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Vitória SC, one of Portugal’s most passionate clubs, has taken a major step in its digital journey. In partnership with Blocksport, the club launched a SuperApp and Single Sign-On (SSO) system, transforming how fans connect with the team both inside and outside the stadium.
For Marketing Director Rui Xavier, the project is both professional and personal. “I live here in Guimarães. I am a Vitória supporter, and I have been a member since I was born. Working for my club is more than a job. It is passion.”
Why Digital Became Essential
Vitória is a club where football is deeply tied to the city’s identity. But as Rui quickly realised when he joined the club five years ago, passion alone was not enough to keep supporters close.
“We understood that Vitória had a lack of fan engagement in the stadium, but mostly outside the stadium. We needed to focus on the day by day and stay in contact with the fans.”
With only two home games per month, the contact points were too few. A first attempt at building an app showed the potential but quickly fell short.
“It was not the better tool for fan engagement and real connection,” Rui says. “That’s when Blocksport appeared, and they brought ideas and features we did not even think about.”
A Partnership That Delivered Fast
When Blocksport joined the project, Vitória set an ambitious challenge: solve the long-standing SSO issue and deliver an app in just two months.
“We presented a real ambitious proposal for Blocksport. You can come into Vitória if you have the SSO prepared in one month. And after that, another one month to release the app. They immediately told us that would be possible. And it was not one day of delay.”
The SSO connected four separate systems – ticketing, email, website, and online store – creating a smoother fan experience and unlocking valuable data.
“For five years we had the same problem. Fans had to register again. Passwords were not the same. It was a mess. Blocksport delivered the SSO in one month. What others could not do in five years, they did in one month.”
Only three weeks later, the new SuperApp was ready. Vitória deliberately waited to launch until the start of the season, but the technology was delivered on time.
“That gave me confidence that this was not just a service provider, but a real partner,” Rui says.
The SuperApp: Engagement Inside and Outside the Stadium
The result is a tool that goes far beyond the basics. Rui describes it as “a 360 platform where with one click, fans can understand everything that is happening in Vitória.”
The app serves fans in two dimensions:
- Inside the stadium: interactive features such as MVP voting, quizzes, photo sharing on the big screen, notifications, and promo codes for food and drinks. “At the present day, it is not enough for the fans to be present for the 90 minutes. We need to deliver something more.”
- Outside the stadium: gamification elements encourage fans to stay active daily. Points can be collected and exchanged for rewards such as signed shirts, stadium tours, or even joining the team photo. “If fans are active inside the app, they are receiving points. They are closer to exchange those points for experiences. They are really engaging.”
A premium subscription adds exclusive videos and live streams, creating a tiered model of engagement.
First Results: Strong Growth and Real Activity
The impact was immediate. Within just ten days of launch, the app reached 5,000 users – already half the total that the old app had taken two years to achieve.
Rui points to the change in quality as well as quantity. “The numbers show that the activity inside our app is much bigger with only 5,000 than we had with the previous app with 10,000.”
Engagement levels are also stronger. Around 70 percent of users are active, compared to only 20–30 percent before.
“My main goal is to have 15,000 at the end of this year. And probably 60 to 70 percent will be active,” he says.
A Club of Unique Culture and Diversity
Vitória’s digital growth is rooted in its unique identity.
“Everybody that is born in Guimarães is a member of Vitória. We don’t see fans of Porto, Benfica, or Sporting here. We are really close to our club, to our city, to our neighbors. We have a really unique culture.”
That culture also explains the unusual demographic profile of the app’s users. 41 percent are women, mirroring the 42 percent of women in the stadium on matchdays. “We are one of the clubs with the highest percentage of women in the stands. Inside the app, the numbers are almost equal with men. That’s unique in Portuguese football.”
The app now reflects the full Vitória universe: men’s football, women’s football, youth academy, basketball, volleyball, and more.
“In the previous app, we only showed one part of Vitória, the main team. That was a mistake. Now we can involve everybody in the same platform.”
New Opportunities for Sponsors
Commercial value is a key part of the project. The SuperApp creates new formats for sponsor activation.
“The previous app did not allow much for that. Now, with all these games and features, we can start selling them to a main sponsor. For example, our betting sponsor can be part of the prediction game. It is not so much selling a space on the platform. It is much better to create a relation between a game, a sponsor, and the user.”
By linking gamification with sponsorship, Vitória is opening new revenue streams while keeping fans engaged.
The Roadmap to 2027
The partnership with Blocksport already has a roadmap running until 2027. The next big step will be a digital wallet and membership card integrated into the app.
“Everybody can pay or use a discount directly with the wallet. If I can understand that 50 percent of my users spend money at McDonald’s, why should I not contact McDonald’s and create a partnership, or even open a McDonald’s inside the stadium?”
This step will extend the SuperApp beyond football, connecting the club to the daily lives of its supporters.
Advice to Other Clubs
Vitória’s experience has already drawn attention from peers in Portugal. Rui often shares one consistent message.
“The core of the club is the fans. We can’t control the results. But we can control the fan engagement and the union we have with our supporters.”
His advice is simple but firm: “Even in a simple way, start to connect. Deliver something for your fans so they can be part of the club. Then together they will create results because they will be more involved.”
A Model Worth Watching
Vitória SC’s collaboration with Blocksport shows that ambition and speed can matter as much as budget. By solving integration challenges in weeks and focusing on the everyday fan experience, the club has built a digital ecosystem that rivals larger organisations.
As Rui puts it: “Maybe even the giants can learn from us.”
For Vitória, the SuperApp is not just technology. It is a reflection of the club’s identity, inclusivity, and ambition to stay close to its supporters every single day.
Rui Filipe Xavier de Castro
Marketing Director
Vitória S.C.
