Sports networks should take notice: Americans love football (or soccer, whatever you want to call it). Last week, the match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona had fans all over the world on the edge of their seats, but one social TV, Tok.tv app reports that 40 percent of its traffic during the game came from North and South America. That’s compared 31 percent from Europe, 19 percent from Asia, 9 percent from Africa and 1 percent from Oceania. You sort of have to feel for that lonely Barca fan in Oceania. Tok.tv is an app that allows members to take selfies during games and post them in app, send messages to root for their teams, and talk to other members.
Tok.tv is one of a growing number of social apps built around sports that also has features like picture sharing and audio features. While sports do well on social, it’s notable that apps that offer features like being able to heckle or holler at your team do very well with the most hardcore fans. Their app integrates their social platform into teams’ apps like FC Barcelon, Real Madrid, and the general Serie A one.
The game drew over 400 million viewers according to SkySports, and there were 980,000 tweets with the official hashtag of the game, #ElClasico. Tok.tv drew in 400,000 users during the event and all of them were interacting with the app’s features and with other users. Over 48,000 “social selfies” were taken, which is the app’s main feature of snapping a photo inlayed with realtime screen action and posting it so social media. Tok.tv found that most pictures were taken as soon as a goal came up from either team. Fans were also sending “fun sounds” to friends and other users, another feature were instead of an emoji, you get a sound effect to gloat about a good pass or goal. Which is kind of a big deal when you’re trying to recreate the stadium experience, rife with chants, songs, and insults.
Tok.tv focuses mainly on sports, and namely soccer. They currently have over 5,000,000 users. And by the numbers of the Clasico, it looks like soccer fans at least are into how the app let’s them enjoy the game.