The players may be the ones scoring the points, the coaches are charged with coming up with strategy and the general managers are given the task of building a winning roster. Ultimately, though, none of it ever happens without first creating a rabid fanbase that will follow and support a team’s every move.
Without the fans, there are no professional sports. In the economy of the sporting world, they are the ones creating the demand for what the teams are supplying. And the marketing arms of pro clubs and leagues are coming to realize just how vital that connection is to a team’s growth and even survival.
Fan engagement isn’t just a catch phrase being thrown around by those in the sports marketing realm. It’s becoming a vital cog in the industry, treasured and pursued as fervently as wins and losses. And one of the newer methods through which sports franchises are seeking to drive fan engagement is through the embracing of cryptocurrency and the integration of non-fungible tokens (NFT).
Several clubs, leagues and players are releasing NFTs that are becoming treasured and valuable collectibles among team fanbases. Like old-school trading cards, these NFTs are a digital form of memorabilia that can be hoarded into a collection, or traded with other collectors. But they are offering much more than that. Through the obtaining of these NFTs, fans can gain unique and often one-of-a-kind opportunities such as a meet and greet with a star player, the first chance at tickets to key matches, even personally-guided tours of team facilities.
Some of the biggest names in sports spanning the globe are choosing to embrace NFTs as a sure-fire method of connecting more closely with their supporters. Portuguese soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo is among this group.
The CR7 Forever Zone
When soccer fans debate which player is the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) among the current generation, there are two standard answers to the question. Argentina’s World Cup winner Lionel Messi garners strong support from his followers. However, those who choose to back Portugal’s European Champion Ronaldo are equally as fanatical about the case they make for their hero.
Ronaldo is taking a step toward winning over the masses with his July 3 release of the CR7 Forever Zone. Created in partnership with Binance, this is a series of some 29,000 NFTs celebrating the remarkable career of the Portuguese star and soccer icon.
Among the moments from Ronaldo’s reign over the beautiful game that have been fashioned into NFTs are some of the most memorable among his world-record 838 goals. They include goal No. 806, the one that made him the greatest goal scorer in the history of the sport. There’s also No. 649, an overhead bicycle tally that Ronaldo rates as the best goal he’s scored during his legendary career.
In total, there is artwork depicting 20 of his career goals. They are classified into four categories – Super Super Rare (SSR), Super Rare (SR), Rare (R), and Normal (N). Cryptographic technology ensures your collectible NFT can never be copied or digitally reproduced.
Of the seven highest-value NFTs (SSRs), six were sold via auction on the Binance NFT marketplace and were sold out within a 48-hour window of the July 3 release. The seventh of these items will be prized at a later date.
The 120 Super Rare and 1,200 Rare NFTs were offered for sale on the Binance marketplace via Subscription Mechanism. Prices were starting at US $200 USD Super Rare and US$ 30 for Rare. The remaining 28,000 Normal (N) varieties were available exclusively through the ForeverCR7 Box valued at $10.
All the Super Super Rare, Super Rare, Rare and Normal-level NFTs made available during the first sales window sold out upon release. This means the only way to now buy one of these sought-after NFTs is via the secondary market on Binance’s NFT Marketplace.
The CR7 Forever Zone is the second collaboration between the world’s leading blockchain ecosystem and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider and the soccer icon. The first release of Ronaldo NFTs came in 2022.
This limited edition latest release celebrates Ronaldo’s career from his days as a youth player, through his rise to become the game’s greatest goal scorer. The seven NFTs highlight Ronaldo’s youth soccer roots in Madeira, to his time as a player with Portugal’s Sporting Libson, Spain’s Real Madrid, Manchester United of England’s Premier, Italian Serie A side Juventus Turin, Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia, and with Portugal’s national side.
“It is great to have the opportunity to collaborate again with Binance on this project for my fans, especially those that have cheered me on since those early goals,” said Ronaldo in a statement. “Creating this collection and reflecting back on my career highlights has been very rewarding, and I can’t wait to see the response to the collection and have the chance to train with a lucky few.”
Chance To Train With Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are considered the GOATs of this generation of soccer players (Photo by Fanny Schertzer. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.)
The chance to take part in a training session with the soccer icon is just one of the possible perks that can come with the purchase of one of the CR7 Forever Zone NFTs. Those who acquire one of the seven SSR NFTs get a chance to meet Ronaldo in person. Other exclusive perks include a personal message from Ronaldo, along with videos offering his description of each of the featured goals. There are also printable, signed Binance x CR7 posters, autographed Binance x CR7 merchandise and guaranteed access for all future CR7 NFT drops. Every purchaser also gains entry into giveaways of signed merchandise and other prizes.
Fans who purchased CR7 NFTs from the inaugural CR7 collection in 2022 not only had access to this second set, but holders can be eligible to receive complimentary NFT Mystery Boxes from Drop 1, as well as Forever CR7 boxes and high rarity NFTs from Drop 2.
