FC Barcelona has announced that blockchain-powered fan engagement and rewards platform Socios.com will become a strategic technology partner accelerating FC Barcelona’s blockchain, NFT and digital assets, and Web3 strategies. The partnership will see Socios.com owner and technology provider Chiliz 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. 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, utilising Socios.com’s scale across international fan communities to reach fans and produce revenue streams in new geographies. The $BAR Fan Token will be key to unlocking and creating a new array of opportunities that extend beyond the Socios.com app and into new, immersive, digital ecosystems powered by Chiliz technology that Socios.com and Barça Studios will build in tandem. As part of the strategic partnership, Socios.com and Barca Studios will develop projects that attract the most innovative blockchain and Web3 partners to build new features in the Barcelona FC 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.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.com 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, and the leading sports teams across UFC, Rugby, Tennis, Formula 1 and many other sports.
Through 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.
Notably, 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 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. 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:
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.”
