The partnership is the first of its kind in the Southeast Asian sporting landscape and will see the prestigious ASEAN football competition come to life in the Web3 space through SPORTFIVE’s collaboration with Animoca Brands and Be Media to mint and distribute NFT digital collectibles on the Polygon blockchain based on tournament assets and video highlights from the popular regional tournament.

 

The platform will be supported by Animoca Brands’ expertise in digital entertainment and blockchain to extend football fans’ experience and engagement with the tournament into the realms of NFTs and digital collectibles. 

 

The first Onside digital collectibles will be launched on OnsideCollection.com. Onside will be the home of the official NFTs for the tournament and beyond, where fans will be able to own digital products such as stylised masks and iconic match moments from the competition.  

 

The partnership with Be Media and Animoca Brands will allow SPORTFIVE and the ASEAN Football Federation to enhance fan engagement around game day and through cutting edge digital experiences via gaming and the wider Web3 ecosystem.

 

Onside will expand to deliver rewards and real-world experiences, identified as ‘utility’, through game day activations such as exclusive on-pitch access, access to post-game press conferences and digital games or rewards within the Animoca Brands ecosystem.

 

Robert Müller von Vultejus, Chief Growth Officer at SPORTFIVE, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Animoca Brands and Be Media to jointly launch this exciting project to further bring fan engagement experiences in the region to the next level. The AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup is a highly prestigious football tournament in Southeast Asia and we are very happy to offer fans ownership opportunities around the event and beyond enabling fans to get closer to the game and their heroes using blockchain technology. This is a key focus area for SPORTFIVE and one that I’m very excited to see develop in the near future.”

 

Malcolm Thorpe, Managing Director, South East Asia at SPORTFIVE, said: “We are delighted to enter the Web3 space and launch an exciting new era for ASEAN football and its fervent fans. Immortalising unforgettable moments across the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022 through digital collectibles is the next evolution in fan engagement and we believe this will provide a new unique avenue for supporters to engage with their teams in the region’s crown jewel football tournament.”

 

Yat Siu, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Animoca Brands, said: “I’m very pleased to work with SPORTFIVE and the ASEAN Football Federation to deliver an exciting array of digital collectibles. Bringing a deeper level of experience through NFTs and rich digital experiences will allow  global football fans to get closer to the game than ever before and create new ways for them to express their passion for the beautiful game.”

 

Jordan Fogarty, Founder and CEO of Be Media, said: “Our partnership with SPORTFIVE will bring a new level of fan engagement and experience to the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022. The ASEAN football community features some of the most loyal and passionate fans in the region, and we are proud to have the opportunity to introduce them to the new and evolving universe of Web3 products while galvanising football and blockchain enthusiasts.”

 

The Onside NFTs will be sold in ‘packs’ like conventional trading cards, similar to the model taken by The Australian Football League (AFL) with AFL Mint and the National Basketball Association (NBA) with NBA Top Shot.  Starting in November, fans interested in purchasing the digital collectibles can register their interest at OnsideCollection.com for the opportunity to own a piece of ASEAN football history when the first officially licensed NFT ‘drop’ is released, prior to the tournament starting in December.

 

This partnership is part of SPORTFIVEs global growth strategy and sees the agency firmly establish itself in the Web3 space. This comes on the back of the agency’s recently announced global partnership with leading blockchain protocol Polygon, where SPORTFIVE will be the Global Agency of Record for Polygon across Sports and Entertainment. 

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About SPORTFIVE

SPORTFIVE is a global sports marketing agency that delivers customer-centric solutions based on trust and transparency, deep industry experience and global relationships, digital intelligence and innovation. SPORTFIVE strategically and creatively connects brands, rights-holders, media platforms and fans to create and enable contemporary partnerships in sports. While creating and growing long-term value for all, SPORTFIVE often leads the sports business into the future through innovative digital solutions and strives to be the most progressive and respected partner in sports.

 

In Asia, SPORTFIVE has over 30 years of proven performance with offices in Singapore, Sydney, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul. The industry leading agency specializes in delivering a comprehensive range of solutions and services for brands, right-holders and fans across the whole value chain. With dedicated teams focused on media and brand-led sales, content production, turn-key event management, design studio, digital marketing and activation, SPORTFIVE is well placed to support brands and rights-holders in creating valuable partnerships in the region.

 

SPORTFIVE operates with a global mindset and network of over 1,200 local experts based in 15 countries around the world, active in Football, Golf, Esports, Motorsports, Handball, Tennis, American Football, Basketball, Ice Hockey, Rugby, Olympics and Multi-Sport Events and many more. For more information, visit our website or follow our LinkedIn.

 

About Be Media

Be Media, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, is one of the Top 100 Most Innovative Companies in Australia and a 2018 AFR Fast Starter. The company develops Web3 go-to-market strategies and provides creative and blockchain development for leading brands and partners of Animoca Brands. It was founded in 2013 by entrepreneur Jordan Fogarty, an Anthill 30under30 and a Business News 40under40 Entrepreneur of the Year. For more information visit www.bemedia.com.au or follow on LinkedIn or Facebook.

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About Animoca Brands

Animoca Brands, a Deloitte Tech Fast winner and ranked in the Financial Times list of High Growth Companies Asia-Pacific 2021, is a leader in digital entertainment, blockchain, and gamification that is working to advance digital property rights and contribute to the establishment of the open metaverse. The company develops and publishes a broad portfolio of products including the REVV token and SAND token; original games including The Sandbox, Crazy Kings, and Crazy Defense Heroes; and products utilizing popular intellectual properties including Disney, WWE, Snoop Dogg, The Walking Dead, Power Rangers, MotoGP™, and Formula E. It has multiple subsidiaries, including The Sandbox, Blowfish Studios, Quidd, GAMEE, nWay, Pixowl, Forj, Lympo, Grease Monkey Games, Eden Games, Darewise, Notre Game, TinyTap, and Be Media. Animoca Brands has a growing portfolio of more than 380 investments, including Colossal, Axie Infinity, OpenSea, Dapper Labs (NBA Top Shot), Yield Guild Games, Harmony, Alien Worlds, Star Atlas, and others. For more information visit www.animocabrands.com or follow on Twitter or Facebook​.

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For media queries, please contact:

Pearline Chan

SPORTFIVE Asia

pearline.chan@sportfive.com