Cristiano Ronaldo and Kiat Lim redefine fantasy football with new ...

14 Aug 2023

Marketing Interactive

ZujuGP, helmed by businessman Kiat Lim and fronted by global football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, has launched Kickoff by Zuju, a real-time, second-screen fan experience that enables fans to play along during a live football match.

Kickoff by Zuju is free-to-play and operates within a freemium model. Users have the option of purchasing premium features such as virtual goods, gameplay-related benefits, and power-ups, as well as subscriptions to unlock special social interaction and community privileges.

According to ZujuGP, it aims to crack the code for an immersive second-screen football fan experience by giving fans the opportunity to play along with their favourite teams and players in real-time during a live match. This will amplify the action taking place during live football matches with a complementary mobile gaming experience that operates in real-time as the match unfolds.

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ZujuGP, in a statement, said that the second-screen experience has always been limited to viewing static content or browsing on socials, and monetising audience engagement has been similarly limited – which Kickoff by Zuju aims to change.

During a live match, fans on Kickoff by Zuju can play along, in real-time, with their favourite players and teams on their mobile devices. They can do so by anticipating micro-events such as goals, shot attempts, touches in the penalty-box, crosses, and free kicks, all as the match is happening live – unlike traditional fantasy games where “gameplay” occurs prior to the match.

“We are using technology intuitively to elevate the match experience in real-time and create a new football sub-culture. Kickoff by Zuju was inspired by fans all over the world who have long demanded a more engaging and immersive second-screen experience – and we are proud to be able to lead the way,” said Kiat Lim, co-founder of zujuGP.

Ronaldo features prominently in the global campaign for this new game, comprising a series of videos, posts, and activations that will be released on his social channels.

The campaign will introduce fans to this revolutionary dimension of football engagement and encourages them to #playeverymoment with Kickoff by Zuju.

Ronaldo is also slated to release a limited-edition collectible card collection exclusively on Kickoff by Zuju – where users will be able to unlock and win copies of these cards, which will be physically delivered to them. In addition, the football star will also be attending real-life engagements such as meet-and-greets, which will also be exclusive to the platform.

The strategy for launching platform-exclusive collectibles backed by international sports stars taps into the growing global sports memorabilia market, which is expected to reach US$227.2 billion by 2032, up from US$26.1 billion in 2021.

“We are especially excited that Ronaldo has been an important part of the development of Kickoff by Zuju, giving us the opportunity to bring fans even closer to players,” Lim explained.

“Kickoff by Zuju provides fans with the extraordinary opportunity to connect further with the game, their favourite teams, and players. As someone who is deeply passionate about football and giving back to the supporters who have been with me throughout my career, I take immense pride in being part of this platform that elevates the way fans can enjoy the game,” Ronaldo added.

Last year, Binance signed Ronaldo on for an exclusive multi-year NFT partnership. Binance, at the point, launched a global promotion aimed at giving Ronaldo’s fans an introduction to Web3. Through the partnership, Binance and Cristiano Ronaldo created a series of NFT collections for sale exclusively on the Binance NFT platform.

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