SportsIcon, the NFT platform for Sports NFTs, is planning to launch The Sports Metaverse, the world’s first virtual world specifically focused on sports.
At the 36th annual Game Developers’ Conference (GDC) in San Francisco today, Dr. Dave Ranyard announced the unveiling of a new project by SportsIcon.
The Sports Metaverse is a digital world devoted entirely to sports. For the first time in history the biggest sports stars, brands and clubs are together in one place. Built by SportsIcon and industry veterans from Sony, Doom, Playstation Home and Nvidia, Sports Metaverse allows you to trade NFTs, buy and develop land, interact with iconic sportspeople in 3D and visit stadiums in the metaverse.
Ranyard, who is Executive Producer at SportsIcon and a leading figure in virtual reality in the metaverse, is co-creating The Sports Metaverse, which has just revealed its new website.
The NFTs include a masterclass offered by leading sports icons. Stars like Romelu Lukaku, the Belgian football professional who plays for the national team and as a striker for the English Premier League club Chelsea, offer unique insights into their experience and the secrets of their training success.
These include interviews about the star’s journey – what made them who they are today, and videos of them on the training field. Lukaku has also been volumetrically captured as part of the project and will appear in the sports metaverse in 3D:
“In the Sports Metaverse, I’m going to coach you on how I take a penalty – one of the hardest moments in my job. It’s not just about performing physically. It’s about concentration and performing mentally. There’s a lot of pressure and you only have one chance. I want you to know what it feels like to be in a 1-on-1 training session with me – to be a professional football player,” Lukaku commented
SportsIcon CEO and Co-Founder Chris Worsey previously built a number of EdTech startups including Coursematch, one of the first movers in the trend of edtech companies aimed at democratising education and offering borderless access online.
“The Sports Metaverse is the next evolution in the fan and sports relationship. There has been a tectonic change in consumer behaviour accelerated by Covid and web3. We want to take the fan to the heart of sport, allowing them to interact with their favourite sports stars and brands, buy land next to them and connect with them in entirely new ways,” added Worsey.
SportsIcon is backed by rapper turned investor Nas, Dapper Labs, Dapper Labs CEO Roham Gharegozlou, Youtube Founder Chad Hurley, Hedera and Reserve Founder Andrew Masanto and ex NBA star Andrew Bogut.
Besides Lukaku, a series of sports stars and brands are lined up for The Sports Metaverse, with agreements underway with leading athletes from soccer, tennis, MMA, basketball, and baseball. A public land sale for the Sports Metaverse will take place in June.
