MLB and gaming company NFT Sorare partner for fan fantasy and collectible games
Sports leagues and teams around the world are working to attract younger crowds, improve fan engagement, and find ways to engage with and reach new audiences.
Major League Baseball is no different, and the league on Thursday announced a partnership with Sorare, an NFT game company, to release an NFT-based fantasy-style game this summer.
Sorare will become MLB’s Official NFT Baseball Gaming Partner, providing fans with a platform to play fantasy games while buying, selling and collecting NFTs from MLB players. It will differ from other fantasy games in that it will not be a draft style game. Teams will be built from the NFT cards owned by a particular fan.
“The connections we build with our fans are vital, and Sorare understands the importance of that bond,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a press release. “The company’s approach to transforming fandom through an innovative blend of esports, technology and gaming so fans truly own a piece of the game they love is unique and goes beyond borders, allowing us to bring the love for baseball to more fans around the world.” balloon.”
The final details of the games, prizes and prizes have not been released, but Sorare has developed similar games for soccer leagues such as the Bundesliga, Copa América and Major League Soccer that included a variety of prizes for fans who accumulate NFT. In one case, fans won NFT cards that unlocked tickets to a game .
Some professional athletes have owned and sold their own cards in the Sorare marketplace in previous developments, providing a unique angle for fans to engage and collect.
Part of MLB’s appeal was the 1.7 million registered users on Sorare’s platform in 184 countries. It opens up the potential to connect with an audience that baseball hasn’t been able to reach in any meaningful way in the past.
MLB has seen an annual decline in average attendance since 2007 when it saw 79.4 million fans drop to just 68.5 million in 2019. Attendance has been affected due to COVID-19 since 2020, so those numbers would not be included in any data. .
Sorare has seen a 32% monthly increase in active user growth and generated over $325 million in sales in 2021 with an expectation of doubling this year. Part of that success has been based on partnerships with 247 soccer clubs and will now expand by adding MLB teams.
“Sorare has created a new baseball gaming experience that will excite fans around collecting NFTs from players, building winning lineups, and competing against baseball fans around the world,” said Tony Clark, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association. “We are very excited about our partnership and the effect Sorare’s first foray into North American esports will have on growing our game globally.”