Italian football club AC Milan has announced a partnership with Web3 game Monkeyleague to create a line of digital assets and fan experiences.
The deal will see the football club’s real-life players test the game, AC Milan will also sponsor competitive Monkeyleague tournaments and provide exclusive prizes such as tickets to watch the team live.
AC Milan is no stranger to the world of competitive gaming. It inked a deal with global esports organisation QLASH in 2020, and currently fields professional players both in FIFA 22 and Brawl Stars.
Moreover, the club also has an existing partnership with NFT platform Sorare to produce digital football cards of its team. Sorare is the blockchain platform that MonkeyLeague is built on. The club claimed in a press release that its latest partnership with Monkeyleague is part of a ‘wider Web 3.0 strategy’ that will bring fans ‘closer to their beloved club.’
Monkeyleague was announced late last year as a Play to Earn (P2E) cartoon-style football strategy game, developed by Israeli Web3 developer Uncaged Studios. There is a core strategic football gameplay element, as well as the ability to collect monkey players and custom stadiums on the blockchain.
AC Milan’s deal with Monkeyleague will allow players to collect in-game branded AC Milan-branded assets, including monkeys, skins, and more stadiums. The first exclusive batch will be released for open bidding October 6th on NFT marketplace MagicEden. The highest-value NFTs will be auctioned alongside physical AC Milan jerseys signed by the whole, physical, club.
Oren Langberg, Head of Marketing & Partnerships at MonkeyLeague admitted in the press release that partnering with AC Milan was a key step in the company’s plans to bridge Web2 and Web3 worlds.
Casper Stylsvig, Chief Revenue Officer of AC Milan, commented: “We are thrilled to kick off this partnership with MonkeyLeague, a collaboration that allows us to strengthen our positioning in the field of digital innovation. We are particularly proud to be the first football club to partner with MonkeyLeague, bringing this game to our supporters around the world.”
