Fantasy football game Sorare, and Italy’s top football league, Lega Serie A, are teaming up to release 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.
The multi-year deal will enable Sorare to tap into its growing Italian fanbase and the avid supporters of Italy’s most prestigious football division.
Nicolas Julia, CEO and co-founder of Sorare, said:
“This partnership is another milestone in our journey to become the sports entertainment giant of the future. Serie A is a global soccer powerhouse and home to many of the most famous and iconic teams in history and is also ‘home’ to some of the world’s most passionate and enthusiastic soccer fans.
Italy is currently the fastest growing market for Sorare and Italian users are our second largest community globally, so we know there is a huge demand for our fantasy game and collectible cards in this market.
The partnership will help us accelerate this growth and allow more fans around the world to get closer to legendary clubs, world-class players and the future stars that make Serie A one of the best leagues in the world”.
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.
Lega Serie A CEO, Luigi De Siervo commented:
“At Lega Serie A, we are always looking for opportunities to leverage emerging technologies to enhance the fan experience and to help our clubs better engage with international audiences.
Sorare is at the forefront of this sector and uniquely combines fantasy football gaming with collectible NFT cards, and this allows us to broaden our target audience in order to bring younger fans closer to soccer at Serie A TIM.
It is a partnership with great potential and we are ready to launch the first collections ahead of the 2022-23 season”.
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.
