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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) today outlined its commitment to stay at the forefront of the digital media and communications realm during the first meeting of the AFC Media & Communications Committee for the 2023-2027 term.
Led by Chairperson Ganbaatar Amgalanbaatar, the virtual meeting saw the Committee receiving updates on new fan engagement initiatives that aim to build upon the record-breaking numbers witnessed since October 2022.
A key piece in the Confederation’s efforts was put in place in April this year with the launch of the AFC LIVE mobile application. Available in English and Arabic on both Apple and Android devices, the app is set to become the new mobile home of the latest AFC news, as well as provide live scores for all AFC National Team Competitions Finals, AFC Club Competitions and all domestic leagues in Asia.
Launched in time to complement existing coverage of the AFC Champions League™ 2022 Final, the AFC LIVE app also delivers match insights, line-ups, tables, statistics, exclusive news and curated videos straight to fans’ fingertips. The Committee was pleased to note that other features, such as fantasy football and match predictor functions, will be progressively added.
Another vital addition to the AFC’s digital infrastructure was made in the form of the AFC customer relationship management (CRM) system. Launched earlier in the year, the platform will gather detailed knowledge of Asian football fan habits to support the Confederation’s commercial strategies around marketing, product and content development, with the expressive aim of reaching supporters on a more global scale.
Furthermore, the AFC is currently enhancing its media archive management by digitally integrating its rich history of historical moments.
The Committee was also apprised of the ongoing website rebranding efforts of the-AFC.com for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™, as the Continent gears up for the 18th edition of Asia’s crown jewel that will be staged in Doha from January 12 to February 10, 2024.
In a reflection of the growing passion of Asia’s football fans in consuming digital content, remarkable improvements in engagement numbers were noted across a slew of competitions and events when compared to their respective previous editions.
The AFC’s digital platforms registered an increase of 717% in terms of video views for the AFC U20 Asian Cup™ Uzbekistan 2023, while growth for others stood at 3,883% for the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup™ Thailand 2023, 2,267% for the AFC U17 Asian Cup™ Thailand 2023, 32% for the AFC Cup™ 2022 and 1,303% for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ Final Draw.
In line with the heightened engagement, the website metrics for the-AFC.com showcased year-on-year growth – views rose by 36% to 13.43 million, sessions by 23% to 5.61m and users also by 23% to 3.99m.
Apart from the fresh digital initiatives unveiled, further updates were provided on the areas of corporate communications, audiovisual and photography to the Committee.
