✍️ Deal of the Week
Nike Snap Up Prime Real Estate in the Metaverse!
Nike is going full steam into the Metaverse. A few weeks ago they were patenting their products for use in virtual environments and now they have gone and created their own virtual world on the Roblox platform called ‘Nikeland.’ (Real imaginative!)
According to a report by CNBC ‘The virtual world includes Nike buildings, fields, and arenas for players to compete in various mini-games, ranging from tag and dodgeball to “The Floor Is Lava.” It’s modeled after the company’s real-life headquarters. Nikeland will be free (for now).’
There are plans to hold virtual football tournaments during the 2022 World Cup and users will also be able to enter a digital showroom to dress their avatar in Nike apparel and check out the company’s latest products.
All signs suggest that an aggressive expansion into the Metaverse is how Nike plans to see through its vision of becoming a 40%-owned digital business by the fiscal year 2025.
For the company, Nikeland and the wider Metaverse is the perfect place to test out new products on a young market and maintain strong growth.
🤪 Weird Deal of the Week
Gorillas Sign With PSG
PSG has finally done it! People said it would never happen but somehow PSG has secured one of the biggest deals in the history of sports without any challenge from other clubs.
Yes, the big news coming out of Paris is that PSG has finally snapped up the signature of grocery delivery company Gorillas.
The two brands have signed a multi-year agreement, with Gorillas becoming the official grocery and delivery partner at Parc de Princes. In a press release, both sides suggested that the collaboration will help them offer the best possible experiences for their respective fans.
Gorillas have already promised to offer ‘engaging content with a roster of world-class sports talent.’ This roughly translates into normal English as “MESSI B***HES!”.
Despite the obvious draw of being associated with a world-class club and players, Ugur Samut, Co-founder of Gorillas, suggested that the two brands share a number of key values including ‘boldness, authenticity, and team spirit.’ (yeah, no idea what he means either).
The only question that remains is if we will ever see Messi deliver groceries in Paris on an electric bike… we can only hope!
📱 Social Media Madness of the Week
Ancelotti Compares Everton to a Fiat 500
If you were to compare your football club with a make of car, which one would you choose? I think we can all agree that Manchester United would be Jaguar, once the pride of Britain, got completely messed up when sold to a foreign owner and now you only pay attention because they have a famous name.
Well, it seems as if we aren’t the only ones playing this fun thought exercise. In a recent interview, manager Carlo Ancelotti was asked if it was hard to manage a team like Real Madrid, to which he responded:
“It’s better to have a Ferrari than a Fiat 500”
For those of you keeping up, Ancellotti appears to be suggesting that he prefers managing his current team Real Madrid (the Ferrari) over his former team Everton (the Fiat 500.)
Everton fans were quick to notice and were generally not impressed to be considered a much slower and less sexy version of Real Madrid, with one Twitter user suggesting that Ancelotti was ‘sticking the knife in.’
That being said, a number of fans seemed to be in agreement, calling the Fiat 500 comparison a ‘compliment’ and praising Ancelotti for his honesty.
🗞 Story of the Week
Barcelona and Man City End Major NFT and Crypto Deals.
Is there any other industry where Gary Vee, a social media celebrity, could draw incredibly awful pictures of animals, sell them to fans for money and then see those same images skyrocket in value on the second-hand market?
Hopefully not… welcome to the weird and wonderful world of NFTs, blockchain, and cryptocurrencies.
Most people on the internet, and increasingly on the TV as well, will tell you that NFTs and crypto are the future. Be that as it may, it doesn’t mean that you need to rush in and become part of it without doing your research… just ask Barcelona and Man City!
Barcelona recently cut ties with NFT marketplace Ownix, less than 20 days after agreeing on a deal, when company associate Moshe Hogeg was arrested as part of a $65 million cryptocurrency fraud.
Manchester City also ended a deal with decentralized finance company 3Key Technologies after a report suggested that the company lacked any real online presence.
Wow! While we doubt that this will do much to slow the rise of NFTs and crypto in sports, it certainly goes to show that you should always do your research!