By
Temitope Olatunji
April 18th, 2024
In addition to integrating K League Fantasy, the football team will also make history by becoming the first sports organization to act as a validator on the Chiliz Chain.
Chiliz (CHZ), a blockchain platform known for providing infrastructure solutions for sports and entertainment companies, has recently announced a multi-year partnership with K League, a professional football league in South Korea. The collaboration aims to significantly enhance fan engagement within the league.
In an announcement on February 19, 2024, the protocol powering Socios.com, a fan engagement platform, stated that the deal would see the football league joining the Chiliz Chain ecosystem to promote its brand and products to fans globally.
K League Becomes First Sport Validator on Chiliz Chain
One of the key highlights of the partnership is the integration of ‘K League Fantasy,’ the league’s official fantasy game, into the Chiliz Chain ecosystem. This game allows fans to create their own fantasy football teams by assembling lineups using player cards.
Fans can then compete against each other, with points being awarded based on the real-life performance of each player card. The integration is expected to enhance the overall fan experience and increase fan engagement with the league.
In addition to integrating K League Fantasy, the football team will also make history by becoming the first sports organization to act as a validator on the Chiliz Chain. As a node validator, K League will play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity, security, and governance of the network. This responsibility includes verifying transactions and participating in the voting process for proposals within the chain.
The partnership was officially unveiled in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, where it was announced that all game-scored balls would be secured and presented to fans using blockchain technology. This initiative aims to revolutionize fan participation for K League’s millions of followers, offering them new and innovative ways to engage with the league and its teams.
We are excited to announce our partnership with The Korea Professional Football League 🏆 🇰🇷
This partnership includes all game-scored balls to be secured and presented to the fans, @kleague becoming a validator of Chiliz Chain, and K-League Fantasy will utilise Chiliz Chain. 🌶️
— Chiliz ($CHZ) – The home of SportFi ⚽🏆 (@Chiliz) February 19, 2024
Not the First
The partnership with Chiliz is not the league’s first foray into the crypto ecosystem. Back in 2020, the league made headlines by entering into a licensing agreement with Sorare, a blockchain-powered fantasy soccer platform.
According to the announcement at the time, the deal allowed Sorare to feature more than 400 players from the league’s top division on its platform. The blockchain project, known for including players from renowned teams such as Juventus, Atletico Madrid, and Napoli, highlighted the league’s commitment to exploring new avenues for fan engagement.
Three years later, the league has secured another major partnership within the emerging economy to help propel its offerings to fans through Chiliz.
Like Sorare, Chiliz also has a broad list of top teams in its portfolio, including UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup champions Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, Arsenal FC, Fluminense, and Flamengo.
Additionally, the protocol serves as an official partner for Lega Serie A, Italy’s premier professional football league. This partnership offers Lega Serie A fans the opportunity to bid on match balls used during the league’s key fixtures each week. These match balls, which are taken off the field after a goal is scored, undergo authentication using Chiliz’s blockchain technology.