When it comes to football fans, none are quite as passionate as the Italians. They are intensely loyal to their favorite team and will follow the club all around the globe to cheer them on. In order to cash in on this huge loyal fan base, Juventus – the top-ranked team in Italy – is set to launch its own crypto fan token. It is using the same model as PSG, a club that recently launched its own crypto fan token.
Juventus is clearly looking to cash in on the huge hoard of new supporters following the summer transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo to the club. Fans will be able to purchase the fan tokens early in 2019 and they can be used to vote on various matters, ranging from new club kits to charity match lineups.
Crypto Infiltrates the Football Market
It feels as if almost every week a new football club is announcing a crypto related project. Just last week, Avai FC – a Brazilian professional football team – announced it was holding an ICO to raise funds to support the club’s future. Typically clubs have launched IPOs instead, with many of the top English sides having opted for that route, but as new technologies emerge top clubs are opting to use those methods instead.
Elsewhere in Italy, Rimini FC 1912 have decided to sell a slice of the club in exchange for cryptos. The club sold the shares to football and crypto magnate Pablo Dana, a man who is well known in both industries. In fact, Pablo Dana is the man behind Gibraltar FC’s players being paid in cryptocurrency this season.
Blockchain Makes Football More Fun
UEFA has turned to blockchain technology to ensure that fans of the beautiful game can enjoy match day without the fear of encountering fake tickets. Many fans have to buy their tickets from third-party websites, due to ticket touts buying up all the original tickets directly from the club. This then opens the gates to price extortion and forgeries entering the market.
To ensure that fans aren’t left paying a fortune or being sold fake tickets, UEFA has created a blockchain ticket system. All ticket sales will be made through the app and fans will need to present their special private key when they attend the ground to gain access. This new method of ticketing will help football fans save thousands on tickets by removing ticket touts. The app has already been tested at two major games last year – the Europa League Final and the UEFA Champions League Final – and will once again be used at the same games this season.
Premier Advertising for a Premier Cryptocurrency
Several clubs in the English Premier League have signed an advertising deal with eToro – the stock and crypto trading giant – to provide advertising services for the platform’s crypto trading functionality. Top clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City, will be displaying adverts via digital hoardings and post-game interview logos for the crypto trading service. The deal was signed for one year with a view to extending it further and was paid fully in Bitcoin.
Football clubs are starting to recognize the potential of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. The combination of the two will give fans a better match day experience, bringing them closer to the heart of the football clubs via voting on key club matters. The sporting world is often the first adopter of the latest technology, which then filters down to the general public. This is just the first step for cryptos and the football world, next season will hold many more new partnerships, that’s for sure!
