One of the world’s biggest tennis tournaments – the Australian Open (AO) – is entering both the NFT and Metaverse side of the cryptocurrency industry.
This year’s championship will also be held in Decentraland — a leading virtual reality platform. At the same time, fans will be able to participate further by buying non-fungible tokens linked to live match data.
AO Dives into the Metaverse
As Omicron cases in Australia surge, the organizers of the Australian Open decided to grant greater access to both international spectators and even locals who are concerned to attend matches in person.
As such, the tournament will also take place in Decentraland. There, visitors will be able to observe the main stadium Rod Laver Arena, explore restaurants, and of course, watch tennis matches.
“With this next wave of technology, global tennis fans will have the opportunity to be part of the 2022 Australian Open in a way never before available,” said Craig Tiley, the AO Tournament Director.
Additionally, the organization will release a collection of 6,776 non-fungible tokens, called “Art Ball NFTs.” Each collectible will correspond to a winning shot from all matches from the 2022 championship.
Owners will also receive an airdrop with footage of the point, virtual wearables, and other benefits in the future. Should one of the 11 championship points land on the plot, the holder of the connected NFT can claim and get the physical tennis ball from the match used in the game in a specially handcrafted case.
The non-fungible tokens will be tracked by the same technology employed to judge the matches’ in-game points.
The “Art Ball NFTs” will go on sale on January 10, while the AO Decentraland event goes live on January 17, the same day when the physical tournament begins.
Who Else Partnered with Decentraland?
Earlier this week, the Korean electronics giant Samsung introduced its new metaverse experience, called Samsung 837X. The feature, empowered by Decentraland, will enable clients to virtually attend quests or live music events.
“Best of all, you can earn NFT badges and exclusive, limited-supply collections of Samsung Decentraland wearables to customize your avatars,” Samsung explained.
Samsung 837X will be open in Decentraland for a limited period. Throughout the ongoing year, the Korean company plans to bring the experience to more people by launching a multiverse approach on new platforms.
“Metaverse empowers us to transcend physical and spatial limits to create unique virtual experiences that could not happen otherwise. Innovation is in our DNA, and we can’t wait for you all to experience this burgeoning virtual world,” Samsung’s Michelle Crossan-Matos concluded.
Featured Image Courtesy of TennisHead