While for the past decade AB de Villiers has been achieving new records for the Proteas on the field, the current South African ODI captain and world number one ODI batsman, is set to achieve yet another milestone in his sporting career.
AB, who is world renowned for his innovative batting style and all round excellence on the cricket pitch, is now setting a trend off the field.
Partnering with American based tech company, FanHero, AB will become one of the first sportsmen in South Africa to develop a personalised fan engagement app. This will allow him to interact on a more personal level with his fans around the world.
Talking about the app before its launch AB said, “I have been looking for a way to engage on a more authentic level with my fans across the world and FanHero has offered me the perfect platform to do that. It will be my life in a bundle, something that I haven’t been able to get across on traditional social media.”
FanHero, a tech start-up that has been running for just over a year, has already produced several apps in North and South America. They specialise specifically in sports teams and celebrities, allowing them the opportunity to engage exclusively with fans without the constraints that often come with other social media platforms. FanHero’s technology has been developed to increase engagement and improve the interaction between user and fan. The company has broken the traditional boundaries of engagement allowing the fan to get closer to their hero, in this case, AB de Villiers. This unique platform will give fans unprecedented access to AB’s personal and professional life. With live streaming, pictures, videos and updates from AB, fans will be able to see behind closed doors, learning what it takes to be a professional cricketer and what makes him tick. In addition to all this, fans will be able to ask questions, which AB can respond to, maintaining interaction between hero and fan. “I want to give away as much as possible, and allow people to understand exactly what it takes to be a professional cricketer.”
Johan van Wyk, Director of FanHero South Africa said, “While South Africa is still a developing country in terms of technology, AB de Villiers is a superstar both on the field and online. He is one of Africa’s biggest sporting brands and represents everything we were looking for in terms of a partnership.”
Fans can look forward to more access, fewer restrictions and a direct line to one of South Africa’s favourite sportsmen, bringing the fan and hero closer together.
The AB de Villiers Official app will be available on both the Apple App and Google Play stores from the 26th of March 2017. AB will also be doing a live streaming Q&A session on the 26th of March, so be sure to download the app, tune in and send in your questions! Follow AB on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ABdeVilliers17), Twitter (@ABdeVilliers17), and Instagram (abdevilliers17) for more information about the app.
