Cricket star Ravindra Jadeja is a verified social media star, with 990,000 Twitter followers, 1.7 million followers on Instagram and 3.5 million followers on Facebook. Now, he also has a personal app to connect more closely with his fans.
Jadeja is the top-ranked Test bowler and second-best All-Rounder in the world, according to the International Cricket Council. The 28-year-old has also helped the Indian men’s Test team rank first in the world. According to ESPNCricinfo, During the 2015-16 season, Jadeja was a fixture as India swept South Africa.
Jadeja’s new app, built through the EscapeX platform, allows his fans to easily connect with him through different social channels. The app, available in the United States on the App Store, features a social feed where users can view and interact with videos and updates. Users can also enter contests that could lead to a meet-and-greet with Jadeja or tickets to matches and events. The app also includes a playlist that users can add to from their own Spotify accounts.
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The app itself is free, but especially devoted followers of Jadeja can subscribe to be “Superfans,” the perks of which include an avatar badge for their profile and exclusive “Superfan” content. Fans can also boost their comments with “Superstars,” and if they reach the top three, potentially get noticed by Jadeja himself.
Jadeja touted the app in a series of social media posts, advertising a surprise and saying the app allows him to interact one-on-one with his “honest and loyal fans.” That video post on Instagram received 121,000 views and a subsequent post announcing the surprise—a contest to meet Jadeja—notched 39,555 likes.
Jadeja’s app looks poised to connect a sizable fan community, offer exclusive benefits to “Superfans,” and bring each individual devotee closer to Jadeja himself through social media—and, for some, in person.