Uplandme Inc. and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced today that they have signed an official license deal. It brings the First Division Argentina to the Upland Metaverse. The league is also known as the Professional Football League, or “LPF” for short.
Upland is the leading platform for mapping the real world in the Metaverse. A metaverse is a shared virtual world where people can meet, play and trade. Upland has over 3 million registered accounts.
This partnership lets the AFA and the LPF start engaging Argentine fans in the Metaverse. It adds to the digital community. It also lets the league benefit from Argentina’s huge global fan base, and it connects users with their favorite teams and players.
Dirk Lueth, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Upland, said: “We are thrilled with the completely loaded licensing agreement and partnership with the AFA to continue to expand Upland’s footprint and community around the world.
“With AFA, we are able to offer more opportunities than ever before to Argentinian fans new and old, empowering them with the true meaning of Web3, which is community-focused and entrepreneurial, allowing fans to contribute ideas and creations to showcase their team pride in engaging new ways.”
Taking Advantage of Metaverse to Enhance Fan Experience
Upland brings fans, collectors and players from around the world into one virtual network. The open platform also offers game-style ways to collect classic Argentine football digital collectibles. These include:
- Teams and clubs
- Players
- Tickets
- Gameplay footage
- Historic moments
- Platform-exclusive moments
- The Official Upland Market
The deal is another sign of the AFA’s global push and the growing reach of the Argentine Professional Football League brand. The goal is to attract new groups of fans, such as:
- Gamers around the world
- Web3 fans
- Collectors of digital assets in virtual markets
Claudio Fabian Tapia, President of AFA, said: “We are very happy to present this new commercial strategic agreement with Upland. The Argentine Professional League has long-awaited opportunities to take advantage of emerging technologies to enhance our League’s fan experience.
“This agreement allows us to partner with the best creators of technology and new digital products and thus generate a new source of income for all participating clubs. We welcome Upland as a new commercial partner of our Argentine Football Association and the Argentine Professional Football League.”
Two firsts
This deal marks two firsts:
- It is the first time Argentine football has appeared in the Metaverse.
- It is the first time Upland has let fans own in-game video content outright.
Users will be able to buy many virtual goods licenses. As a result, the Argentine Professional Football League will gain a new source of income over the next four years.
Creating a Unique Metaverse Experience Focused on Football
Thanks to this deal, Argentine fans will get a community built around first-division football. It offers them a one-of-a-kind experience in the Metaverse.
Fans can start virtual businesses in Upland. There, they can resell LPF digital products and other collectibles. They can run these shops on their own digital properties, including in the 22 cities already open in Upland.
Leandro Petersen, Chief Commercial Marketing Officer of AFA, said: “Upland is at the forefront of a new category of virtual NFT memorabilia. The platform uniquely combines digital collectibles uniting all global NFT markets into their own Metaverse.
“In this way, our Professional League will be able to get closer to football fans from all over the world and to the players who hope to be closer to the stars of our Argentine football teams every day.”
Upland recently unveiled a partnership with FC Porto and FIFA. That deal lets fans collect FIFA World Cup highlights, such as goals from the final, as digital collectibles. The new deal with the AFA widens Upland’s role in global and European football even further.
Leandro Petersen further added: “We are excited about the potential of this association and it is very important for us to continue generating new sources of income for AFA and the LPF.
“We continue with the expansion process started and develop digital products that increase the presence of Argentine Soccer in the world. With this agreement with Upland, we are achieving a great goal for the Argentine Professional Football League.”
About Upland
Upland is an open Web3 platform for the Metaverse. It maps the virtual world onto the physical one.
Upland has a strong economy for builders. Players, creators, developers and brands can make goods and experiences there. They can also earn from their assets and offer fun and value to other players. The company’s goal is to build one of the largest and most active maker communities in the world.
Upland is based in Silicon Valley, with hubs in Las Vegas, Ukraine and Brazil. Its awards include:
- One of Fast Company’s “Next Big Things in Tech” in 2021
- One of Built In SF’s “22 San Francisco Startups to Watch in 2022”
Upland is working toward a carbon-zero footprint and is a partner of Carbonfuture.
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