Sorare: Investors Are Betting on Fantasy Trading Cards

For decades, sports fans have been collecting player cards, and within the last year, the card industry has seen unprecedented activity, record sales, soaring values, and growth.

 

One fantasy gaming company that you should keep an eye on is Sorare.

 

Sorare offers blockchain player cards as limited-edition digital collectibles. Gamers can own, freely trade, and use player cards in their global fantasy games. As a manager, participants play with teams of 5 blockchain cards to compete in fantasy leagues to earn prizes and unlock achievements. Managers get ranked based on the performance of their players on the field and bonus points related to the power of their blockchain cards.

 

In the first quarter of 2021, Benchmark Capital (an early backer of Uber, Twitter and eBay) led a $50 million investment into the company; and to date, world-class players such as Gérard Piqué, André Schūrrle and Antoine Griezmann have provided investment as well.

 

With more than 130 soccer clubs across Europe, Asia and the United States offering officially licensed cards, most cards sell for $5-$10 on the platform. However, one-of-a-kind Mpabbe and Cristiano Ronaldo cards have fetched five and six figures respectively.

Crypto.com Becomes First Pro Soccer League Sponsor

When Lega Seria A’s Coppa Italia Final kicks off on May 19, 2021, there will be a new sponsorship partner taking the field alongside Atalanta and Juventus. Hong-Kong based Crypto.com has become the first crypto platform to enter into a partnership agreement with a professional soccer club.

 

The two organizations are aiming to create new fan experiences for Italian soccer fans around the world, with the first of these being made available via a collection of non-fungible tokens (NFT) in commemoration of the upcoming final competition. Offered exclusively on Crypto.com/NFT, these tokens will give unparalled access to the trophy, match highlights and more.

 

It is our prediction that this partnership will be the first of many between soccer clubs and blockchain platforms, as blockchain offers several beneficial use cases for clubs, fans and media platforms. For example, clubs can use blockchain to trace a player’s transfer record and medical data history. Fans can have an easier ticket exchange system. Additionally, content providers can monetize proprietary experiences to enhance engagement.

Has your favorite team released a kit design that you didn’t like? Instead of screaming your displeasure into the bottomless void of Twitter, Socios is enabling supporters to have a direct influence on the decision-making at their clubs.

 

As the first fan engagement platform created and deployed on the Chiliz blockchain, Socios was created to offer unique experiences for sports fans and monetize their engagement using blockchain technology. Soccer supporters can download the app, purchase Chiliz currency (CHZ) and exchange it for branded ‘fan tokens’ from internationally recognized soccer clubs, such as FC Barcelona, Juventus, PSG and AC Milan. These fan tokens can be exchanged with other supporters and/or used to vote on everything from merchandise designs to the naming of a training field and celebration songs for match goals. Other incentives include the opportunity for token holders to earn rewards and “once-in-a-lifetime experiences”.

 

For U.S. fans, there are daily buying and selling restrictions with a heavy emphasis that the tokens are for entertainment and not as an investment vehicle. With the UFC using the Chiliz blockchain to offer tokens to their fans, keep an eye out for Major League Soccer to see the platform as a revenue-generating opportunity to engage their supporters.

“Millennials are increasingly tuning out of longer sports broadcast formats that don’t engage them. In an economy where the attention of audiences is the single most important unit of currency, fantasy games are becoming a new avenue for soccer brands to reach this highly specific yet desirable demographic.”- Nicolas Julia, Sorare CEO

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