It’s getting easier to find and meet athletes these days thanks to athlete-centric platforms like Instagram, Facebook Live and Snapchat. But for those who might be half a world away from their favorite teams and players, German football club Bayern Munich has a solution that takes advantage of a different type of technology.
Bayern Munich announced Tuesday its augmented reality experience for iOS, which allows iPhone users to take snapshots with augmented reality versions of two popular football players: captain Manuel Neuer and forward Arjen Robben.
Robben is an international star, having played for PSV Eindhoven, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, as well as for the Netherlands national team in four FIFA World Cups. (He just retired from international competition after the Netherlands missed the cut for the 2018 World Cup). Neuer was the captain of Germany’s national team for its 2014 FIFA World CUP championship, during which he also won the Gold Glove award for best goalkeeper.
“This augmented reality feature offers fans a playful, unique and immersive opportunity to get closer to the team they love whether they are based in Munich, New York or Mexico,” Stefan Mennerich, the director of media, digital and communications for Bayern Munich, said in a statement.
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Fans of these players and of Bayern Munich can take a screenshot pic with the players by aiming the in-app camera function at any flat surface, according to the announcement. Users can also choose the 2017-18 jersey that Robben or Neuer will appear in, and can customize the back of the players’ jerseys.
For a #twinning snapshot, fans can also purchase Bayern Munich shirts through the app so they can wear them for the next augmented reality photo. Fans who post on social media using #fcbayARn might have their shots with the players displayed in the app and on Bayern’s website.
excuse me @Manuel_Neuer i have some work to do
#fcbayARn pic.twitter.com/m9vrHWlDL9
— dhanisa (@dhanisarp) October 17, 2017
“It is important to us that we continue to offer these innovative experiences, not only to ensure that we are connecting with our family of fans on all levels but also to continue advancing digital technology used in the sport sector,” Mennerich added.
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The new feature takes advantage of Apple’s ARKit development tool, the same program that works with the new iPhone X’s face-tracking technology. The Bayern Munich feature is accessed only through the “AR Arena” within the app and is supported only by Apple’s more recent lines of the iPhone that contain A9 and A10 chips, along with iOS 11.
The Bayern Munich app is free for download on the App Store.