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This summer was “scorching” for Blocksport as lots of things happened, even though it is usually not an active period both in the world of sports and business. 

We sit down to talk with Vladimir Liulka, CEO and Co-Founder of Blocksport, about all that happened during the summer and his plans for this autumn. 

What comes first to mind when thinking about Blocksport’s achievements this summer? 

The first thing that comes to my mind is the fan token launches for our partners Partizan BC and Empoli FC – clubs that play in major domestic and European competitions. However, I think the story of this project goes even further than one token launch, considering the history of both clubs and their fan bases. 

The second is signing new partners, and I can say that recently we have entered the field of leagues and federations, which is very good for Blocksport.

It is worth saying; that we should keep in mind the development of our platform. Blocksport 2.0 will be introduced this autumn as we are in the final stages, and it will be even more user-friendly and gamified. 

Let’s talk more about fan token launches for Partizan and Empoli – can you share some insights on those projects?

Sure, Empoli launched its fan token first at the end of June, presenting many exciting features to its fans like birthday videos for players, exclusive VIP tickets, and digital assets. However, we already see how this project influences the Azzuri fan base as clubs as the first fan token holders received VIP tickets at the most crucial game for Empoli fans – the Tuscany derby and enjoyed the game experience like never before. 

As for the Partizan, this project is massive for the club and us, black-whites offer unique opportunities like meeting a player personally, and they are already aiming for more, launching new tranches of fan tokens ahead of their Euroleague matches as they are back to the main European basketball competition. Speaking about Partizan, I can also mention their perfect start with the fan app – they launched it in April and already have more than 10,000 downloads.

Sounds exciting, and what about the new partners of Blocksport? You mentioned that Blocksport signed a partnership with the first federations and league. Could you tell us more about it? 

Of course, I am thrilled to announce our partnerships with Bulgarian Football Union and EFBET Liga, the top football league in Bulgaria. It is a significant step for both sides as BFU will receive a branded fan app soon and launch its token. We also continue to grow in the African market. This month we will announce two big players – the rugby federation, which is likely to play at the World Cup and one of the biggest football clubs in Africa with 2 million followers on Twitter only. So we continue to grow and bring our digital ecosystem to the best sports entities. 

What are the plans for this autumn for Blocksport? What are the main goals and challenges? 

As we have launched a few new products, we aim to spread the word about Blocksport worldwide. We will attend three major events in blockchain and sports business this autumn. We will start with CV Summit next week in Zug and continue in Monaco at the SPORTEL conference with the presence of our COO Samir Ceric and me. Also, with a presentation on the 25th of October and finish in Tel Aviv, where two of us will take the main stage and participate in a panel at Sports Tech Nation.

Regarding the product, we will launch the fan apps this autumn for Dynamo Kyiv, BFU, and our new partners from South Africa. We will also release a new version of our platform Blocksport 2.0 to improve the web experience and introduce new features. Regarding the fan token launches – more are coming soon. So stay tuned, and let’s make great things happen!

7th September 2022, Nairobi, Zug 

Kenya Rugby Union has signed a 5-year partnership BLOCKSPORT AG, a leading  Swiss sports tech solutions provider, to create the full digital ecosystem with the launch Fan Engagement App, Fan Token and NFTs as World’s first rugby union to fully embrace the power of blockchain technology and tokenization for the benefit of  the Kenyan rugby and Kenyan sport as a whole. This is the world’s first when it comes down to the entire digital ecosystem as many rugby and other sports unions have opted for a silo effect by signing up with multiple partners in a way that does not connect the dots.  

By signing this 5-year partnership, KRU has positioned itself as the first rugby federation in the world to fully embrace the power of blockchain technology,  digitalisation, and tokenization. The partnership aims to develop new digital ways for  fans to be more involved with the national team starting with the launch of a new  interactive app for fans which will see engagement and digitalization go beyond the borders of Kenya and the African continent. It will be followed by the launch  and release of KRU’s NFTs, as well the national team’s own Fan Tokens which will be  utility based, hence totally non speculative. The Kenya national rugby union Sevens  Men team popularly known as the Shujaa have played at the past five Rugby  Sevens World Cups, reaching the semi-finals in 2009 and 2013, and are one of the  core teams competing in every tournament of the annual World Sevens Series. Just  last week, the Lionesses put up a spirited fight in the World Sevens Challenger  Tournament in Chile emerging fourth and continuing to win many global fans for  their scintillating display. The Simbas (Men’s Fifteen-a-side) were runner-up in the  Rugby Africa Cup and are now preparing for the Final Qualification Tournament for 

