The Miami Dolphins today announced that it is has signed on to be a partner for the Ultimate Fan Facebook application. Ultimate Fan (http://www.facebook.com/ultimatefan) is the first social football game that is all about the fans.
The partnership is being announced just in time for the Jets vs. Dolphins game that will take place on September 26th in Miami. A custom branded Miami Dolphins version of the application will now be available to fans of the team.
“We are very excited about giving ‘Finatics’ an innovative and unique way to show their team pride in the social networking world,” said Jim Rushton, Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships and Integrated Media for the Miami Dolphins. “And the timing is perfect since we’re facing our arch rivals this week and there’s tremendous social media activity engagement by our fans. We encourage all Dolphins fans to log on and join in on the fun to face off against the rival team’s fans!”
Rushton added, “This is another step, of many we have taken the last several months, to communicate and interact with our fans where they want, when they want and how they want to engage with the Dolphins.”
Since launch on September 8th, the Ultimate Fan application has grown rapidly and now has more than 200,000 monthly active users. New features will continue to be rolled out on a regular basis including sponsored items and more ways for fans to interact and compete with each other.
“We’re very excited to have another NFL franchise join Ultimate Fan,” said Jessica Rovello, president of Arkadium. “The Dolphins and Jets have had one of the league’s great rivalries on the field – now their fans can extend this rivalry into the social media sphere.”
Ultimate Fan was spearheaded by the New York Jets, created in conjunction with game developer Arkadium (http://www.arkadium.com) and is the first revenue generating Facebook application to be backed by a NFL team. Not a football simulator or a fantasy league game, at its core Ultimate Fan lets fans be fans by doing online what they would normally do at home and in stadiums. From rooting for their favorite team, to predicting game scores, to holding a virtual tailgate with fans all over the U.S., there is a component of the game for everyone, no matter what team people are cheering on.
About Arkadium
Arkadium (www.arkadium.com) is the largest provider of casual game solutions for some of the biggest brands in the world. The company’s extensive library of popular games can be found on Facebook, iPhone, Android and premium websites by clients such as MSN, Hearst Magazines Digital Media, ESPN, ABC, Lifetime, and Discovery. Family owned and operated, the company has grown organically since 2001 without funding, to more than 100 employees in offices in New York City and Ukraine. With over 6 million unique users a month playing Arkadium game titles, the company is pioneering the movement to bring the best of casual online games to social. Their hit game, Mahjongg Dimensions, is one of their most popular titles on Facebook, and newer titles include Ultimate Fan, a football fan app launched in conjunction with the NY Jets, and Bingo Charms, launched with Publishers Clearing House.