Could your favourite football team be your next mobile service provider?

Millwall FC is the first UK football club set to launch its own mobile services. Will this mean better tariffs and exclusive deals for the Lions, or is this idea in need of relegation?

From the Cerillion blog sports page: Millwall FC made the startling announcement this week that it’s to become the first UK football club to provide its own mobile services.

Millwall Mobile, running on Three’s network, will be available to customers in three different packages, via SIM and eSIM:

• Home plan
  £20/month, unlimited 5G data, unlimited texts and calls, 20GB EU roaming data
• Away plan
  £16/month, 100GB 5G data, unlimited texts and calls, 15GB EU roaming data
• Third plan
  £10/month, 10GB 5G data, unlimited texts and calls, 10GB EU roaming data

Supporters will be able to receive special discounts and offers with exclusive rewards – Millwall-related, one would assume. Though open to anyone regardless of team loyalty, users require a Millwall account to register, and season ticket holders will have an exclusive window to sign up.

The club is working with shaka, a London-based “embedded mobile connectivity startup” founded in 2023 to deliver this service. Its website invites football teams, as well as retailers and content creators, to “Harness the passion of your fanbase” by launching an MVNO.

Millwall’s Chief Commercial Officer said “With the advent of eSIMs there are now a number of virtual networks in the UK run by a variety of brands... There are also several football clubs in Europe who have taken advantage of the technology to deliver affordable and rewarding mobile plans to their fans.

“We’re delighted to be the first club in the country to bring this model to the UK and to our fans.”

The first in the UK, yes – but Millwall is far from the first football team to offer its own mobile services.

FC Barcelona just recently announced the launch “in the coming months” of Barça Mobile, in partnership with the New Era Visionary Group (NEVG) and Orange. As part of Camp Nou’s ongoing redevelopment works, Orange will also equip the stadium with 5G SA infrastructure to bolster connectivity during matches.

AC Milan’s Connect has also offered SIM plans to fans, named after the club’s most notable Champions League wins, though details about the current availability of this service are scarce. Meanwhile a number of Brazilian teams offer their own services in partnership with Dry Mobile.

This move has gone hand in hand with the digital transformation of sports, with stadiums turned into fully immersive experiences that offer guests advanced connectivity features to enhance fan engagement, improve operations and generate new revenue streams.

Many stadiums are integrating private 5G and Wi-Fi 6 to allow fans to stream high-definition content, instant replays and behind-the-scenes exclusives directly to their devices during matches.

Some stadiums are also experimenting with holographic player introductions, with virtual mascots and mixed reality half-time shows, such as the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium AR experience.

The ease of access to embedded mobile connectivity options, thanks in large part to the rollout of eSIM, has enabled more brands than ever to offer their own bespoke mobile packages directly to consumers.

Previously, it was speculated that Amazon could start offering a cheap tariff through its Prime subscription in partnership with a US telco, though so far this hasn’t materialised.

However, shaka is not the only company offering services in this market. eSIM Go, established in 2020, offers MVNO services through its “automated MVNO-in-a-box” to firms including altnets, charities, utility providers, retailers and, yes, football clubs.

​The integration of embedded mobile connectivity offers several advantages for football fans:​

• Exclusive perks & content 
  Fans could receive benefits such as early access to match tickets, exclusive content, discounts on club merchandise and concessions, or travel deals for away matches. This ensures an enhanced experience for fans beyond just connectivity.
• Club-branded experience
  Brands can tailor mobile packages to align with their customers' preferences and to the club’s identity.
• Competitive pricing
  If the team partners with a strong network provider, they could offer affordable data and call plans compared with mainstream carriers.
• Stadium connectivity
  A club-based MVNO might work with its host network to prioritise better coverage inside and around the stadium, improving the matchday experience.

However, even loyal fans of a team may be turned off by:

• Fewer plan options
  Compared with major telecom providers, a football club’s MVNO might have a limited selection of plans and features.
• Potential higher costs
  If the MVNO focuses too much on exclusive content and perks, basic call and data plans might be more expensive than traditional providers.

For clubs, offering fans a dedicated mobile service could provide:

• New revenue streams
  Brands can deliver personalised promotions and updates, such as exclusive content, match updates, and special promotions directly to the fans’ devices, generating additional revenue and diversifying their sources of income.
• Data collection & marketing
  Clubs can use AI-driven analytics tools to understand fan behaviour and optimise their offerings, further improving fan engagement.
• Increased brand loyalty
  Strengthens the club’s brand, making it more than just a sports team but a lifestyle experience. Research by SAP claims that football fans are more loyal to all brands than non-football fans, but are incentivised by “heritage, ethics, and history” rather than finances.

Despite these benefits, clubs must also consider several factors:

• Too much brand loyalty
  Tying a mobile service to such an emotive brand as a football team is inevitably going to create a smaller addressable market, generating far more detractors than fans; though it’s hard to quantify how many fans a team has, Millwall has just under 160,000 followers on Instagram, compared with FC Barcelona’s 136 million followers.
• Market competition
  Brands venturing into this space must differentiate their offerings to stand out among established operators.​ Can Millwall Mobile depend entirely on loyalty? Fans might love the club, but might not want to switch mobile providers, making acquiring customers difficult.
• Reputational risk
  Millwall may not care if no-one likes them, but if the MVNO’s coverage is poor, or the team goes through a rough patch, customer enthusiasm might decline, and vice versa. And imagine the chants from opponents…

Embedded connectivity can enable brands to offer customised mobile packages directly to consumers, potentially unlocking an entirely new way of engaging with fans and generating revenue. However, to do so they must navigate not only the usual baggage of technical integration and customer support, but also the added weight that their own reputation brings.

But above all else, they must deliver a seamless service and customer experience that adds value to the brand.

Cerillion Engage is a digital-first BSS/OSS solution supporting MVNOs across the world. Read our case studies for MVN-X and Lobster.

Update [10/04/2025]: Barça Mobile is now available via eSIM in over 170 countries.