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During the height of the Arab Spring, the Tunisian government banned crowds from gathering at games played by the soccer team C.S Hammam-Lif. To enable fans to continue supporting their team, the Mobilizing the 12th Man campaign translated virtual clapping and cheering from an app into real sound played through speakers in the stadium. Although these were special circumstances, the average fan can also be locked out of supporting their teams in person thanks to extortionate ticket prices and the cost of traveling to away games. The UK’s Fanmode is an app that enables stay-at-home sports fans to have their support broadcast at the game venue.

Available for both iOS and Android, the app enables fans to pick their team and broadcast their emotions during a game. Users can swipe up for a cheer, down for a boo, tap to clap, or even shake their phone like a flag. After a certain number of actions have been registered, they can swipe right for a ‘Super Cheer’. Although each action doesn’t directly contribute to the noise being made by supporters in the stadium, they do get registered on the Vibeboard — a digital dashboard that fans can access through the app or online, and that’s also displayed live on the stadium big screen and in the dressing room and tunnel. This way, those using the app can actually have their support noticed by the players, increasing the sense of connectivity even though they couldn’t make it to the game.

Watch the video below to learn more about Fanmode:

Fanmode was recently trialled during the FIFA World Cup and is targeting select Premiership games. Although the premise is somewhat gimmicky, the company is looking at ways in which this kind of data can be used to predict fan sentiment, which can affect their desire to purchase club-related merchandise. Fanmode is also looking at team-branded wearables that function just like the app. Are there other ways to give fans staying at home greater interaction with live events?