HAMPSHIRE Cricket has won two prestigious prizes - including the best loyalty initiative award - in a glittering ceremony at the Ageas Bowl.

The accolade, which recognises creative and innovative approaches to engaging with fans and members, was presented to the club following the launch of its new App.

Hailed as the first of its type in English county cricket, the App has helped bring fans closer to the action while enhancing their matchday experience.

It was developed in partnership with InCrowd and enables Hampshire fans across the globe to enjoy live streaming, scorecards and video highlights of matches as well as access to exclusive content and behind-the-scenes footage.

They are also able to have their say thanks to player-of-the-match polls, while a Fan Cam allows supporters to share their experience of following Hampshire.

Its early success has seen users spend more than 2.3 million minutes on the platform, accumulating in excess of 1.5 million page views.

Another key component of the App is its ticketing wallet, which resulted in more than 17,000 digital tickets being used to gain admission for matches during the 2019 season.

The accolade was presented at the ECB Business of Cricket Awards, held at the Ageas Bowl for the first time.

Hampshire Cricket’s head of marketing, Harry Walklin, received the Rising Star Award, while the club itself was shortlisted for its Blast IT Communications Campaign, in which the App played a central role.

Mr Walklin said: “It was a huge privilege to host this year’s Business of Cricket Awards and we’re thrilled the Hampshire Cricket App was recognised.

"It was developed with our fans firmly in mind and we’ve been delighted to see so many of our supporters utilising it to stay close to everything going on at the club."

CONTACT ME

t: 023 8042 4503

e: chris.yandell@

dailyecho.co.uk