutd has gone live ahead of the men’s first team pre-season tour across Europe and the United States. The club said it will give fans new ways to follow and experience the club ahead of and during the upcoming season, which starts against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford on 14 August.
Currently, Snapchat has around 750 million users worldwide and is targeting 1 billion in the next few years. Via the new profile, users will be able to watch match highlights from the Men’s and Women’s team, behind-the-scenes content including match preparation, clips from training, fan-generated content and post-match activities. Other content will include video highlights with club legends and regular giveaways of signed and match-worn kit to reward fans who demonstrate the most creativity.
Ian Nolan, chief content officer at Manchester United, said: “Snapchat is a hugely popular global platform that will further add to the numerous ways the club engages on social media. We look forward to sharing exclusive behind-the-scenes content with fans, as well as introducing them to the innovative features of the Snapchat platform. We want to reward loyal fans for their support and, through the Snapchat lenses feature, we will be looking out for the most creative fan-generated content.”
Alejandro Arenas, international sports partnerships at Snap, added: “We are thrilled to welcome Manchester United to millions of Snapchatters around the globe. Snapchat continues to offer new ways for fans to experience, celebrate and watch sports with their friends and family – whether that’s watching catching up on goals from the weekend or using an AR Lens to try on the latest home kit for the upcoming season.”
Powered by Snapchat’s Live Garment transfer tech, fans will be able to use the app to virtually try on the official Manchester United team kit for the upcoming season and buy it directly from the club’s online store. Fans can also play with new Lenses that help them experience the view from the best seats within Old Trafford.
