By Martin Svensson · 25. September 2026

A new club app lives or dies in the first 4 to 6 weeks. If you don't create momentum from day one, the app ends up as just another icon nobody opens. What separates clubs that build an active fan base from those that watch download numbers stall after the first week isn't luck. It's a handful of deliberate tactics applied consistently in the critical early period.

Start before launch, not on launch day

The most common mistake clubs make is waiting to communicate until the app is live. By then, you've lost the anticipation that makes people act. Start building momentum 2 to 3 weeks before launch, using the channels you already have.

Teasers on social media and on the big screen during the home matches leading up to launch work well here. Show the logo and a date, but not the features yet. That way fans have something to look forward to rather than something to evaluate. Season ticket renewal is another natural moment to tie into app downloads. Fans are already engaging digitally with the club and are primed to take one more small action.

Make the first session effortless

Fans don't download an app to create a profile. They download it to get something right away. If the first thing they meet is a login wall, most of them will simply close the app and forget it exists.

The onboarding flow should let fans see content, such as news and fixtures, without a profile. Only ask for account creation when they want to actually do something: join a poll, claim a ticket or unlock exclusive content. When the ask does come, keep it light. Social login or a phone number will get you far more completed signups than a long form ever will, because every extra field is another point where someone gives up.

Reward the signup immediately with something tangible. That could be a welcome bonus, unlocked content or access to an activity at the next home match. People are far more likely to finish an action when they can see exactly what they get for it.

Give fans a reason to open the app on matchday

Downloads are only half the battle. The first few weeks are really about turning the app into a habit. Nothing builds that habit faster than giving fans something to actively do on matchday, rather than just something to read.

This is where activities inside the app earn their place:

• A live quiz at halftime gets fans pulling out their phones in the stands rather than scrolling somewhere else.

• A Man of the Match vote gives them a reason to open the app in the closing minutes, and again right after the final whistle to see the result.

Both are easy to set up and deliver a high return in engagement. They tap into something fans are already doing in their heads during the match anyway.

Competitions with real prizes take this a step further. Across the clubs already running this kind of activity, the pattern is consistent. Whenever a live quiz or a competition with a prize on the line goes out, the app sees a clear spike in new downloads.

A prize gives people who haven't downloaded the app yet a concrete reason to finally do it. It reaches them at the moment they're most likely to act: while sitting in the stadium, surrounded by other fans who are already playing.

Treat these activities as more than engagement features. They are your most effective acquisition channel in the first weeks after launch. Schedule at least one for every home match during that period rather than saving them for special occasions.

Visibility beyond the app itself matters too. Show the app, the access code and what's currently happening in it on the big screen and perimeter boards during the first matches after launch. This works as a constant physical reminder that the app exists, delivered at exactly the moment fans are most engaged.

Staff and club ambassadors, such as players and club employees, can add another layer of reach during this critical window by mentioning the app through their own channels.

Use data to spot where fans drop off

The first weeks are also your best opportunity to see exactly where fans fall away. Treat this analytically rather than just watching a single download number. Track the full path as an actual funnel rather than an aggregate total: download, open, profile creation, first action.

Then look closely at where in that flow people stop:

• If they drop off at the login screen, the barrier is too high.

• If they open the app but do nothing further, there's no clear first action pulling them forward.

Because volume is still low in these first weeks, it's also the cheapest time to A/B test things like the welcome message. Any mistakes carry little risk, and the learnings carry forward once volume picks up.

Set a concrete target and a timeframe

Without a goal, the launch becomes hard to evaluate honestly. A realistic benchmark is that 5 to 10% of your average attendance downloads the app within the first two home matches after launch. That assumes communication is strong and at least one live activity, such as a quiz or a prize competition, is running. Of those who download, 60 to 70% should create a profile within the same session if the onboarding flow is truly frictionless. That is only the starting point. Among the clubs we work with, those that put real effort into the tactics above end up with roughly twice as many app users as their average attendance. That can sound high, but an app reaches far beyond the people in the stands on any given matchday. Season ticket holders who miss a match, occasional visitors, family members and fans following from home all find their way in.

The rule of thumb is simple: take your average attendance and multiply it by 2.

That is the number of downloads within reach if you commit to the work. These numbers give you something concrete to measure yourselves against. They are also a solid starting point for any club considering whether an app is worth the investment.