Chiliz will invest $100M for a 24.5% stake in FC Barcelona’s digital content production and distribution arm.
FC Barcelona has announced that blockchain-powered fan engagement and rewards platform Socios.com will become a strategic technology partner. The move will accelerate FC Barcelona’s blockchain, NFT and digital assets, and Web3 strategies. Chiliz, the Socios.com owner and technology provider, will invest $100M in Barça Studios to acquire a 24.5% stake in the Club’s digital content creation and distribution hub.
Barça Studios is leading the Club’s creation of NFTs and metaverse projects and spearheading FC Barcelona’s digital strategy to deliver projects that engage, reward, and build connections with its global fanbase. Earlier this year, FC Barcelona confirmed that the club was working on their own Barca metaverse.
The new partnership will enhance the Club’s ability to deliver meaningful digital products to fans and build new long-term sustainable revenue streams.
Barça Studios will be able to draw on Socios.com’s extensive experience in blockchain technology to deliver utility that connects fans with the Club, utilizing Socios.com’s scale across international fan communities to reach fans and produce revenue streams in new geographies.
$BAR Fan Token
The $BAR Fan Token will be key to unlocking and creating a new array of opportunities that extend beyond the Socios app and into new, immersive, digital ecosystems powered by Chiliz technology that Socios.com and Barça Studios will build together. As part of the strategic partnership, Socios and Barca Studios will develop projects that attract the most innovative blockchain and Web3 partners to build new features in the FC Barcelona ecosystem.
The strategic investment builds on an existing partnership with the Club, which began in February 2020 with the agreement to launch a $BAR Fan Token on Socios.com. Since then, more than $39M of $BAR Fan Tokens have been sold. These digital assets provide fans with access to a vibrant engage-to-earn community, where participation enables fans to redeem rewards including VIP tickets, merchandise and unique experiences, such as the chance to play on the pitch at the Camp Nou.
Socios has Partnered with Six La Liga Teams
Socios.com has been investing in La Liga and Spanish football since 2019 and now partners with six La Liga teams to deliver fan engagement projects on a global scale. Socios is the trusted fan engagement and rewards partner for more than 160 sports teams across the globe. It is developing and delivering Web3 initiatives and fan engagement features for more than 20 NBA teams and 13 NFL teams. They also count leading sports teams across UFC, Rugby, Tennis, Formula 1 and many other sports as partners.
With this groundbreaking investment, Barça Studios will also benefit from the technological expertise of Chiliz — the world-leading blockchain provider for the sports and entertainment industry that powers and provides the infrastructure behind Socios.com.
Chiliz Chain 2.0 (CC2) Layer-1 Sports Blockchain
Of particular note, the new agreement will allow Barça Studios to gain exposure to Chiliz Chain 2.0 (CC2), the first Layer-1 blockchain created especially for the sports and entertainment industry.
CC2 enables sports brands to mint NFTs and Fan Tokens, build DeFi products and Play2Earn games, and create event, loyalty and merchandising programs, helping them unlock the huge potential of Web3. CC2 was developed in collaboration with Ankr. The mainnet launch of CC2 is scheduled for Q4 2022.
See the full list of Socios.com partners at www.socios.com/partners
Official FC Barcelona statement on the agreement:
https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/club/news/2706416/fc-barcelona-official-announcement
Alexandre Dreyfus, CEO of Socios.com and Chiliz said: “Barça Studios can now leverage our technology, expertise, and global scale to help roll out the Club’s Web3 content strategy and deliver new long term revenue streams that will benefit the club for seasons to come. We are passionate about the role that technology can play in building communities that bring fans closer to their teams and each other. Blockchain technology can provide fans with a role and membership in their communities that cannot be removed or revoked, or spent or expire.
“Moreover, the application of blockchain technology can take the fan experience far beyond an app based engagement and reward structure and deliver utility and connectivity across the metaverse, providing a way to connect a limitless number of web3 projects.
“As their trusted technology partner we’ll do everything we can to support them in their efforts to build new and rewarding digital connections with their 400m followers worldwide.”
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