Smartphone fitness apps and football fans : a case study of Fan Fit

The growth of smartphone ownership by fans around the world has continued to increase. Meanwhile, we are seeing a rise in dangerous levels of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. The most at-risk, hard-to-reach groups are often synonymous with football fans (middle aged and older males). For this population group there are also high rates of smartphone ownership – 91% of 35–54 year olds and 51% of 55–64 year olds in the UK in 2018 – providing opportunity for engagement in digital health-related projects. This chapter explores how fans can be engaged in physical activity through their support of sport teams and use of smartphones, introducing a case study of Fan Fit – a smartphone application designed to be an official sports club app, which also includes fitness tracking elements for fan engagement. Fan Fit aims to build a community of participation, and increase interaction and physical activity levels. We present the background and evidence base for Fan Fit, its implementation and the use of action research to develop and test the app. We present key learnings to develop further insight to football clubs who may wish to adopt a similar project or approach.