next year’s Rugby World Cup in France. Early this year, the Simbas made their debut  appearance at the Currie Cup First Division competition in South Africa, one of the  oldest and most prestigious rugby tournaments in the world. These teams have won  many global fans with their exceptional displays despite limited resources. This  partnership opens new platforms for the global fan base that the Kenyan national  teams have attracted to consistently engage with the teams and players while  allowing the KRU to fully exploit emerging commercial opportunities for the benefit  of the game.  

While trading fan tokens might be great, Blocksport brings something a little different  to the table. It is currently the only company that offers non-speculative utility fan  tokens, specifically designed to drive real fan engagement. Several top-tier clubs and unions are leveraging these tokens to create digital memberships that give fans  exclusive perks depending on their membership level. Fans get real value and  engagement based on their level, while teams get to build loyalty and cash in on  new revenue streams. 

Oduor Gangla, Chairman of the Kenya Rugby Union, said; 

“I am honoured and proud with the fact the Kenya Rugby Union will be the first  rugby federation in the world with a fully completed digital ecosystem which will not  only benefit our national teams but our club rugby fans too. You often read in the  press how American, Asian, English, German sports leagues and federations go  ahead of the curve in this space and announce commercial arrangements that  further benefit their already well run and funded sports infrastructure. However I feel  this is a turnaround for this part of the world, which has historically been full of  potential and talent, The KRU has recognised this potential and is prepared to open  up new frontiers in the digital space which in return will make us stand out from the  crowd and attract investment not only into our rugby industry but our athletes too. I  would like to thank my team for working relentlessly over the past few months and  bringing this solution based out of Switzerland and the world’s most regulated and  transparent crypto valley, Zug, to our attention. I very much look forward to the next  steps and the journey ahead.” We are humbled and grateful that Blocksport has  agreed to work with the KRU in this transformative project. 

Samir Ceric, Chief Operating Officer of Blocksport said: 

“I am very excited about the fact that we are breaking into the African sports  market with such an African rugby heavyweight, the Kenya Rugby Union. From the  moment I met the KRU team and its Chairman Mr Oduor Gangla, it was evident to  me that they understood the true potential blockchain technology brings to the  table. They also recognised the fact that Blocksport was a different kind of sports 

tech company, a company that understood the sport in a different way to other  industry players. I can safely say that it is great to be talking the same language, i.e. us at Blocksport and our new partner, KRU. As a former Chairman of a football club, I  often talk about the importance of one’s fan base and how much more fans today  expect of their beloved clubs and national teams in all major professional sports and  it is great to meet like-minded individuals operating and managing globally  successful rugby teams such as the Simbas, Shujaa, Lionesses and Chipu. We are  looking forward to many more successful partnerships in Africa and are thrilled with  the partner we are starting our African journey with. And what a great timing to do 

so, with a serious chance of the Simbas competing at the next Rugby World Cup in  France as well as the Shujaa participating in this year’s Rugby 7s World Cup in Cape  Town, South Africa. ”  

The Future Is Now: Generation Y and Z are the new faces of fandom. Understanding  their needs and tailoring one’s brand for the digital realm presents new opportunities  for engagement. It is the key to making them feel more connected to one’s club,  national team and the chosen sport. When fans are happy, it is also a victory for the  club or national team they support. Blockchain gives sports clubs, leagues and  football and other sports associations the chance to do just that. 

Ngárua Kamuya, Chief Executive Officer of 270 Degrees Sports said: 

At the crux of every sporting organization is its fanbase. It is the fan who buys the  tickets to watch the games, it is the fan who buys your merchandise, it is the fan who  invest in the organization. From the inception of our relationship with Kenya Rugby Union, it has been apparent that they have wanted to commercialise their assets,  and they have realized that the way to do this is putting the fan at the centre. This  partnership with Blocksport is timely and natural, in my opinion. Building a fan  engagement app for a Union that has a global fanbase is incredible, and we look  forward to this partnership. We want to thank Lindi Ngwenya and Charles Cardovillis, 

together with the teams at Kenya Rugby Union and Blocksport for making this a  reality. The next 5 years will definitely be an exciting time for Kenya Rugby. 

