Leeds Utd in soccer phone link-up
Leeds United football club today signed a deal to provide the first ever football club-specific WAP mobile phone.
The club has entered a three-way partnership with BT Cellnet, the UK mobiles’ arm of BT, and Watford-based software company WAP Integrators.
Under the deal, Leeds United fans will be able to bet on their team, buy tickets or send emails to other fans over a WAP-enabled mobile phone.
They will also be able to ask for a text message telling them when their team has scored, won a penalty or even a corner.
Fans signing up for a 12-month period will be given a free handset, free connection and one month’s free line rental.
WAP Integrators, which listed on the Alternative Investment Market last August, has been developing the technology needed to run the site for the last two years.
It will run the service’s betting site - sportsflutter - asking fans to set up an account on their WAP phone to pay for bets and receive winnings.
The company also expects to make money through the text messaging service, quizzes and lotteries.
Managing director Mike Mulvaney said the betting service would initially be tested with 100 fans but said he was confident the technology was reliable.
He said Leeds United estimated there could as many as 50,000 "ardent fans" who would be keen to sign up for the service.
The Football Association claims Leeds United has a fan base of 1.7 million.
WAP Integrators believed football clubs across the world, as well as teams in other sports such as rugby union or rugby league, would want to run a similar scheme.
"There is a huge potential market for WAP phones linked to sporting clubs," he said. "We believe this deal is a WAP world-first which should generate revenue from the start."
Mr Mulvaney said the deal with Leeds had the potential to earn millions, and added BT Cellnet had been quick to see the benefits.
"In a saturated market this is another way for them to get new customers, and these will be customers for life," he explained.
Leeds United’s marketing manager Andrew Cucksey said the club believed the service would be "invaluable" to its fans.
