PlayUp Launches for First Time on Android, Innovative Social Network for Sports Fans Enables Unparalleled Fan Interaction

NEW YORK, April 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- PlayUp, the first social network app exclusively for sports fans, socializers and gamers, announced today the launch of PlayUp for Android, bringing Android users the opportunity to access the innovative app for the first time.

Enhanced user personalization is included with PlayUp for Android, which allows users to pick and choose the sports-specific content they wish to see within the app. Users can select to follow only one or multiple sports, and also specific leagues within each sport. The app also features fluid integration with Twitter and Facebook so users can send updates and invite friends from both social networking hubs from actions performed within the PlayUp application. An improved menu and smoother navigation are also part of the Android release.

"With our availability on Android devices we are greatly expanding the ability for sports fans to enjoy real-time sports with more friends, family and other sports enthusiasts," said Dennis Lee, PlayUp USA CEO. "This Android version enables better personalization and deeper social network integration so the app will conform to every individual user's preferences. We are thrilled that Android users can now experience what iOS users have been embracing since October – we expect they'll be thrilled about the app as well. It's perfect timing with the start of baseball season."

PlayUp for Android comes on the heels of the recent release of PlayUp 2.0 for iOS, which gave iOS users the same added personalization and social media integration that is now available on the Android platform. A web-based version of PlayUp also went live in early 2012.

Since launching in October 2011, PlayUp has experienced tremendous growth, rising to as high as No. 3 in the most-downloaded free sports apps category in the Apple U.S. iTunes Store. Internationally, PlayUp is the top-downloaded free sports app in 28 countries and ranks in the top-10 in 90 countries.

As part of PlayUp's growth, the company has found additional ways to further engage with sports fans by connecting users to some of the most recognizable athletes and sports properties in the U.S., creating partnerships that had previously never been formed before in the sports world. During the recently completed NCAA men's basketball Final Four, PlayUp teamed up with former college basketball greats Al Horford (Univ. of Florida), Brandon Knight (Univ. of Kentucky), and Jay Williams (Duke University), and the three stars chatted with fans in their own fan hangout rooms as the games unfolded and Kentucky was eventually crowned national champion.

PlayUp previously formed a similar partnership surrounding Super Bowl XLVI, teaming up with NFL stars Steven Jackson of the St. Louis Rams and Stevie Johnson of the Buffalo Bills. Both athletes chatted with fans as they followed the action in real-time.

In December, PlayUp teamed up with Fordham University Athletics, becoming the school's "Official Fan Engagement Partner". This marked the first fan engagement partnership in U.S. sports. In February, PlayUp set another milestone, partnering with the America East, Southern and Sun Belt Conferences as their "Fan Engagement Partners."

The PlayUp app can be downloaded for free in the Google Play and in the iTunes Store. For more information, visit www.playup.com.

About PlayUp:

PlayUp specializes in building mobile communities around sports. The company was founded by Australian entrepreneurs Luke Bunbury and George Tomeski in 2007 to develop mobile-based sports/social gaming applications. In 2010 PlayUp games were distributed in more than 20 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. The resulting PlayUp social network is the first real-time, mass-market social gaming platform enabling users globally to interact via their mobile devices during live games. For more information, visit http://www.playup.com

SOURCE PlayUp