HONG KONG — At a Hong Kong media conference, Keith Rumjahn, founder and CEO, OliveX, Harry Tang, chairman, RCFC Football Club, Hanson Wong, president, RCFC Football Club, and Lam Chun Kit, RCFC captain revealed the details of Asia’s first football NFT deal.
OliveX, the Hong Kong-based digital health and fitness company, is partnering with RCFC, which plays in the Hong Kong Premier League, on a revenue-sharing basis to develop and launch the NFTs.
The project is focused on building the club’s fan community and generating excitement around the club as well as building new revenue streams to support the club’s growth.
Keith Rumjahn, CEO, OliveX said: “This is a big day in Asia’s sporting history, both for the fans and for RCFC. Football clubs are always looking for ways to excite their fans and build their loyalty, especially in the new Covid world.
“As the NFT sports wave continues to gain momentum, with Messi taking crypto as part of his pay at PSG and record-breaking deals for NBA Top Shots, it’s time for Asian clubs to offer their fans the opportunity to take part in this exciting trend.
“I think our initiative will be closely watched by other sports clubs around Asia, not just football clubs, and we’re aiming to be one of the leading creators of sporting NFT collectibles across the region.”
RCFC NFT auction
OliveX’s RCFC auction will start at the beginning of October 2021 (exact date to be announced).
Collectors will be able to bid on them via the new Cantonese language website dedicated to Hong Kong football club NFTs https://hkfootballnft.com/ or via a dedicated page on OpenSea – Hong Kong #1 Football NFT
RCFC NFT special incentives
Special promotions have been devised to offer real-life perks that come with some of the NFTs to increase fan’s direct engagement with the team and highlight the benefits of being an NFT collector.
In the first promotion, whoever successfully bids for RCFC’s Lam Chun Kit Legendary Card (auction card) will enjoy one year’s free access to all of RCFC’s Football matches.
The second promotion is for whoever collects the whole series of RCFC football NFTs. They will enjoy the opportunity to get a t-shirt with players’ autographs, and either a face-to-face meeting with a team member, or even the chance to train with the RCFC team (final details to be announced nearer the auction date).
These are limited availability opportunities and will be allocated on a first come first serve basis.
OliveX is also creating a set of epic autograph NFT cards as gifts for the RCFC football team players and management team to demonstrate its support for them.
RCFC
Harry Tang, chairman, RCFC, said: “Our RCFC NFTs will offer the Hong Kong community a meaningful and brand-new way for them to support their local sports team and extend their allegiance to the club into their digital lives. They’ll also deliver on fans’ desire to own a unique piece of the club and its history.
“We’re pleased to be working with OliveX to see how our innovative NFT strategy can help transform the future of the club both online and on the pitch.”
Lam Chun Kit, RCFC captain, said: “The whole team is excited about being the first Asian club to launch NFTs. We all remember collecting physical cards when we were young, now people can collect NFTs, share and trade them. This is going to be hugely popular with Asian football fans.”
OliveX and Animoca Brands
This Resources Capital Football Club Ltd NFT deal comes soon after OliveX’s founding shareholder, Animoca Brands, announced a number of its own NFT and digital assets rights deals with Manchester City men’s and women’s teams, Melbourne City FC, and Queens Park Rangers FC.
NFTs are digital assets and collectibles with authenticity, rarity, scarcity, ownership, and other properties that are independently guaranteed, verified, and secured on blockchain. Unlike most digital content, which is temporarily provided to users on a licensing basis, NFTs are truly ownable and can attain significant value as digital collectibles and sports memorabilia. Owners of NFTs are free to sell them on a marketplace, trade them for other items, or simply collect and display them.
OliveX is renowned for its ability to combine premium content, artificial intelligence, gamification, analytics, and new products to engage and motivate consumers.
Further details and news will be available on OliveX and Hong Kong #1 NFT websites and social media channels – https://linktr.ee/olivexai