Barcelona has announced that it is ready to launch an NFT project with Ownix. It will feature the sale of non-fungible tokens based on some key moments of its more than 100-year history.
Barcelona’s NFTs
According to the first rumours, fans will be able to buy in an auction on the Ownix platform some photos and videos of the most important moments of the 122-year history of the famous Spanish club, in NFT format.
The choice of videos and photos will be entrusted to a special commission that will decide what to auction, such as rare or even unique pieces.
Of course, as stated by Ownix CEO Guy Elhanani, the sale will not be reserved exclusively for fans of the club:
“We’re opening our collection to all Barcelona fans and anyone around the world. We’re not restricting it to the fan base”.
This entry into the NFT market by Barcelona is likely to be instrumental in getting a handle on the club’s dire financial situation, with over 1.5 billion in debt.
NFTs and the world of football
But the news about Barcelona is certainly not new to the world of football, which is becoming increasingly linked to this particular NFT market and the world of cryptocurrencies in general.
Sorare, the company that created a sort of digital fantasy football, has recently closed a sponsorship agreement with the Spanish La Liga and German Bundesliga. But many clubs such as Paris, Juventus, Real Madrid and Manchester United have also signed partnership agreements with the same company.
Bayern Munich has been the pioneer club when it comes to NFT auctions, having organized one such auction as early as Christmas 2019
Juventus and PSG have their own fan tokens to engage with their fans. Part of Argentine footballer Lionel Messi‘s pharaonic salary, recently bought by the Parisian club, will be paid with PSG tokens.
A few days ago, AC Milan announced the launch of its NFT with the collaboration of Socios, another giant of non-fungible sports tokens. The same company is already the main sponsor of Milan’s other team, Inter Milan, with a three-year contract worth around €80 million.
According to Socios CEO Alex Dreyfus, the relationship between the world of cryptocurrencies and football is set to become ever closer, as clubs need to realise that:
“All fans are true fans, even if they live far away and even if it may happen that they buy counterfeit products. This does not make them less passionate than others. Clubs need their global fan base to grow, they don’t just need traditional fans. Technology is especially important to create a new kind of relationship with clubs. The fan goes from being a passive fan to an active fan”.
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