Arsenal FC, one of the most popular soccer clubs in the world, has partnered with next-generation travel company Staynex to launch a collection of non-fungible token passes. The NFTs will come with several in-real-life benefits, including travel stays at 4- and 5-star hotels, as well as tickets to Arsenal FC games.
All told, there will be 400 NFTs up for grabs when the collection launches on April 7th. The two organizations chose the Binance Smart Chain to host the NFTs, with users required to pay the NFT price ($400) in $BNB.
The NFT collection has two tiers: the lower level “Gooner” tier and the upper “Legendary” tier. There will be 340 Gooner NFTs in the set, along with 60 Legendary NFTs. The IRL privileges for each tier break down like this:
- Gooner NFT holders: Access to Arsenal home matches and 3-night stays in 4-star hotels
- Legendary NFT holders: Access to Arsenal box seats and 3-night stays in 5-star hotels
Holders in both tiers will be able to attend exclusive in-person events, enter NFT giveaways, gain priority access to the Staynex platform, and receive airdrops, stadium tours, and memorabilia. This is not Arsenal FC’s first venture in Web3. In 2021, it launched a fan token on the Socios platform.
Staynex Holding a Giveaway for Arsenal Collection Launch
To mark the launch of the Arsenal FC NFT collection, Staynex is turning to one of the tried-and-true NFT marketing tactics: the giveaway. From now until April 5th, users will be able to enter a raffle with the chance to win one Arsenal FC NFT pass, simply by following a handful of accounts on Twitter and liking and retweeting this Staynex Tweet:
Staynex, a subsidiary of Liquid Assets Brokerage System (LABS), is a relative newcomer to the Web3 space, starting its Twitter account in November of 2022 and with the company launch scheduled for Q1 of 2023. The company specializes in tokenized real estate, and it runs an NFT marketplace geared towards travelers who want to hold NFTs that give travel benefits like lodging. The travel aspects of the Arsenal FC NFTs are likely due to Staynex.
Soccer Bets Big on Web3
While the sports industry has bet big on Web3 tech over the past year, soccer — the world’s most popular sport — has stood out from the pack. Every month it seems, there are stories about soccer organizations, clubs, and athletes entering Web3. Here are two stories that show soccer’s reach in the next iteration of the internet is growing.
First, two months ago, the ‘El Clásico’ Spanish NFTs sold out within an hour. The collection launched on January 15th and was the brainchild of the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The set featured the two teams competing in the final of the tournament: Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. The NFTs came with the promise of “access to the next metaverse.”
Next, three months ago, the Argentine Football Association entered the Upland metaverse. The goal for the organization was to bring digital collectibles and virtual experiences to fans. Upland is a popular metaverse real estate game where users can buy, collect, and develop properties in different cities.
As these articles show, soccer continues to invest in Web3, betting on the new tech to reach a new generation of fans. If the Arsenal FC NFT collection is successful, it wouldn’t be surprising to see more clubs join in and create their own non-fungible token sets with IRL utility. The result could be of interest to soccer fans and NFT enthusiasts around the world.
Rarity Sniper has reached out to Staynex for a comment and will update the article when they respond.