The Polkadot community is exploring a substantial $8.8 million sponsorship opportunity with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami Football Club.
This move aims to capitalize on the football club’s extensive global reach and exposure while strategically showcasing the capabilities of the Polkadot ecosystem.
Moreover, it represents the latest strategic effort by the Polkadot community toward elevating the blockchain network’s visibility beyond the crypto industry through sports-related marketing endeavors.
The David Beckham-owned club is a powerhouse within the American soccer league, boasting one of the most prominent social media presences among sports teams in the United States. Interestingly, after signing several high-profile players, including Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Lionel Messi, and Luis Suárez, the football club garnered significant public attention.
Training kit sponsorship
The proposal showed that the sponsorship would span the 2024 and 2025 seasons, featuring the blockchain project’s branding on Inter Miami training kits.
It stated:
“Training kit sponsorships have become one of the most sort after assets of premium soccer club sponsorship inventory. This is due to the way fans consume content on digital channels, much of that content is from the trainig ground, giving fans access to behind the scenes 24/7, always on content. “
Consequently, the proposal argued that a “training kit partnership with Inter Miami will immediately transcend Polkadot to become a globally recognized brand [because] the arrival of Lionel Messi and other global icons has made Inter Miami an iconic soccer phenomenon.”
Furthermore, the agreement entails Polkadot being designated Inter Miami CF’s official Blockchain Technology Partner. This includes amplifying the partnership through a dedicated landing page on the Polkadot website and implementing activation initiatives within the stadium. Additionally, the plan would create non-fungible tokens to engage with Inter Miami’s global fanbase.
If approved, Polkadot will join the roster of cryptocurrency-related firms backing football teams’ training kits. Across the English Premier League, crypto exchange OKX has a £20 million deal with Manchester City, while blockchain network Tezos is linked with Manchester United.
Meanwhile, early indicators from community voting indicate strong support for the proposal, with approximately 70% of votes favoring the initiative.
