The new season does not kick off until Saturday, but Norwich City is breaking new ground in its return to the Premier League, signing what is thought to be the top division’s first-ever mobile gaming sponsor -- Seriously. The global game and entertainment company is based in Venice, Calif. and Helsinki, Finland. Its first title, Best Fiends, was released on iOS and Android devices in October. The free to play puzzle game has been downloaded over 15 million times and claims more than 1.3 million daily active players. “It's a significant partnership for the club, and one that we're exceptionally proud of,” Norwich City Partnerships & Branding Development Manager Ben Tunnell said. While terms of the deal have not been released, Tunnell said, “The Best Fiends brand has taken over Carrow Road, in particular on the iconic home and away dug outs.”
GETTING KIDS INVOLVED: The Canaries’ mascot will also share space with its new “Best Fiends,” mosquitoes, slugs, and other animated animals, on the stadium’s LED screen and the media backdrops for broadcast interviews. And while players and staff may enjoy playing the game, Tunnell says the club is looking forward to a Seriously unique kind of fan experience. “To me, the most exciting element of the partnership surrounds the Coding for Kids event," he said. For this workshop, the digital media company will send over its veteran app developers, who have worked on games including Angry Birds and Clash of Clans, to show the Junior Canaries fan club and children of the staff and players how to build their own app. It will be held in February around Seriously’s key match sponsorship of Norwich’s home duel against Tottenham. Seriously co-Founder & CEO Andrew Stalbow said, “It’s not a standard football partnership deal.” He says the company reached out to all the newly promoted EPL clubs since they, like the mobile entertainment company, are “challengers” trying to build a brand on a global stage. “We knew the new teams would look to bring on partners with global aspirations,” Stalbow said. “We really like Norwich’s family values and they’re about to hit 750 million TV households globally. We have a game resonating around the world and thought the Premier League would be a great way to build an audience.”
NOT PLAYING FAVORITES: Ironically, the British Stalbow’s favorite English side, Watford, also got promoted but did not end up as Seriously’s partner. “It’s probably better that I keep my business and my football club separated,” he said. Seriously announced Monday that it had raised $18M in a Series A round of venture capital from European and Korean investors, giving the startup $28M for marketing and developing the next two titles in the Best Fiends trilogy as well as animated shorts. Stalbow says it may sponsor other sports and in other regions, but the company felt the Premier League gave it the best global platform, especially in Asia, as it expands. “This may just be the start in sports,” he says, “Sports may be a great place for us to acquire players.”
Robert D. Gray is a writer in Los Angeles.
