Sofascore’s success is built on data and innovation, continuously evolving to provide users with the most engaging and insightful sports statistics.
“If you have data that nobody else has, you have the power to engage and collect more users,” says Marijan Živić, Sofascore’s Chief Product Officer (CPO) in Decode’s latest The Roadmap Podcast.
By taking advantage of unique statistics, Sofascore has grown into one of the leading sports applications, now having over 28 million monthly active users.
In an one-hour interview, Marijan Živić explains how Sofascore has grown into a global must-have platform for sports fans, the key features that set it apart, the crucial role of user feedback in the development process, and much more.
Watch the full interview at the link below and get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Sofascore’s innovation and vision.
Growth and Expansion: From Forum to Global Platform
The company was founded by two friends, Ivan Bešlić and Zlatko Hrkać, who initially experimented with various digital ventures before recognizing the potential of football-focused content.
“Football topics produced the most traffic. Where there’s emotion, there’s engagement. And where there’s engagement, there’s business potential,”
Marijan Živić, Sofascore’s CPO
Sofascore’s expansion into mobile applications was a key move. “There were not many apps at that time, so shifting to Android and iOS early on helped us reach a broader audience,” Živić says.
The Challenge of New Features
Sofascore takes an experimental approach when launching new features, using A/B testing and a minimum viable product strategy to measure user interest.
“Find the smallest thing you can develop and see if it sticks. Everything else costs more and risks not resonating with users.”
Marijan Živić, Sofascore’s CPO
However, not all features have been immediate successes.
“We built the most detailed MMA and cricket stats available, but we didn’t fully understand how different cultures consume these sports. The challenge is not just having the best UI – it’s about ensuring the right data is prioritized for the right audience.”
Marijan Živić, Sofascore’s CPO
Crowdsourcing: Building a Sports Community
One of Sofascore’s most unique features is its crowdsourced Sofascore Editor function, allowing users to input scores and stats for leagues that might otherwise be ignored.
“There are professional data providers, but they focus on top leagues. That leaves a huge gap for smaller and amateur competitions. We give those leagues visibility,”
Marijan Živić, Sofascore’s CPO
This approach has led to unexpected success stories. “Libya’s first national league wasn’t digitized anywhere until our editors started adding data. Now, players and fans can track their teams globally,” he shares.
Read about Sofascore’s Crowdsourcing here.
Learn why the Sofascore Editor is a game-changer, how it works, and explore some interesting real-world examples. Read more here.
The Future: From Live Scores to a True Sports Platform
Sofascore’s long-term goal is to go beyond just scores and statistics. “We want to be the number one sports platform in the world,” says Marijan Živić.
Looking ahead, the vision is clear:
“I want to see any match with a referee in Sofascore. If there’s a referee, it’s an official match, and we should have it.”
Marijan Živić, Sofascore’s CPO
With a focus on organic growth and deep community engagement, Sofascore aims to not just be a data provider but a core part of sports culture worldwide.