The World Cup might be done and dusted, but football fever is heating up as Manchester United’s Tezos-backed NFT drop proves to be a striking success.
After launching on 16 December, over 750,000 NFTs have been snapped up by United fans. And with another 24 hours to go until the collection drop finishes, it’s unlikely there’ll be any let-up for the digital tokens.
The demand for the free NFTs has also meant six times as many contract interactions on the Tezos blockchain compared with the time leading up to the drop.
United first announced plans to launch the digital collection and a new metaverse platform on the Tezos blockchain last month. It will all be connected to the club’s new official Discord and fans will be able to engage with the club, players, and fans all around the world.
The Premier League giants said the free digital collection was a gift from the club to their fans globally. The NFTs are keys to future virtual and in-person events and special perks.
There are three types of NFTs: Classic Key, Rare Key, and Ultra Rare Key. The Classic Key will ensure fans have a chance of some giveaways, drops, and also secret channels on the club’s Discord community.
The Rare Key is a step up and any fan getting one of these will get special discounts and discussions with United legends. Any fan lucky enough to get their hands on an Ultra Rare Key will get all the benefits of the Classic and Rare Keys but also get an invite to Old Trafford.
The free NFT collection was only possible because of the low cost of minting NFTs and speed of transactions on the Tezos blockchain. United has announced, however, that paid NFT collections will be made available in the future, which will allow fans to gain even bigger rewards than this first collection.
About Manchester United
Manchester United were founded in 1878 and plays in the English Premier League. They are based at Old Trafford, Manchester and are arguably the biggest football club and most recognizable brand on the planet.
The club has enjoyed unparalleled success at home, winning the English title a record 20 times and 12 FA Cups. In Europe, they became the first English club to win European silverware, winning the European Cup (Champions League) in 1968, and have since won it a total of 3 times. They have also won the European Cup Winners Cup, Europa League, and European Super Cup in their illustrious history.
About Tezos
Tezos is a smart contract blockchain that allows developers to create dApps such as NFTs and other Web3 applications. It was created by Arthur and Kathleen Breitman who launched it in 2018 in what was one of the most successful ICOs.
Tezos announced a £20m multi-year partnership with Manchester United earlier this year. The deal sees the Tezos logo featured on the club’s range of training kits, and ensures the blockchain brand is the football giant’s partner as it makes its first foray into Web3.
