This may not be new news that Arsenal has an iPad app as it was covered recently by our friends over at Digital Football but there is more to this story to think about.

Some info about the app….it can be downloaded for free and sits within your newsstand.  From there you can either buy the latest programme available, subscribe for a month (£3.99) or year (39.99), or download for free an older issue.  So far there have 2 editions released, the 18th August and 15th September, as it is produced (as they always have been) for home matches.

It scrolls nicely with a swipe, as most digital magazines do and has an instruction screen a the start to show how the interactive elements to the app work.  You move across for the main headline pages and hen when you find a section you like, scroll down for the next page(s).  All in all it works really well and a great resource for those fans who cannot get the games but want to feel part of the match-day experience

I saw a tweet that made me think the other day when it came to programmes.  In this digital age and with so many fans watching in front of their TV, on their computer or via mobile.  Why do they only produce programmes for home games?

Here is an opportunity via the app to give fans what they want for every game of a season.  They are quicker to put together as there is no printing time to take into account.  It would take a lot of work as the season is pretty hectic, non-stop at times.  But there is an opportunity to make fans think that ‘hey, a game is coming up.  lets get the latest programme’ rather than them having a month’s break due to a lack of home games.

Not only are you providing great content that only the club can offer but if available at every game then it breeds a behaviour pattern that becomes a regular habit.  Something the fan wont even think twice about doing if they know it is there and they can access it.

There are 2x benefits for the club;

1. Additional exposure for sponsors/asdvertisers, thus making the match day programme a better sell in to brands
2. Regular income through subscriptions from all over the world, not only fans at the ground

The club also released a video with Aaron Ramsey to explain to their Facebook fans what the app is about, what content they can expect from it and how they can get get it themselves. You can watch it by clicking here

What do you think.  Will it catch on with other clubs and should they do programmes for away games too?