About Kenya Rugby Union 

Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) is the governing body for rugby union in Kenya. It was  founded in 1970 and is affiliated to Rugby Africa and the international governing  body World Rugby. KRU is responsible for the running of the Kenya national rugby  union teams (Lionesses, Shujaa, Chipu and Simbas), domestic club’s competitions and school rugby competitions. The union’s current residence is at the RFUEA  Grounds in Nairobi, Kenya. KRU currently comprises of 3 leagues, the Kenya Cup, the  Championship and the Nationwide. The KRU also hosts the prestigious international  invitiatonal tournament, the Safari Sevens.  

When we present Blocksport as a company that can help any sports entity with fan engagement, we mean that. Because in our portfolio we don’t have only clubs and organizations from football, basketball, and other major sports but rugby, esports, volleyball, and cycling as well. Today we want to tell you the story of the Belgian Cycling app made for the Belgian Cycling federation to engage with cycling enthusiasts. 

Belgian Cycling was founded in 1882 and is one of the world’s oldest cycling federations with many champions wearing a blue jersey over the years. It is a top competitor throughout the years, presented Belgium in all general competitions, and works to bring international cycling events to Belgium as a leading cycling country in Europe. So when we decided to partner with such an organization, we were sure that it will help to develop both Blocksport and Belgian Cycling as it has a great fan base for this kind of sport and a pure vision of how to work with fans. 

Our idea is to bring simple but engaging solutions for clubs that’s why Belgian Cycling selected our app – we work on a SaaS model that’s why it is affordable for every sports entity to have a fan app and we offer different solutions to engage fans into it and open new revenue streams. Now the app is live for 6 months and offers lots of opportunities for fans – they can speak with each other in fan chat and for now, we have 3000 people who joined the chat to communicate with each other. 

We integrated fan missions and fan ratings so now more than 50% of our users complete fan missions and earn their place in fan ratings. Regarding the exclusive features for a cycling app – the radio tour was new for us, but very important for a cycling app as you can have a live broadcast of what’s going on throughout the race. We also have social media integrated here and partner with merchandise stores directly in the app. And our general achievement is of course 3500 users just for half a year. 

In the future, we plan to develop the Belgian Cycling digital ecosystem together with the federation to engage more fans and even more interesting fans and bring them an exclusive fan experience. This case study is an example of how Blocksport’s digital ecosystem can be implemented in every kind of sport and work for both sports entities and fans as a win-win situation. 

In 2022 many people have already heard about NFTs, hype on some art and unexpectedly expensive sales of some digital artists attracted much attention to the topic. But how NFTs can be used in sports and in tokenization and digitalization processes? We believe in utility NFTs when you don’t just purchase art or just a picture or video, it’s about things that stay behind the asset itself. When we noticed that our partner club Empoli will play a friendly against the national team of Ukraine just in a couple of days we decided to make an NFT collection and executed it to bring a very important utility for all people who will buy those NFTs. 

We decided to take 10 photos from this match add some design to them and mint them as NFTs. We promoted it only with media releases in important Ukrainian sports media and on the social media channels of Empoli, the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF), and Blocksport. The main idea was to raise awareness of the problem of war in Ukraine and to raise funds for the Ukrainian international charity foundation UNITED 24 backed by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.

The starting price of each NFT was around 30$ in BNB and we started auctions just a day after the match not to lose momentum around the event. In a couple of hours first bids were placed and we saw that we attracted some attention as there was a demand for pictures, we also partnered with UNITED 24 so they put some social media posts about our collection. On the next day, every NFT had a bid, so we understood that it is going to be sold out here. All NFTs were sold in a week and we transferred all funds to to the UNITED 24 wallet for the medical needs of the Ukrainian people. 

We launched a small campaign without paid advertising and spent resources only on producing and minting NFTs and promotion across the media as it was a charity collection and the results speak for themselves, in fact, we raised a small sum of money to help people out of nothing. Just trying to do the right things – the most important thing is we grab momentum and gave a real utility for buying those NFTs. That’s what we always tell about the NFTs in sports – provide the utility and make your collection special, give it a story and a project will be successful. We are sure every sports brand has a lot of stories to tell and what to provide to their fans both digitally and physically, that’s why NFT can make a good addition to digitalization and tokenization in sports. 

