Italian football team SSC Napoli announced on Tuesday a huge partnership with The Sandbox, one of the world’s top metaverse platforms for creating and hosting virtual worlds.
Through the new initiative, SSC Napoli will join several sports teams entering the Metaverse to connect with fans young and old in unprecedented ways, using innovative Web3, Metaverse, and blockchain-based technologies.
Doing so will also help the sports club to expand its fan base globally by eliminating borders via The Sandbox’s widely-used Web3 platform.
The acclaimed football team will also host its first metaverse store, where people can access “exclusive digital merchandise, virtual experiences, and interactive events,” a press statement noted.
Furthermore, fans can also connect with one another across the digital space to grow and foster a dedicated digital community, boosting online engagement and remaining updated on the latest with the Club.
It is understood that the platform will remain interoperable, meaning that users can join via immersive virtual and mixed reality (VR/ MR) headsets, tablets, smartphones, and PCs, similar to other experiences on The Sandbox
A ‘Significant Milestone’ for SSC Napoli’s Web3 Strategy
Tommaso Bianchini, Chief Revenue Officer, SSC Napoli, said how “incredibly excited” his club was to partner with The Sandbox, marking a “significant milestone” in innovating how it connected with fans.
He explained further in a statement,
“Our goal is to expand our global fan base more and more, and the partnership with The Sandbox seeks to use the tools of – and speak the same language as – the new generations of fans we want to engage through the virtual world, so as to create ever closer connections with supporters in every continent.”
Concluding, the executive said that the metaverse store would become a “further step in our Web3 marketing strategy.”
Additionally, Sebastien Borget, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder, The Sandbox, added that he was proud of the joint Web3 venture.
He continued,
“This partnership significantly expands the experiences available in The Sandbox for sports fans, including new and current players, creators, and builders. By introducing a new vertical of entertainment and co-experience through sports, The Sandbox is becoming a premier destination where fans can connect, celebrate their fandom, and engage with fellow enthusiasts in immersive and meaningful ways”.
Animoca Brands, the company behind The Sandbox, GAMEE, Blowfish Studios, and others, has also invested in some of the biggest Web3 ventures like Axie Infinity, Alien Worlds, Dapper Labs, and more.
Sports Clubs ‘Team Up’ to Drive Fans to the Metaverse
The news comes after multiple companies began tapping the Metaverse to grow their viewership in fresh and engaging ways, some of which have included major brands across the sports community.
For example, Manchester United entered the digital marketing domain via a partnership with Roblox, the largest metaverse platform worldwide.
Their rivals Manchester City also accommodated Web3-based fans in a groundbreaking partnership with OKX.
Both have offered major perks, including a portfolio of digital wearables, fan socials, match meetups, and many other interactive events.
Additionally, the Charlotte Hornets were the first National Basketball Association (NBA) team to sign up for the Metaverse after teaming up with Los Angeles-based Web3 firm MeetKai, sparking a race to rack up points with global sports fans to buy merchandise, connect, and interact.
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