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- 1 St. Louis Blues stands 7th in terms of home attendance.
- 2 The NHL team will enhance fan engagement using Credenza’s technology.
Blockchain technology is moving beyond non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in the sports industry. St. Louis Blues, a National Hockey League (NHL) team, has announced a partnership with a web3 company Credenza Inc. The collaboration will seek developments in the team’s blockchain-based fan engagement app, Bluenatics.
St. Louis Blues Officially Enters in Web3 Sector
St. Louis Blues Innovation and Technology VP, Matt Gardener, said that, “The opportunity to be first-to-market in the sports industry with this real-time, blockchain-based strategy is exciting because Credenza’s platform truly creates endless possibilities for how we can deliver valuable benefits to our fans.”
The announcement revealed Credenza will integrate their open source technology with Bluenatics. The application was launched in 2019 for fans, providing them with a variety of experiences like quizzes, exclusive rewards, and more. Blues have an average home game attendance of nearly 17K according to Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN), a sports cable network.
Credenza CRO Pat Coyle praised the Blues, saying that, “They are maximizing our technology in the way we envisioned, by enhancing the fan experience in real-time through the use of our digital applications and smart contracts.” The web3 company will help develop an in-app program dubbed Bluentics Passport.
The program will serve as a universal fan identity, delivering real-time offers by tracking user activity using blockchain. Additionally, a user is rewarded for their engagement with the app. This will potentially provide the user with a true web3 experience. Bluenatics Passport will allow users accessibility to blockchain wallet through the app. Additionally, it can be connected to a website, mobile application, or a metaverse environment.
Although experts across the globe believe interest in the metaverse appears to be fading, Blues revealed they will work on fan-facing applications and a potential metaverse store. The announcement explained the probability of fans buying real merchandise via a virtual reality (VR) experience.
Sports Industry Already Admires Blockchain
Blockchain in the sports industry isn’t the latest concept. NHL announced the development of an NFT marketplace in June 2022. The National Basketball Association (NBA) launched its platform, NBA Top Shot, in 2022. Autograph, an NFT-focused platform by former American football quarterback Tom Brady, is among the most renowned web3 companies in the sector.
Last year, the French Ligue 1 team, Paris Saint-Germain F.C. (PSG), released NFT tickets to celebrate their first tour to Japan in 27 years. Star players Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar Jr, and more joined the tour. The team also issued tokens consisting of key moments and video messages from PSG players.
Manchester United F.C. (MANU), one of the greatest clubs in football history, is an official partner with Tezos blockchain. In March 2022, David Beckham, a renowned footballer, announced his collaboration with DigitalBits Blockchain. The announcement explained Beckham will act as the company’s global brand ambassador.
Anurag is working as a fundamental writer for The Coin Republic since 2021. He likes to exercise his curious muscles and research deep into a topic. Though he covers various aspects of the crypto industry, he is quite passionate about the Web3, NFTs, Gaming, and Metaverse, and envisions them as the future of the (digital) economy. A reader & writer at heart, he calls himself an “average guitar player” and a fun footballer.