For how long have you been an Empoli fan?

Living a few kilometers from Empoli I have always been a fan and have always followed Empoli even in the Serie B years. 

Why you have decided to buy fan tokens?

I decided to buy the fan tokens because I wanted to try to have the opportunity to participate in the various extractions and to be closer to the team.  Luck was immediately on my side and I was drawn for the two Vip Hospitality tickets for the Tuscan derby between Empoli and Fiorentina.  

What was your experience during the match? 

It was a wonderful experience, we were very well received and were allowed to see the arrival of the coaches and the entrance of the players to the stadium.  Then we were made to visit the stadium by going to the sidelines and the press room where the pre and post match interviews are done.  Then we were offered a rich buffet before the match and during the first and second half.  Then the seat was very close to the authority stand, I would say truly spectacular.  I know it won’t be easy but I hope to have an experience like this again. It’s a different way to experience a football match.  

Are you going to continue using fan tokens? 

As for the token fans, I will continue to use them and still hope for luck. I close by thanking you for the chance you gave me and for the experience you gave me.  Thank you very much.

When we speak about digitalization and tokenization in sports – we always think about big clubs and brands, that launch millions of fan tokens, enter the metaverse, and do other enormous projects. But how can those tools help small sports brands right here and right now? How a club with a small and local fan base can digitalize the experience of fans and what is also important how can it open up a new revenue stream?

At Blocksport, we believe that the only thing that matters is the passion of your fan base, not the size, not the name, not the sports, not the league you play but passion and affinity for the brand. We know how to help small brands open up new revenue streams in the digital world, and how to help their passionate and loyal fans to experience a new level of connection and engagement with their beloved brand.

Red Star Belgrade Rugby League Club was one of the first partners of Blocksport in the traditional sports field. However, the name of the Red Star sports society is big in the Balkans and well-known in Europe. Rugby is far from the title of number one sport in Serbia and Red Star football and basketball teams are much more popular than their rugby counterpart, carrying the same world-famous name. But the important thing is the passion of this relatively small fan base of around 1000 people about rugby and Red Star.. They play on old fields, players have full-time jobs, and there is no VIP experience, but there are enthusiastic people behind the club.

We started our partnership with the launch of a mobile app on the SaaS model which is a good option for small clubs as they don’t have to spend thousands of dollars for development; instead just pay a monthly fee and receive a branded app inside a month. So here we started our journey with the Red Star fan app introducing gamification features and other options such as merchandise sales and live streaming. Since the beginning, the app was installed 1800 times, considering the active fan base of the club is around 1000.

The next step was the NFT launch when we introduced our native platform and released NFTs with Red Star players both on the platform and in-app. We sold 3 Red Star NFTs with promotion only on Red Star social media and in our community not spending a dollar on a paid promo. The NFT is a bonus for every club as it can be used as unique digital merchandise and the same vision we expressed with the Red Star club. 

As our digital ecosystem presents 3 interconnected products: fan app, NFTs, and fan tokens. The last but not the least step was waiting ahead, as we mentioned many times before fan tokens are a revolutionary product that brings the connection between fans and clubs to a new level. Red Star fan token launch was the first one for Blocksport and also a debut for our partners from Serbia, regarding the size of a fan base we decided to launch the first tranche of 10 000 $RSB tokens with a price of 1 euro for 1 $RSB. Red Star offered some unique features for holders like unique content, Q&A with players, and discounts from clubs and partners. We launched a promotion on the Red Star app and social media, in rugby digital media, and on Blocksport social media channels. For less than a month we sold out the first 10000 tokens and received 10 000 euros just for providing some digital extras for their fans. On average every fan bought 145 tokens. That’s what Colin Kleyweg, CEO of Red Star Belgrade RLC said about this experience:

“I am proud of what has happened with the first tranche of RLK fan tokens. We are getting a wide cross-section of members purchasing stakes in the token. Given we are the first rugby club in the world to successfully launch a token, I think we also need to applaud the bravery of our partnership with Blocksport and the bravery of our fans in purchasing something so new. The job has just begun – our fan membership token is a way to develop a further conversation on our app and bring our members closer to the coalface of running a rugby league club and expanding the sport in a holistic, domestic competition structure in the Balkans.”

