Even though the World Cup has concluded, it’s apparent that fans all across the world still have a hunger for football. On December 16, English soccer giants Manchester United released their first-ever official non-fungible token (NFT) collection in collaboration with the blockchain platform Tezos. The initial drop of digital collectibles was offered to fans without cost.
Since the debut just four days ago, fans have already claimed around 750,000 Manchester United digital collectibles. The overwhelming demand for the collection drop has resulted in six times as many contract interactions on the Tezos blockchain as are typically witnessed on a daily basis. The low cost of minting and transactions on Tezos is the only reason why a free NFT drop of this magnitude is even economically possible.
Mason Edwards, chief commercial officer at the Tezos Foundation, said, “It is an honor to be part of the club’s first step into Web3 through the creation of digital collectibles which the club and its followers will cherish for years to come. It takes an appreciation of football and the club’s history, but also a blockchain that’s powerful, decentralized, resilient, and scalable to do it. That’s Tezos.”
Creating A Global Web3 Community To Educate & Reward
For the past few decades, one of the most popular types of entertainment has been sports, specifically football, which is sometimes referred to as the “king of sports.” Hundreds of millions, if not billions, of people throughout the world spend their time each day watching sports and taking part in various sporting events. And if you believe that cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology are only about payments, investments, and trade, then you certainly need to check out the Manchester United digital collectibles.
The official training kit partner, Tezos, is in charge of the development of the blockchain technology on which the digital collectibles are built. Later on, in the current season, more collections that are inspired by the club’s history will be made available for purchase. The club has committed to donating 20% of its profits to the charitable organization known as the Manchester United Foundation. Those fans who have contributed enough to obtain a free NFT will be invited to take part in the community on Discord and have the opportunity to have an impact on the design of future drops.
Phil Lynch, chief executive of digital products and experiences at Manchester United, said, “Much like the football traditions of old, such as collecting match programs, club badges, and sticker books, fans will soon have the additional option to collect this new type of digital memorabilia.”
The Premier League club has stated that it intends to establish a Web3 community with the goal of “educating, rewarding, and uniting” its global audience by means of both virtual and real-world activities. The club defines NFTs as a new type of digital history and a chance for fans to ‘own’ a part of the club’s history, while also earning prizes that are related to ownership of their token.
Phil Lynch further added, “Having watched the Web3 space closely and consulted with fans for their views on how this unique virtual world should operate, we’ve worked with the Tezos ecosystem teams to apply these learnings and believe that the launch of Manchester United digital collectibles is different to others, providing the option of unique and enhanced engagement opportunities to our incredible fans.”
Tezos As The Blockchain Of Choice
Over the course of its existence, Manchester United has undergone a consistent change. Now, the greatest football club in the world has decided to go with Tezos as its blockchain of choice. With this decision, the club is looking toward a future that will provide even more fulfilling engagement opportunities for its enormous and diverse community of fans and partners all over the world.
Tezos is a blockchain that is open source, uses the Proof of Stake consensus algorithm, is focused on security, and can be upgraded without any disruptions. These aspects are in keeping with the Club’s overarching mission to advance environmental sustainability and to continuously develop with the assistance of communities all over the world.
On Tezos, hundreds of projects have collectively developed thriving communities around the world and documented tens of millions of transaction records. Tezos has enabled a variety of communities to flourish, including those of artists, gamers, and sports fans, among others. The platform is able to modify itself according to the requirements of the user community. It is able to improve itself in a smooth manner thanks to its one-of-a-kind proposal and voting method, and it can always remain state of the art.
It’s been 4 days since the launch of the digital collectible, and it’s been picking up steam ever since. Fans are still interested in purchasing their preferred collectibles, despite the fact that the Football World Cup has concluded. As of now, supporters of Manchester United have claimed approximately 750,000 digital collectibles from the club.
In addition, due to the extremely high demand for the collection drop, the Tezos blockchain has experienced six times the normal number of contract interactions on a daily basis. According to the most recent official statistics from Tezos, there have been more than 6 million transactions, with a total volume of around 539 Million Tezos. This simply demonstrates that the low cost of minting and transactions on Tezos is the sole factor that makes it possible for a free NFT drop of this size to be economically sustainable.
