German regional football club 1. FC Koeln is launching a mobile phone tariff on the O2 network in cooperation with online retailer Sparhandy, according to a report. The tariff provides unlimited calls and 500 MB of mobile date at up to 21.6 Mbps for €19.48 (US $20.64) per month and is only available in combination with a smartphone order. SMS cost €0.09 (US $0.09) each. Prices for smartphones start at €4.95 (US $5.24), and premium devices are also available, such as the iPhone 6 Plus with 128 GB of storage for €579 (US $614), or the Samsung Galaxy Edge with 128 GB for €629 (US $667). FC Koeln fan club members receive a €25 (US $26.50) voucher for the football club’s merchandise.

Tarifica’s Take

As an entrant into the crowded German MVNO market, 1. FC Koeln will certainly face stiff competition, but a football club is a likely candidate for success, due to the fact that it brings to the table a pre-existing base of fans who could be converted into subscribers. Fan loyalty could relatively easily become brand loyalty.