Birmingham City FC has partnered with esports platform, Ultimo GG, on a project which scans and maps a digital recreation of St. Andrew’s Stadium.
In becoming the first club from the EFL to enter the Metaverse, the completed digital platform will look to offer commercial opportunities for the club, engagement and entertainment opportunities for fans and fundraising opportunities for the BCFC Community Trust, Academy and other charitable causes.
“This project underlines Birmingham City’s commitment to innovation, and we’re thrilled to be one of the front-runners and early adopters of Web3,” commented James Corrigan, Commercial Sales Manager of Birmingham City.
“Ultimo GG has been an excellent partner for the Club since we announced our partnership last September, with over £10,000 of gaming tournament prizes won by Blues fans, the regular matchday activity at the Ultimo GG esports bar at St. Andrew’s and their charitable donations to our Community Trust and local hospital.”
Current plans for the project have been outlined as: a digital museum, partner showcase functionality, virtual events, games arcade, virtual tours, coding camps, NFTs and club tokens, virtual club store, ticketing and memberships as well as community/educational resources.
“We’re incredibly excited to be guiding Birmingham City Football Club into the Metaverse”, added Ultimo GG’s CEO and Co-Founder, Tobias Gooden. “Web3 will bring a number of innovative opportunities to football clubs, and we will be able to help Birmingham City become one of the first sports clubs in the world to benefit from this new technology.”
Furthermore, a fan consultation process is set to begin shortly, which means that Blues fans can have an input on how the project can be used to benefit the club and its supporters.
The partners have stated they are committed to building a ‘free-to-enter and inclusive’ enterprise, whilst looking to bring sustainable, long-term revenue streams to the club and Birmingham City FC Community Trust.
Gooden concluded: “This project is an opportunity to take our partnership with Blues to the next level, providing a safe, meaningful and valuable opportunity for the Club’s fans to join us in the metaverse.”
The club has also just partnered with Pledgeball, a sustainability brand which will now encourage fans to reduce their matchday emissions. The team is set to launch the new partnership this weekend away at Ashton Gate.
Ciara Gallagher, Governance and Regulatory Manager at Blues, added: “Football has a big part to play in reducing carbon emissions, and here at Blues we’re committed to doing what we can to reduce our footprint.”