Now we are planning to launch the second tranche of fan tokens as the first success was a great addition to a club that always needs additional funds to pay more to the players, to play on better fields, and attract more people to become rugby and Red Star fans. That’s the idea of Blocksport if you have even 1000 people who are passionate and enthusiastic about your club then we have to work to help you find new possibilities using the unique digital ecosystem. Digitalization and tokenization are for every sports brand that has fans and their passion behind it. That’s what we believe in and that’s what we can confidently prove to anyone out there who is considering their own steps in the digital realm arena.

05 July 2022, London, Budapest, Zug 

Blocksport, a leading SportsTech solutions provider, and Seyu, a real-time moderated, branded, fan-generated content delivery solution are forging a strategic partnership. The alliance is aiming to help sports industry’s rights holders best embrace market leading sports technologies in order to improve their fan engagement and data collection while creating new revenue sources.

Leading by best practices and evolving fan-engagement digitalization hand in hand with clubs are the objectives that both companies live by. This exciting, new partnership is designed to strengthen the core network of half a dozen sport tech businesses determined to make a mark on the industry across the globe. Each company demonstrates that transparency, knowledge and the right approach are the most important things when engaging with global fan bases. Fan bases that are on a global scale come from different backgrounds and cultures but united in the love for football and sport clubs that they passionately support. Sport is a lot more than a game and fandom for many is a way of life, a philosophy, even a new religion. Thanks to technology, these emotions can now be unearthed and channeled into the stadiums and arenas from anywhere in the world. 

Samir Ceric, the Chief Operation Officer of Blocksport AG, said:

“I am thrilled with the fact that this week Seyu and Blocksport have officially joined forces in this exciting strategic partnership announcement. Having personally known Seyu’s founder and CEO, Tom Vechy Vecsernyes, for some time now, having brought him to the football club I used to be a Chairman of, and also introduced to some other sports clubs across Europe. I saw first-hand how unique and powerful Seyu’s solution can be, and how it is aligned with the interest of the club as well as our own vision behind Blocksport. I am very exciting with the fact that we will continue our long standing collaboration, now as two important strategic partners between Blocksport and Seyu, and help open doors for one another within our existing sport networks, with the aim of helping clubs and other sporting entities generate additional revenues and remain viable and more profitable in the process; and all for the benefit of their biggest asset, their fan base. Improving fan engagement in the process and deepening these important relationships are often mission critical no matter which club or country are concerned. 

Tom Vechy Vecsernyes, Seyu’s Co-Founder and CEO, says:

“Joining forces with talented companies like Blocksport is always a step taken in the right direction on the path of global expansion for Seyu. We strongly believe that together it is much easier to find solutions for challenges that business life or life in general might throw at our team, hence our motto: “Together for Victory!”. Samir Ceric and Blocksport’s involvement in the journey of Seyu, and vice versa, will deliver immense value to both companies’ existing and new partners when creating joint offerings for the market that I am certain of. We are looking forward to our collaboration.”

Seyu was recently awarded as one of the most promising fifteen start-ups in Hungary (in all sectors), representing the sport tech industry on its own. Working with clubs like CD Leganés, SD Ponferradina or brands like Vodafone UK (ESA Award 2021 Top 3), EON and Mercedes-Benz, while Finetwork already landed a chance for the start-up to showcase the power of its solution on the Spanish national team’s match against Kosovo. Amongst many world events Seyu’s solution was favoured by the organizers of events such as UEFA U21 European Championship 2021 and FINA World Championship 2022. Seyu recently became one of the number one solutions which helps clubs not only involve their remote fan base in match days, but to find a new, sustainable revenue source in a financially challenging period as a result of the pandemic.

The Future Is Now: Generation Y and Z are the new faces of fandom. Understanding their needs and tailoring one’s brand for the digital realm presents new opportunities for engagement. It is the key to making them feel more connected to one’s club, national team and the chosen sport. When fans are happy, it is also a victory for the club or national team they support. Blockchain gives sports clubs, leagues and football and other sports associations the chance to do just that.

