LONDON, UK — Klarna, the AI-powered global payments network and shopping destination, announced the launch of a new in-app game that will reward sports fans for their fandom. Available for a limited period from July through to August to coincide with the biggest moment in women’s football, “Scream for your team,” will measure the decibels of fans’ cheers and enter those who scream loud enough into a draw to win weekly prizes worth £700.
The game will be accessible from July 17 to all Klarna app users. Players will be instructed to scream at an indicated volume in order to shoot a football into a goal. If the player scores three goals, they will be placed in a draw to win Nike gift cards with a maximum value of £250. The competition will run for a ve-week period, and each week, there will be one £250 and nine £50 Nike gift cards awarded to the most passionate, loudest fans.
While screaming for your team pays off with Klarna, there are additional benefits to being a vocal fan. A new survey conducted by Klarna reveals that 39% of respondents feel that cheering for their team fosters a sense of community and camaraderie, while 56% believe that vocally supporting women’s football can inspire young girls and women to pursue their own athletic dreams. Almost one in two respondents (44%) agreed or strongly agreed that screaming for their team connected them to something bigger than themselves and that it had an energizing effect on them personally (44%).
Cheering on a winning team also has proven benefits to spectators’ self-esteem according to a 2019 study in the Journal of Communication and Sport which found that fans of winning sports teams reported higher self-esteem two days after the game.
Furthermore, the Klarna research revealed that:
- Over three-quarters of respondents (76%) noted that their attitude towards women’s football has changed somewhat or very positively over the last few years.
- Of this group, 54% said that this change has been driven by the sport becoming increasingly more competitive and reaching a higher level of performance over the last few years.
- Watching women’s football is a family activity, with 64% of respondents saying that they watch games regularly with their family. However, the cost of attending live games in stadiums is still a barrier for 1 in 3 fans (36%) who nd it too expensive.
- When it comes to which generation watches women’s football multiple times a week, Millennials are by far the biggest fans (27%), followed by Gen Z (9%).
“Scream for your team” is one of several projects launched by Klarna in its efforts to help elevate women’s football. In 2021, Klarna was announced as a founding partner of Los Angeles-based National Women’s Soccer League team Angel City FC. The following year the brand delivered an eye-catching advertising campaign, alongside Visa during the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 that spotlighted eventual winners, Lionesses Fran Kirby and Lucy Bronze.
This year, Klarna sponsored the inaugural Women’s Football Awards and recognized Alessia Russo with the Player of the Year award which it also sponsored. Discussing the game and Klarna’s commitment to women’s football, Josh van Sant, Klarna’s Head of Global Consumer Communications, explained, “Klarna is on a mission to reward fans for their fandom and to support women’s football across the world. Football fans are looking forward to cheering on their national teams in Australia and New Zealand this summer and we want to give them a little something extra for their unwavering support.”
The “Scream for your team” game can be found in the “You” tab within the Klarna app, which is available to download for free for both Apple and Android devices.
