Burnley Football Club is to trial blockchain ticket sales through its women’s team after partnering with North American non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace YellowHeart.
The partnership with New York City-headquartered YellowHeart and introduction of sales through Burnley’s women’s team is believed to be the first example of an English Premier League football club introducing alternative ticketing options through the blockchain.
YellowHeart and Burnley will also experiment with using NFTs as a way for fans to collect historic moments from the club’s history, reward loyal fans with special discounts and experiences and own digital collectibles dedicated to their favourite players.
Alan Pace, chairman of Burnley, said: “There is a technological revolution going on in the world right now and it is something that as a club we want to be a leader on in football.
“This partnership with YellowHeart is our first step in introducing NFTs and blockchain to the club, and I believe both technologies will drive huge efficiency in ticketing but also take fans’ connectivity with the club to a whole new level.”
The exploration of NFTs is the latest introduction of new technology at Turf Moor since the club was acquired by US sports investment firm ALK Capital.
In January, Burnley became the first Premier League club to launch a global open talent search for new academy players using artificial intelligence, powered by mobile phone app AiSCOUT.
Earlier this month, the club also unveiled plans to introduce state-of-art digital branding and LED big screen technology at Turf Moor, as part of a wider vision to make the stadium one of the most digitally connected in English football.
Earlier this year, YellowHeart launched its NFT marketplace and assisted Kings of Leon in releasing the first NFT album, ‘NFT Yourself.
Josh Katz, founder and chief executive of YellowHeart, said: “The fan experience is at the core of everything we do and it’s our mission to help people engage and connect with the things they love.
“We’ve been at the forefront of pioneering NFTs in music over the last year and are excited to bring that expertise to help Burnley FC interact with their fans in unexpected, unique ways worldwide.”
Earlier this week, Ukrainian football champions Dynamo Kyiv announced a target of 25 per cent of ticket sales through NFTs after partnering with New York City-based blockchain partner Moonwalk and Binance NFT Marketplace.
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