The reigning English Premier League champion – Manchester City – partnered with Sony to build a virtual replica of its Etihad Stadium in the Metaverse. If successful, this would be the first soccer arena existing in the virtual reality environment.
‘City’ Joins the Metaverse
According to Sports Illustrated, the professional British soccer team – Manchester City – is the latest club to dive into the Metaverse space. “City” (as its nickname is) signed a three-year agreement with the tech giant Sony Corporation. While the project is still in its early phases, specialists have already visited the stadium to map it digitally and build a virtual version.
Image analysts will use skeletal-tracking technology to turn Manchester City’s home ground into a major center within the Metaverse.
The club’s officials believe the project will enable the team’s supporters to watch live games from the comfort of their homes without traveling to the British town.
It is worth noting that the global fan base of the club is around 38 million, and less than one million are UK residents. Commenting on the matter was Nuria Tarre – Chief Marketing and Fan Engagement Officer of the team:
“The whole purpose of having a metaverse is that you can watch the matches live, be a part of the action from different perspectives, and fill the Eithad stadium as much as you want since it is completely virtual. I believe that the classic image of someone sitting on a sofa watching a screen is something we cannot conceive will still be the reality in ten years, if not sooner.”
What Is The Rival Doing?
Manchester City’s biggest soccer competitor – Manchester United – has also interacted with the digital asset universe lately.
The “Red Devils” inked a $27 million deal with the blockchain platform Tezos. As a result, the team will display the latter’s logo on its training apparel. Nonetheless, the Carrington ground, home to the team’s youth academy, will not embody Tezos’s initials.
Manchester United has already started advertising the partnership at its club’s center. Last summer, England’s most successful team re-signed with Cristiano Ronaldo. According to many, the return of the Portuguese superstar is a catalyst for multimillion deals such as the one with Tezos.
Featured Image Courtesy of Marca