25/03/2022 Liverpool FC Launches The Latest Sports-Inspired NFT Collection (Photos)
Topline
Liverpool Football Club, one of the worldâs top soccer teams, is kicking off its first venture into nonfungible tokens with a collection of art based on players and managers from the menâs squad, marking one of the biggest deals yet for digital collectibles and sports.
Liverpool has launched the club's first line of NFTs, with a portion of proceeds going to charity.
Key Facts
Starting Wednesday, Liverpool and Sothebyâs willauction 24 NFTsdepicting members of the squad as cartoon superheroes, each with details personalized to the player like a signature gesture or a reference to their personality or off-the-field hobbies.
Along with the two-dozen NFTs that will be auctioned to the highest bidder, Liverpool will also sell limited edition NFTs created by a generative art algorithm, which will mix and match images of the teamâs players and managers with a variety of illustrated traits.
Those NFTs will be available for immediate purchase for $75, a more accessible price point than many digital collectibles, as NFTs oftensell for thousandsâor even millionsâ at auction.
Buyers of those NFTs wonât know which player, manager or traits they have purchased until April 2, when the sale finishes and the collectibles are delivered to customersâ digital wallets, a process Sothebyâs likened to âopening a pack of (soccer) stickers.â
Purchasing or winning a bid on any of the Liverpool NFTs allows buyers to join theLFC Heroes Club, an online fan community that includes a forum, âvirtual hang-outs,â and a discount on Liverpool merchandise, according to Sothebyâs.
A portion of the proceeds and future resale royalties will go toward the LFC Foundation, the teamâs official charity dedicated to children and youth.
Players depicted in the 24 NFTs going to auction next week include squad captain and midfielder... [+]
Courtesy Sotheby'sTangent
NFTs exploded in popularity last year along with the rise of cryptocurrency, which is often used to purchase the tokens. Last year, an NFT by digital artist Beeple sold for a record breaking$69.3 million, placing him among the most expensive living artists, behind just David Hockney and Jeff Koons. Liverpool F.C. is among the largest sports franchises to release an NFT collection. Last year, the Golden State Warriors became the first U.S. professional sports team to launch theirown line of NFTs, andotherNBAteamssoon followed. The rise in NFT popularity among sports fans has coincided with apandemic boom in trading cards.
An NFT of keeper Alisson Becker that will be auctioned off next week by Liverpool and Sotheby's
Courtesy Sotheby'sWhat To Watch For
More NFT collections from major European soccer teams. Last month, Barcelona F.C. Joan Laporta said the club has plans to launchits own cryptocurrency and NFTs, and this week Paris Saint-Germain reportedlyfiled a trademark applicationin France that includes NFTs and cryptocurrency wallet software.
Bidding for the "Legendary" series of Liverpool NFTs â like this one depicting Defender Virgil Van... [+]
Courtesy Sotheby'sKey Background
Liverpool competes in the Premier League, Englandâs top tier of soccer, as well as the Championsâ League alongside other top European teams like Barcelona F.C., Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. Liverpool was worth$4.1 billionlast year, according to aForbesvaluation, making it the fifth-most valuable soccer club in the world. Liverpool defender Andy Robertson launchedhis own NFT collectionin January. Other major European soccer teams are poised to follow in Liverpoolâs footsteps and release NFTs. Last month, Barcelona F.C. Joan Laporta said the club has plans to launchits own cryptocurrency and NFTs, and this week Paris Saint-Germain reportedlyfiled a trademark applicationin France that includes NFTs and cryptocurrency wallet software.
Even men's team manager JĂźrgen Klopp is the subject of an NFT that will go to auction next week.
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