Italian soccer club AS Roma has joined the Sorare blockchain collectibles platform, according to a posting on Facebook. Paris-based Sorare, backed by ConsenSys, has developed a blockchain fantasy football game.
Sorare offers limited edition digital collectibles, which fans can own, trade, and use in the fantasy football game. It currently has licensing deals with 35 different clubs, including West Ham United and Atletico Madrid.
Last year, Ledger Insights reported on Sorare signing Atletico Madrid, Valencia CF, and Schalke 04 for its digital collectibles. Since then, the firm has inked deals with two of the big 3 Portuguese clubs, SL Benfica and FC Porto, and three French Ligue 1 clubs, namely Olympique Lyonnais, FC Nante and LOSC Lille.
As impressive as the deals sound, the game is still in the very early days. A report on Telegram said there are 350 active users, others say 700 – 800 players.
Sorare’s fantasy football game involves composing teams of five blockchain players cards. Fans and gamers get rewarded based on the real-life performance of the players. They also receive bonus points depending on the rarity and characteristics of the blockchain card.
Ethereum sidechain, Loom, underpins Sorare’s platform. The collectible cards use the ERC721 non-fungible token standard. Last year, ConsenSys participated in Sorare’s €500,000 seed funding ($554,000), and in October, the startup joined game developer Ubisoft’s Entrepreneurs Lab Program.
Sports collectibles and tokens
Meanwhile, AS Roma has an existing partnership with fan engagement firm Socios.com for blockchain fan tokens. West Ham and Atletico Madrid also have deals with Socios. The token aims to enable fans to vote on certain polls, earn rewards, and access exclusive merchandise.
Another blockchain firm, Fantastec, has developed a blockchain game called SWAP. The company has licensing deals with Real Madrid, Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund. Animoca Brands unit Stryking is working with FC Bayern Munich for its blockchain collectibles platform.
A few months ago, collectibles company Panini America announced it would release officially licensed blockchain trading cards with a 1:1 representation of a physical version of the card.
