FC Cologne Partners with Leo AR, Bringing Tech Innovation to its Global Fanbase During COVID-19

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, FC Cologne announced a new partnership with Leo AR, one of the leading consumer facing AR apps today, to offer fans a new innovative way to connect with their favorite mascot, Hennes, during the holidays. Now global fans can instantly play and interact with Hennes wherever they are located, so fans can re-engage with their favorite sports team from home.

One of the most challenging aspects of starting a new season of professional soccer in the fall of 2020 is the inability for sports fans to participate in the stadiums to cheer their favorite league on. In this time of Covid-19, professional sports leagues are finding it difficult to connect with their most avid fans due to new regulations prohibiting sports fans from entering stadiums to cheer their teams on.

Sports fans will now, for the first time ever, be able to download Leo AR, a freemium app, and interact with a full category of FC Cologne objects including Hennes, Santa, soccer balls, snow and various other soccer and holiday-related items. There are also additional categories in Leo AR to enhance fans’ video creations like a celebration category to make fan videos even more exciting to watch and share with friends and family. Now anyone, anywhere in the world, can have Hennes in their living room, kitchen, playroom, or wherever they find it fun and entertaining to bring Hennes right into their own homes or apartments.

How does it work? After you download the app here, users point towards the floor, tap one of the objects (or several objects) in the FC Cologne category. Then, fans can tap the record button, and continue to add filters, stickers, music, change the speed or other fun features to supercharge their FC Cologne videos. Top videos will be considered for two fun competitions within Leo AR so fans can get the opportunity to win FC Cologne prizes.

“We’re excited to bring an innovative new way for FC Cologne fans to engage with their favorite mascot, Hennes. It not only allows fans to be creative and have fun while watching the game, but brings the community together in a way that’s safe during a challenging time,” said Managing Director Alexander Wehrle.

“Adults and children of all ages love to instantly see their favorite animals surrounding them while they’re at home. Our partnership with FC Cologne is a great way to bring people together in a time that people need to feel connected more than ever,” said Dana Loberg, founder and CEO of Leo AR.

Leo AR in conjunction with FC Cologne brings a new wave of innovation in the augmented reality space. By offering fans more ways to engage with their favorite sports league, FC Cologne helps bridge the gap as major sports leagues seek out new ways to engage fans and broader audience demographics. The proliferation of these new technologies like AR will only accelerate engagement with sports fans and entice younger audiences to participate in fun, new and creative ways going into the future.