Your Call Football is returning for four games starting next month, and among the prizes fans can earn while calling plays is a new “$1 Million Perfect Game” purse.
The second series kicks off on Feb. 25 in Jacksonville, Fla., with fans again using a zero-latency app to call the plays on the field. Former NFL players Merril Hoge returns to coach team Power, and fellow NFL alumnus and broadcaster Solomon Wilcots takes over team Grit from Mike Sherman, who left Your Call Football to coach in the CFL.
Fans will have the opportunity to compete for more than $72,000 in cash prizes that will be awarded after each quarter, game, and the entire series. The new $1 million incentive is available for any fan who records the maximum number of play calling points during a full game. Points are awarded based on his or her pick, the success of the play, and alignment with the coach’s selection.
“If you look at what’s happening in football, the focus and excitement around the offense and offensive play-calling is at an all-time high; we’re giving fans an opportunity to get in on the action by showing their skills, competing against each other and, now, playing for a chance to win $1 million,” said Julie Meringer, president of Your Call, Inc., in a statement.
The four games will take place on successive Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET. The underlying technology is provided by Phenix. Among the new features this season is the ability for fans to set up unlimited head-to-head competitions with other users in fantasy-style competition.
“YCF represents the future of the fan experience, which is why I’m so thrilled to continue my involvement,” Hoge said in a statement. “The barrier between fans and the action continues to shrink, and YCF is at the forefront of delivering an experience that all fans are looking for.”
SportTechie Takeaway
The $1 million purse may prove to be more of a headline grabber than a reality, given the difficulty of calling a perfect game, but perhaps nothing is impossible: a pair of Your Call Football players last year received NFL contracts based on their participation. That speaks to the quality of football being played, and the increase in cash prizes (up from $50,000 last year) indicates how well this gamified product may be resonating with fans.