Fantasy football game Sorare, and Italy’s top football league, Lega Serie A, are partnering to release non-fungible token (NFT) cards featuring star players and clubs in the league, starting with the coming 2022-23 season. The cards are used and traded to play the fantasy game.
This multi-year deal will enable Sorare to tap into its growing Italian fanbase and the avid supporters of Italy’s most prestigious football division.
“Italy is currently Sorare’s fastest growing market and Italian users are our second largest community globally, so we know there is huge demand for our fantasy game and collectibles in this market,” said Sorare co-founder and CEO, Nicolas Julia.
Although Sorare has only been around since 2019, Serie A is the 12th football league to partner with the company, including La Liga, Bundesliga and Major League Soccer (MLS). AS Roma was the first Italian club to join in February 2020.
Sorare’s scope has moved beyond football into other sports, recently forming partnerships with Major League Baseball and the PGA Tour. Sorare has also inked deals with stars like Zidane and Mbappe, amplifying the game’s publicity.
The platform, however, has faced its share of obstacles. It has come under investigation by the UK Gambling Commission, which may (or may not) have cost it a Premier League NFT deal. While it attracted investment from Softbank, which brought its valuation to $4.3bn, public knowledge of its funding is sure to make negotiations more pricey in the future.
While Serie A joined Sorare relatively late compared to its peers, the league has been active in the blockchain space as well. It has an ongoing crypto fan token deal with Socio and has partnered with football publisher, OneFootball, to release NFTs featuring Serie A football moments.
Like its counterparts, these partnerships are hoped to provide much needed revenue for Serie A. As football clubs strive to find more ways to engage with fans and unlock profit through digital avenues, this deal with Sorare will enable the club to generate revenue from NFT licensing.
