Crypto-assets: an explosion in sports (NFT, tokens), market valued at €460m in 2021

More than 40 sponsorship deals have been made by crypto operators in football in 2021-22 (as of 30/09/2021). However, it is the entire sports industry that has been affected by the "cryptocurrency" phenomenon: stadium and arena naming agreements, shirt sponsorship, fan engagement partnerships... These new players are investing heavily in the sports sector and creating new sources of revenue for rights holders.

The market for "fan tokens" in sport is worth around $550m (€460m) according to the specialised website Fan Token Rank on 04/09/2021. Its value could reach "$10bn (€8.4bn) in the next few years," according to Alexandre Dreyfus, CEO of Socios.com.

This intensification of partnerships established by cryptocurrency providers is particularly visible in football: between the 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons, News Tank lists 25 sponsorship agreements, mainly concluded with clubs playing in the European Top 5. In the four months from 01/06 to 30/09/2021, more than 40 agreements were made with clubs and footballing bodies, including 11 shirt sponsorship agreements.

From Formula 1 to…