OneFootball
OneFootball has been named the ‘official video moments partner’ of Serie A, giving the digital media platform the rights to mint and distribute non-fungible tokens (NFTs) based on clips from Italian soccer’s top competitions.
The first digital collectibles will be launched on OneFootball’s Aera Marketplace on 29th August as part of plans to launch 1,300 moments from Serie A, Coppa Italia and Suppercoppa Italiana during the upcoming season.
The deal is for two seasons and covers 15 Serie A clubs, with OneFootball striking separate arrangements with AC Milan, Juventus, and Napoli. Inter Milan and AS Roma are not included but video footage of these teams can still be used so long as they are not playing each other. Meanwhile, future drops will also include iconic moments from Serie A’s archive.
Following the model taken by the National Basketball Association (NBA) with Top Shot, the Serie A NFTs will be sold blindly through ‘packs’, similar to conventional trading cards, and can be traded between users on Aera.
“Today marks the start of a new way for Italian clubs to connect with all our younger fans around the globe,” said Luigi De Siervo, Serie A chief executive.
“Together with OneFootball, we put the fans first by bringing them incredible new experiences, this time digitally. We have the most prestigious league, the greatest clubs and the best supporters in the world. Now we are bringing our global fan base the most cutting edge experience.”
The concept of video-based digital collectibles was popularised by the NBA and has since been imitated by sporting properties across the world. Indeed, OneFootball itself is the official video moments partner of the German Bundesliga soccer competition.
This latest deal with Serie A strengthens OneFootball’s ambition of becoming a major player in the emerging market for sports-based blockchain products. It believes its 100 million-strong user base and partnerships with some of the leading players in the space mean it is well positioned to become a market leader – especially with US$300 million in fresh funding secured earlier this year.
“Through recent history [Serie A fans] spent hard earned money on tickets, travel, kit, programmes – and now for the first time they can actually own part of the experience: match highlights from each week’s action as well as iconic moments from the archive,” added Lucas von Cronach, OneFootball chief executive.
“We’re creating an accessible experience for fans of Serie A – by being a true platform – they can own digital video moments through us and take them wherever they want – or nowhere – they are theirs to keep, in perpetuity. As part of the community, fans will get even more benefits as we expand our Web 3.0 offering and launch even more products.”
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