About Seyu

‘Seyu – Together for Victory!’ is a real-time moderated, branded, fan-generated content provider. Seyu is a technology solution for sports fans that enables them to motivate their favorite teams or athletes from anywhere in the world. The company uses partners’ existing IT infrastructure to allow fans around the world to post images to stadium LEDs and other digital surfaces during sports events through a moderated channel and then instantly share them on social media with media-branded frames. The service, which has been proven to be successful at more than 350 sports events, is one of the leading sports tech services in Hungary, and lovers of international sports are regularly able to enjoy its benefits as well.

1 July 2022, Sofia, Zug

Bulgarian Football Union signs a 5-year partnership BLOCKSPORT AG, a leading Swiss sports tech solutions provider, to create the full digital ecosystem with the launch Fan Engagement App, Fan Token and NFTs as World’s first football federation to fully embrace the power of blockchain technology and tokenization for the benefit of the Bulgarian football and Bulgarian sport as a whole. This is the world’s first when it comes down to the entire digital ecosystem as many football and sports federations have opted for a silo effect by signing up with multiple partners in a way that does not connect the dots. 

By signing this 5-year partnership, BFU has positioned itself as the first football and sport federation in the world to fully embrace the power of blockchain technology, digitalisation, and tokenization. The partnership aims to develop new digital ways for fans to be more involved with the national team starting with the launch of a new interactive app for fans which will see engagement and digitalization go beyond the borders of Bulgaria and the region. It will be followed by the launch and release of BFU’s NFTs, and eventually the national team’s own Fan Tokens which will be utility based, hence totally non speculative. Bulgarian football produced some of the most famous world footballers including the Golden Generation that reached the semi-finals of the 1994 World Cup. 

While trading fan tokens might be great, Blocksport brings something a little different to the table. It is currently the only company that offers non-speculative utility fan tokens, specifically designed to drive real fan engagement. Several top-tier clubs are leveraging these tokens to create digital memberships that give fans exclusive perks depending on their membership level. Fans get real value and engagement based on their level, while teams get to build loyalty and cash in on new revenue streams.

Borislav Mihaylov, President of the Bulgarian Football Union, said;

“I am honoured and proud with the fact the Bulgarian Football Union will be the first football federation and the first football league with a fully completed digital ecosystem which will not only benefit our national team, our first league clubs but our football fans too. You often read in the press how American, Asian, English, German sports leagues and federations go ahead of the curve in this space and announce commercial arrangements that further benefit their already well run and funded sports infrastructure. However I feel this is a turnaround for this part of Europe, which has historically been full of potential and talent It is a great privilege to be at the helm of the football federation that has recognised this potential and is prepared to open up new frontiers in the digital space which in return will make us stand out from the crowd and attract investment not only into our football industry but our sport too. I truly hope that other successful sports in Bulgaria (and Balkans region) will follow in our footsteps and recognise the opportunity and potential in what we are doing. I would like to thank my team for working relentlessly over the past 12 months and bringing this solution based out of Switzerland and the world’s most regulated and transparent crypto valley, Zug, to my attention. I very much look forward to the next steps and the journey ahead.”

Vladimir Liulka, CEO and Co-Founder at Blocksport said:

“As Mr Mihaylov said, it is a great privilege to be announcing this exciting new partnership with the world’s first football federation which has fully understood the unique approach we offer at Blocksport and which has trusted us to lead the way in educating both them, inside the BFU, but also their clubs and fans in the process too. I am very much looking forward to ensuring that such partnerships travel a long way and become the case studies how things in the sports industry ought to be done. I am thankful to my team for making such partnerships happen and can’t wait to see the concrete results in the weeks and months to come. ” 

Vladimir Stevanovic, Blocksport Representative for the Balkans, added:

“Being a part of sports history by announcing the world’s first sports federation and league in this way is a great honour. It has been a long journey, with lots of challenges in the process, however it is all worth it when everything falls into place and things work out exactly how you intended them to. As a big fan of Bulgarian football and its former glory days I very much believe that such projects and ventures could end up being a positive turning point of Bulgarian sport and it is great to see how Mr Mihaylov’s leadership at the helm of BFU opens up brand new frontiers for not only Bulgarian football scene but the Bulgarian sport as a whole.”

