beincrypto.com
Spain’s La Liga football league is partnering with fantasy football platform Sorare to launch non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for its players.
Sorare describes itself as a “unique game experience where users can own their game, build real-world connections and protect and control their assets in a secure space.” Its ambition is to build “the game within the game,” combining NFT technology with sports cards and a fantasy game.
Now, football fans, collectors and fantasy football players will now be able to trade and play with digital cards of players from La Liga with Sorare. Stars such as Gerard Piqué, Antoine Griezmann and Rio Ferdinand have also signed on to promote the platform.
The partnership
The move is a significant development for La Liga, as it moves into the NFT space for the first time. The partnership additionally opens up a new revenue stream for La Liga clubs by establishing NFTs as a new licensing category.
Sorare said its gaming experience will help La Liga and its clubs expand their international brands by reaching new audiences. These would include crypto enthusiasts in the US and Asia, where Sorare is thriving.
The partnership with one of the biggest leagues in the world also represents a major milestone for Sorare. The deal covers both La Liga Santander (first division) and La Liga Smartbank (second division). The partnership also means that Sorare now has some of the top 100 football clubs in the world under license. It adds teams such as Real Madrid and FC Barcelona to a list including global clubs such as Liverpool FC, FC Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain FC, and Juventus FC.
Besides private clubs, Sorare also includes national teams amongst its clientele. Earlier this year, the fantasy football platform inked a deal with the German national team. Days before that, Sorare and the French national team released the first NFTs of a national squad. Sorare said it aims to partner with each of the top 20 football leagues by the end of next year.