Spanish esports organisation MAD Lions, a subsidiary of Canadian esports holding company OverActive Media, has officially launched a new fan loyalty programme called The Pride.
The free-to-join programme will be available to MAD Lions fans and will offer a variety of perks and benefits for fans, including merchandise and event invitations.
The platform is made possible through MAD Lions’ partnership with blockchain company Zilliqa, which was first announced in March 2022. The deal was initially focused on the metaverse through the Metapolis platform and was called the largest-ever sponsorship in the organisation’s history, but financial details were not shared.
The two companies are now launching The Pride to offer better opportunities for fans to engage with the MAD Lions brand outside of the metaverse. According to MAD Lions and Zilliqa, fans are encouraged to earn currency, called “roars” through in-person and online quests and activations. This currency can then be exchanged to acquire merchandise, visit meet and greets with players and content creators, and similar benefits.
MAD Lions noted that in the future “even more opportunities await for those seeking deeper involvement in the ecosystem”
The Pride will be available worldwide, with the two companies noting that a successful beta test of the platform was performed in August.
Alyson Walker, Chief Commercial Officer, OverActive Media, commented on the launch: “The Pride represents our unwavering dedication to fostering a strong relationship between our teams, including MAD Lions, and our global fan base. Zilliqa’s cutting-edge technology allows us to offer unique, interactive rewards that showcase our appreciation for every fan. Join The Pride to embark on an immersive adventure with exclusive opportunities.”
The new platform is similar in aim, but different in approach, to the two recently announced esports fan engagement platforms: Sentinels, a North American esports organisation, recently launched SEN Society, a fan engagement platform offering exclusive videos and merchandise for a fixed monthly fee. Singaporean organisation Paper Rex took a different approach, leveraging YouTube’s built-in membership feature to offer exclusive video content to its fans.