NFTs have been around in the art industry since 2014 and have become the hot topic and a big phenomenon in the sports industry only in the past couple of years where many major clubs including the likes of Liverpool FC, have got their strategy and partnerships wrong, by teaming up with the likes of Sotheby’s, one of the biggest auction houses in the world, which ended up being a wrong move. However what is important that even mistakes and wrong calls are used as a part of the learning curve. Hence this partnership between Blocksport and BFU aim to deliver a long term value for not only for the BFU, but the country’s football industry and the sport as a whole. 

The Future Is Now: Generation Y and Z are the new faces of fandom. Understanding their needs and tailoring one’s brand for the digital realm presents new opportunities for engagement. It is the key to making them feel more connected to one’s club, national team and the chosen sport. When fans are happy, it is also a victory for the club or national team they support. Blockchain gives sports clubs, leagues and football and other sports associations the chance to do just that.

About Bulgarian Football Union

The Bulgarian Football Union is a football association based in Bulgaria and a member of UEFA. It organizes a football league, Bulgarian Parva Liga, and fields its Bulgaria national football team in UEFA and FIFA -authorised competitions. A legal entity that it claims descent from was founded in 1923 as the football department of the Bulgarian National Sports Federation, which existed until the Soviet invasion of 1944. The football governing body was then known as the Central Football Committee until 1948, the Republican Section for Football from 1948 until 1962 and the Bulgarian Football Federation from 1962 until 1985. On 27 June 1985, the organization was renamed the Bulgarian Football Union, the name that it carries today. The First Professional Football League, also known as the the efbet League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league, located at the top of the Bulgarian football league system. Contested by 16 teams, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Second Professional Football League. The Bulgarian football championship was inaugurated in 1924 as the Bulgarian State Football Championship and has been played in a league format since 1948, when the A Group was established. The champions of the First League have the right to participate in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League based on the league’s European coefficient. Additionally, two UEFA Europa League spots are allocated to the second team in the final standings and the winner of the European playoffs. Since 1948, eleven different teams have been crowned champions of Bulgaria. The three most successful clubs are CSKA Sofia with 31 titles, Levski Sofia with 26 titles and Ludogorets Razgrad with 11 titles. The current champions Ludogorets Razgrad won their eleventh consecutive title in their eleventh First League season in 2021–22. The competition has been dominated by Sofia-based teams. The Sofia teams have won together a total number of 70 titles.

About BLOCKSPORT

Blocksport is an innovative Technology provider providing solutions for the sports industry. The blockchain- focused Sports Tech was founded in 2019 in Zug, Switzerland. Today, the company’s flagship product serves over 40 clients globally and among them top clubs like Empoli FC, FC Dynamo Kyiv, Partizan BC, Red Star RLC, Kaizer Chiefs FC, Bulgarian Football Union, ARIS BC, FC OH Leuven, FC Metalist 1925 Kharkiv, Cordoba PCF, KMF Ekonomac, Partizan VK, Wild Boars American Football, to name a few. Blocksport is designed to demonstrate how cutting edge technologies can assist sport clubs generate new revenue streams and help sports fans enjoy a better digital experience with their beloved clubs.  Many top-level teams and clubs are embracing blockchain-based solutions to ramp up engagement and monetize their ever-growing fan base. Implementing this innovation is critical to the survival of sports clubs and associations in an increasingly competitive space.

On Tuesday, 17th of May 2022, Ukraine will play a friendly solidarity match against the Seria A team Empoli, one of Blocksport’s latest partners who joined the Blocksport eco-system. Having spent the last few months working very closely with UAF (The Ukrainian Association of Football), a rather perfect opportunity emerged in relation to a football match, which also presented an opportunity to get across a great message to say no to war. This match will now also release a collection of very special and unique NFTs which will help the Ukrainian Federation raise further funds which will be donated to Ukraine United24, a platform launched by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the main headquarters for the collection of charitable donations in support of Ukraine.

To purchase a special NFT from the Ukraine-Empoli collection you need to connect your MetaMask wallet to Blocksport Platform app.blocksport.io and then you can place a bid for the NFT you like. The collection will include 10 NFTs. The starting price will be 0.2 BNB and it will be available for purchase from the 18th of May at 15:00 CET. Furthermore, by purchasing NFT at the Blocksport platform you can earn passive income participating in NFT staking pools.

