Premier League soccer teams up with virtual sports gaming firm Sorare
Quick Take
- A deal valued at around $150 million allows fans to build their own teams with digital collectibles in a fantasy soccer game.
The English Premier League announced a four-year licensing partnership with Sorare, a French startup for fantasy sports gaming company.
The deal allows aficionados of the English Premier League to build teams with licensed digital card players to compete in Sorare’s digital game. The cooperation will let fans buy and sell digital collectibles for one of the most-watched sports leagues.
“Sorare’s digital cards and innovative online game represent a new way for [fans] to feel closer to the Premier League whether they are watching in the stadium or from around the world,” Richard Masters, chief executive of the Premier League, said in a statement. The Premier League was already considering the deal in October, SkyNews first reported, at the time valued at £30 million ($37 million) per year.
For Paris-based Sorare, the move marks the third major sports partnership, with the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball already signed up. The Ethereum-based NFT platform secured $680 million in funding to reach a $4.3 billion valuation in 2021.
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