Manchester City's New App Delivers Digital Matchday Experience for Fans

It's 'Inside Manchester City Week' at Bleacher Report, and the first day brings an exclusive look at the app City hope will revolutionise the stadium experience for their fans.

Manchester City have constantly innovated off the field in recent seasons, and the launch of their new digital app, CityMatchday, looks set to continue the trend. 

City’s website, which was the first to trial Tunnel Cam—the behind-the-scenes footage on matchdays showing the goings-on in the tunnel before, during and after a game—has long been considered the best in the Premier League in terms of what it offers fans, but City are now taking their own in-house coverage a giant step further.

CityMatchday contains three separate channels of content, two of which are exclusive to those inside the stadium and another that can be accessed by all.

mcfc.co.uk

For those inside the Etihad Stadium on a matchday, they can access a rewind function, which allows users to go back 30 seconds to see contentious decisions, a highlights package that replays the most significant moments of the game on a loop and a "Tactical Cam" that allows a unique view of the game from an angle high above the pitch, offering insight into formation and passing patterns.

The third channel is CityTV Live, a live, dedicated matchday package that gives viewers an insight into everything going on inside the stadium before and after a game. Coverage includes live behind-the-scenes insights, player interviews and line-up announcements, with presenter Kelly O'Donnell given the task of getting as much news and information as possible from around the ground. This feature is available to fans anywhere in the world.

Jon Super/Associated Press

 The footage streamed via the app isn't available anywhere else.

Speaking about CityMatchday, the club's director of media and fan relationship management, Diego Gigliani, said:

"

Football is much more than just the 90 minutes on the pitch. The matchday ritual begins for many fans the moment they wake up in the morning.  The anticipation during the build up to the game and the emotions afterwards are what makes it so special. This is what we wanted to try and capture and share with our fans, wherever they’re supporting us from.

As a Club, we have always prided ourselves on digital innovation and continually trying to push the boundaries of what is possible to ensure our fans have a great time supporting their team.  This philosophy not only lies at the heart of our fan engagement, but also our aim to create the world’s most immersive digital matchday experience.

"

City are trying to bring fans closer to the action through their own digital platforms. This is uncharted territory, and once again, it is they who are looking redefine the matchday experience for fans both inside and outside the stadium.

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Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.