Ukraine is holding a retreat in Slovenia with the players taking part in the Ukrainian league in preparation for the June playoff for the Qatar 2022 World Cup and will play some friendlies before the official matches.

Aurelio Andreazzoli’s Empoli will face the Ukrainian national team in a friendly match, led by Oleksandr Petrakov, who are preparing for the world play-offs in June (in Glasgow against Scotland and then, if they beat the Highlanders, in Cardiff against Wales). An evening of football, but also of friendship and solidarity will take place today, at 20.30 at the Carlo Castellani stadium in Empoli.

Vladimir Liulka, CEO OF BLOCKSPORT said: “This project goes way beyond your usual commercial business deal; it promotes the solidarity between some of Europe’s top football clubs and the national team of Ukraine with a simple message of peace, not war. We are honored and privileged to be able to make a small impact when it comes down to the launch of unique NFTs which will help raise funds for the Ukraine United24 platform. We hope this will be the beginning of a long-term relationship between Blocksport and UAF and we are very thankful to Oleg and Roman for making it happen and having it agreed by the UAF Board. Blocksport’s full ecosystem Empoli has fully embraced will be put to use and for the good cause in tomorrow’s match and we are thrilled about it and are looking forward to making it all happen.’

Rebecca Corsi, Vice President of Empoli: “We are very happy to join forces with the Ukrainian national team and our technology partner Blocksport on this project. The launch of NFT regarding this friendly match represents a unique opportunity to convey a strong positive message of peace, as the CEO of Blocksport said this initiative will help raise additional funds. Sports like art and music have transformative powers and it is a real privilege to be able to make a difference in this way “.

Yuri Zapisotsky, General Secretary of UAF, said:  ‘Ukrainian  Association of Football is interested in development and implementation of modern technologies and NFT is the one we consider as perspective one. When we received a proposition from Blocksport to join this project we accepted it. Especially, because it is not only about modern digital technologies but for providing additional funds to the charity initiative to support Ukraine.

We see great potential in it as we know that there is a big power of football fans all over the world to unite and stand for one team and the name of this team now is Ukraine!’

With Ukraine winning the Eurovision Song Contest this weekend with Ukraine’s folk-rap group Kalush Orchestra in Turin, which marked the first major cultural event in which Ukrainians since the February invasion, this match in Italy is very well timed to carry the sentiment of the justice forward.

Photos with Baresi, Maldini, Facchetti, and Mazzola, Italian Baloon D’or winners Rossi and Rivera, 1982 world champion and legendary goalkeeper Zoff, and other historical players of Serie A will be presented in a unique NFT collection by Blocksport. 

The first collection will include in-match photos of Inter Milan and AC Milan legends – unique and non-published from the private collection. It will be released on the 19th of April on the day when the next Derby Della Madonnina will take place in the 2nd leg of Coppa Italia. This will be the first part of the collection including many Serie A stars from the 1970s up to the 1990s with many famous names, historic venues, and matches. All NFT photos will be available for purchasing at Blocksport NFT platform app.blocksport.io. 

NFTs will be divided into 2 categories – rare and unique. Rare NFTs will have 10 copies of each NFT and starting price of 0.2 BNB each. Unique NFTs will be only in 1 original copy with a starting price of 0.5 BNB. 

NFTs are non-fungible tokens that have proof of uniqueness written in blockchain so every asset is unique and can’t be faked. That’s why by buying a unique NFT photo every fan will receive only one copy of the photo that can be always identified and verified. We give all the sports and football fans from Italy and all over the world to build their own collection of unique photos from matchdays with this NFT collection and have a part of Calcio history with them.

Andrea Donega, Blocksport representative in Italy:

“We are pleased to launch this collection that will allow us to certify, thanks to blockchain technology, some historical images of the Italian Serie A and open up new opportunities for fans, collectors, and enthusiasts.”

Blocksport is a Swiss fan engagement tech provider for sports and esports clubs and organizations. It already partnered with Italian Serie A side Empoli to launch a fan app, NFT collection, and fan tokens and also works with Molfetta Calcio from Serie D. Among other partners Blocksport has famous basketball clubs Partizan Belgrade and ARIS, top tier British rugby team Salford Red Devils and 30 more clubs. Blocksport vision is to provide digitalization and tokenization in the world of sports.