The involvement of sports organisations in the Web2 to Web3 journey is becoming stronger week-by-week, as teams, leagues and associations look to take advantage of emerging digital technologies and assets.
After reaching out to Serie A, the league’s Commercial and Marketing Director, Michele Ciccarese, provided Insider Sport with insights into the Italian top-flight’s recently signed partnership with Sorare and its ambitions in the NFT space.
Insider Sport – How does Serie A hope to improve fan engagement by partnering with Sorare? Can you explain the role NFTs will play in bolstering the global presence of the league and boosting its international audience?
Michele Ciccarese – Digital consumption is constantly growing and football clubs now have massive, global fanbases looking for better engagement with their players. Sorare identified this trend, and has built a unique way for fans around the world to connect with their favourite teams and players through digital collectibles and gaming.
We are in a journey of digital transformation from Web2 to Web3, and Serie A has a role to play empowering our fans in the evolution from content consumers to content owners.
By partnering with Sorare, Lega Serie A’s iconic clubs and star players will now feature in a fantasy game played by over two million people, and backed by some of the world’s top investors and athletes.
It will allow Lega Serie A to reach new markets and engage new audiences globally,as well as the 100,000 registered users from Italy, showcasing the incredible talent and prestige in Italian football to a new generation of fans.
IS- What was it about Sorare that set it apart from other blockchain-based fantasy sports platforms?
MC – We were impressed with how Sorare is harnessing innovative technology to combine an online way to collect cards – something that has been a huge part of Italian football culture for decades – with fantasy gaming. Both of these elements already appeal to millions of sports fans worldwide, and have been brought together in an innovative and exciting way.
The platform has also already proven incredibly popular with fans. With over two million users, backers including Serena Williams and Kylian Mbappe, and over 260 licensed clubs,
it was clear that Sorare is at the forefront of the next generation of sports entertainment, and we’re thrilled to be a part of their journey.
IS – Apart from fan engagement, how else will Serie A clubs benefit from this partnership? For example, can it provide a boost to club revenues?
MC – As well as reaching new fans across the globe, this partnership will also provide opportunities for Lega Serie A clubs to unlock additional revenue streams through NFT licensing.
IS – How can you ensure that the collaboration with Sorare reaches all demographics of Serie A fans, not just a younger more digital demographic?
MC – Collecting has been a part of football culture for decades and fantasy football is already hugely popular across different age groups, so we’re confident that the partnership will allow Serie A to reach fans of all ages and demographics.
IS – There have been some concerns about the environmental and long-term financial sustainability of NFTs, has Serie A had to consider these in any risk assessment? Are there any social responsibility factors Serie A had to consider before making use of emerging digital assets such as NFTs?
MC – We are always looking for opportunities to harness emerging technologies, to improve the fan experience and to help our clubs better engage with international audiences.
When deciding on who to partner with to help us achieve this, we are of course very thorough in our due diligence across a number of different areas including those mentioned above.
We believe this partnership with Sorare is one with great potential and we are very excited to launch the first collections ahead of the 2022-23 season.
To read Insider Sport’s interview with Dan Sormaz, Head of Sales at Sorare, click HERE
