On February 9, 2020, I heard about this new app. I heard about it because one of the Reno 1868 FC staff posted about it in the Douglas Alley Renegades and Battle Born Brigade group pages. If I was releasing an app this would not be the way I would do it. I would tell people two weeks in advance from the release. I would build hype over those two weeks. Then at the end of those two weeks have a reveal party similar to the upcoming kit reveal party. The first thing that did cross my mind (because of how they released the app) was is this just the same as the website.
All of the storage space on my phone is very valuable. It’s valuable because I need as much space free as possible for filming and pictures. For these reasons, an app like the new 1868 FC one has to have more information than what I can just get on their website. If it doesn’t then I am likely to never use the app. Most of the time when I need information about Reno 1868 FC I use my computer and multiple websites (Reno 1868 FC, USL Championship, Wiki, other team websites). When I need information about Reno 1868 FC it’s mostly when I am researching content.
What’s The App Like?
When the app is first opened it asks you to log in or sign up. While you are on this screen the app gives you four pictures to scroll through. The first picture is welcoming you to the app. The second, third and fourth pictures all give you glimpses into what you will be seeing in the app.
After you’ve signed up the app does a small survey. The first question on the survey is “Who do you go to Reno 1868 FC games with”. I think two options are missing from this question. First being supporter groups and second, being along the lines of I’ve never been to a game. The second question the app asks is “What best describes you”. I think that with this question they are trying to better understand what type of fans are downloading the app. The third and final question the app asks is “Are you a season member”. I think this question comes back to better understanding who is downloading the app. I think this question comes down to how much is the team going to advertise season memberships.
The app does give you the option of skipping logging in and doing the survey. This means that you can use the app without letting the team know.
Once you are in the app you will be on the home page. The first thing that you will see in the upcoming games. Below is the latest news about the team. Below the news is the latest videos. Below that is the offseason tracker, standings, team store, and Greater Nevada Field. At the very bottom is the team Twitter feed.
Next to the home button is the fan hub. Currently, the fan hub only has the offseason tracker. Next to the fan hub is the schedule. This has all of the team’s events and games in one easy to understand location. Next to the schedule is tickets. This is where you can buy tickets. After tickets is your profile.
If you click on any of the games it brings up an easy to understand page full of all of the match information and stats. At the top of the page, there are a couple of interactive things you can click on. The first is fan cam. This promises to allow fans to use exclusive overlays, share photos with other fans and be featured by the team. Next to fan cam on the match page is a thing called match day. I don’t know what this is. When clicked on it asks for you to sign in to NBC sports engine. I imagine that this will be a feature in the future that allows fans to understand everything that is happening during and leading up to a game. Next to match day is lineup. That feature is not accessible yet. At the bottom of the match page is the team Twitter.
A common theme with this app is to send you to the team’s website. It did this to me when I clicked on news links and when I clicked on ticket links. The app did not transfer me to a web service app. The app accessed the team website from within the app. One thing that I did like was that they built a video play in the app.
Is it better than the website?
The app is more user-friendly than the website. The app is easier to use than the website as well. The app also has features that should enhance the game day experience of any fan. I am not sure that it will do that yet because Reno hasn’t had any matches since the app has been released. One thing that the website does better than the app is that it holds more information. The website will always have more information than the app. That’s just how most apps work. I think as far as being able to be a conveyance on game day it does its job pretty well.
Is it worth downloading?
Most of the information from the app can be found on the team website. Information that can’t be found on the team website can be found on the USL Championship website or other apps and areas on the internet. For that reason, I think that unless you are a diehard Reno fan it isn’t worth downloading. It is worth downloading if you are going to Reno games and are trying to enhance your experience. It also is worth downloading if you want to follow the team when you can’t go to games.
Zac Electrifly 