Soccer, better referred to as “football” outside of the United States, is undoubtedly the most popular sport in the word. Just this year alone, over half of the world’s population tuned into the World Cup.
The secret to its success in all of Europe, South America, Central America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East has largely to do with the fact that it’s a low-maintenance sport with low-maintenance players, with minimal equipment.
Although there are many countries which have huge followings surrounding other sports such as ice hockey, baseball, table tennis, cricket and rugby, soccer isn’t off by much, and is by far the most universally popular sport.
The Soccer Fanbase
Despite its popularity on the world stage, soccer isn’t as popular in the United States. It is indeed getting increasingly popular with Americans, however, it seems to lack in terms of keeping loyal followers at scale. That may soon change thanks to Christian Pulisic, the first potential U.S soccer superstar (who is currently playing as a German pro.) His activities and rising stardom could further cement soccer into American culture, which would in-turn play a role in expanding the worldwide community of soccer fans.
The culture of soccer fans, in general, is unique compared to that of other sports. Soccer fans understand that the rules of the game are designed to prevent goals- which is why there are extended triumphant roars of excitement in the rare instances when goals are finally made. Additionally, for the soccer fan base, scoring goals are secondary to how the game is being played. Soccer fans are generally more patient and forgiving, so long as their teams played a good game.
The fierce loyalty of soccer fans makes the sport akin to a religion to them. The act of watching the game with other fans is like a spiritual activity. It isn’t just mere entertainment. They feel a true connection with the athletes that they cheer for. However, in recent years, there has been a disconnect between the athletes and their fans.
The Disconnect between Athletes and Fans
Diehard fans show their support by going to the games, watching the games on TV, purchasing merchandise, attending sports events, and more. However, the most many athletes do to connect with their fans is often limited to the likes of sporadic social media updates, and the occasional meet and greet. Journalists would often act as the middlemen to provide the public with quotes from the athletes.
That does leave one to wonder- what else can actually be done to bridge the gap between the athletes and their fans? How can it be done at scale? What could be arranged to make it worthwhile for all parties? The team over at 433 Token managed to solve that by incorporating the power of blockchain with their passion for soccer, in turn making the sport more transparent, secure, and scalable.
Interestingly enough, there are many other companies that are finding ways to use blockchain technology to disrupt sports. SportX, for example, has created a new business model is that it will allow people to invest in the sports industry like never before. The platform will enable clubs to issue special tokens that can be circulated by agents, business partners, athletes, fans, and consumers. Moreover, it will allow individuals to invest in a sports star’s image right, and even intellectual property of a popular sports coach, like tactics and strategy. As a result, the return on investment is going to be transparent with a smart contract. Other features and benefits of this rising platform include the induction of crowdfunding in the world of sports. The platform will support crowdfunding campaigns through smart contracts, meaning that fans will directly be able to contribute and donate to charity tournaments and academy training of athletes and sports teams.
Power Back into the Hands of the Fans
433 Token is partnering up with Global Legends Series (GLS), a league of legendary soccer players, to nurture the next generation of superstars and to foster even greater comradery in the community. Using Soccer Legends Limited’s platform, soccer fans will be able to participate in sponsoring and watching the development of the next superstar, while being given the opportunities to interact with current superstars, as well as have a voice in important decisions. They have already won the support of legendary players Paul Scholes and Andriy Shevchenko, who will endorse and participate in the 433 token economies itself.
One of the most exciting opportunities to arise from 433 Token is the ability to bid on auctions, allowing for fans to personally interact with their favorite superstars. The auctions will be for interactions such as a personal dinner, museum tour, mentorships, or a Legends vs Fans friendly game. Principals (the athletes) will hold an auction for an Event, attached with a unique Smart Contract token. Once bidding has finished, the highest bidder will receive the Event token, verifying they are the legitimate bidder. The bid tokens can only be collected by the Principal once they fulfill the obligations of the Event, otherwise, the tokens are returned. Principals may also hold charity events and donate their tokens to charity.
Another very exciting opportunity to arise from 433 Token is enabling fan voices to be heard and have their choices matter. Token holders may vote for the venue using tokens where a GLS game is being held, from a list of choices. The city with the most votes is the host, and uses the tokens from the vote to fund the game. The winning voters receive streaming links and priority tickets, while other voters get their tokens back. The voters then get to vote on the playing teams and the game setup.
It’s important for soccer fans to have the chance to sponsor and watch the next major superstar grow alongside their favorite current stars. Fans can also have the very exciting opportunity to meet their soccer idols with no caveats, while deciding where they will see their dream team. This is exactly what the most popular sport needed, in order to strengthen the bond between athletes and their fans.