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Manchester City to Build Etihad Stadium Replica in the Metaverse

Premier League Champions, Manchester City is making plans to build a replica of the Etihad Stadium in the metaverse, a move that can be classified as a one in a kind move.

In an exclusive report by iNews, the Metaverse version of the Etihad will be constructed in conjunction with virtual reality experts at the Sony Corporation.

Per the report, the club’s stadium will become the central hub of the City in a virtual reality world, and it will be designed by using image analysis and skeletal-tracking technologies created by Hawk-Eye, a subsidiary of the tech and entertainment giant. The underlying motive behind the debut of the stadium on the metaverse is such that the club’s fans can have an equally thrilling experience from the comfort of their homes.

“The whole point we could imagine of having a metaverse is you can recreate a game, you could watch the game live, you’re part of the action in a different way through different angles and you can fill the stadium as much as you want because it’s unlimited, it’s completely virtual,” said Nuria Tarre, City Football Group’s chief marketing, and fan engagement officer.

The move from Manchester City is outrightly revolutionary as many sports teams are jostling to redefine the engagements for their fans. While the club may be a pioneer in this regard, it is arguably not going to be the last. Rivals, Manchester United recently entered into a strategic partnership with Tezos, a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchain network that will serve as the club’s technology partnership.

With Tezos already hosting a number of metaverse-linked projects, it will not come as a surprise if the club decides to also debut a related fan experience as City is doing. Per the iNews report, the underlying promise of the Sony-City partnership is to open up a new world for fans who will not have the opportunity to travel to watch their favourite team play at the Etihad.

OKX Sponsors $20m Training Kit for Soccer Team Manchester City

Crypto exchange OKX, formerly OKEx, announced on Sunday that it will invest more than $20 million to sponsor Manchester City’s training kit this season.

It became a partnership with Manchester City in March and will continue to expand its investment in it, becoming the club’s official training kit partner for the 2022-23 season.

The partnership also educates Manchester City players in crypto educational content produced by OKX.

Forbes estimates the club to be worth $4.25 billion, placing it sixth.

In February, intra-city contender Manchester United inked a multi-year deal with Tezos, a proof-of-stake (POS) blockchain provider, as the club’s training kit sponsor.

Manchester United has signed a training gear sponsorship deal with point-of-sale (POS) blockchain provider Tezos. The new collaboration comes after last season’s contract with AON expired;

While cryptocurrencies are going through a bitter winter, many crypto exchanges such as Coinbase, BlockFi, Crypto.com and Gemini have announced layoffs. However, OKX is still advancing the talent introduction plan. Plans to increase headcount by 30% to 5,000 employees.

Haider Rafique, Chief Marketing Officer of OKX, said:

“OKX’s investments in our partners and our team are market agnostic because our principals and beliefs haven’t changed. We are intentional about selecting partners who reflect this focus, which means we didn’t spend the bull run making sports deals at an unsustainable rate .”

OKX is sponsoring Daniel Ricciardo at a time when races of the Formula One World Championship events are set to take place.

McLaren Racing, a British motor racing team, has inked a multi-year deal with crypto exchange OKX, formerly OKEx, to be the primary partner of McLaren Shadow esports Team and McLaren Formula 1 (F1) Team from this year.

OKX Launches Dias Metaverse Fan Experience

Cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 technology developer OKX has been making moves in the metaverse space over the past month, with its latest announcement showcasing its commitment to immersive experiences for fans. The company has launched its first immersive metaverse fan experience as part of its “OKX Collective.”

On April 3, OKX revealed its collaboration with Manchester City footballer Rúben Dias, called “Train Like Dias.” According to the announcement, fans can virtually experience Dias’ favorite training techniques and receive coaching and tips. The experience is open exclusively to fans within the OKX Collective metaverse.

Haider Rafique, the global chief marketing officer at OKX, believes that this new immersive experience will help connect fans and stated that “is another great example of what this technology allows. The possibilities that Web3 can offer are vast and only limited by our own imaginations.”

OKX and Manchester City officially became partners in July 2022, and the platform has hinted at future offerings of Web3-content from other players on the team, including Alex Greenwood, Ilkay Gündoğan, and Jack Grealish.

The metaverse continues to be the next frontier to explore connections between physical reality and Web3 applications, as seen with “Train Like Dias.” However, recent events surrounding metaverse development have been mixed after Disney reportedly scrapped its metaverse division. That came only a week after rumors began circulating that Animoca Brands, a prominent metaverse developer in the space, made cuts of around $200 million to its metaverse fund. Animoca promptly denied those claims.

On the other hand, South Korea launched a “Metaverse Fund” on March 12, intending to accelerate metaverse initiatives within the country. Automotive manufacturer Nissan has also recently filed multiple Web3 trademarks and trialed sales in the metaverse.

OKX’s “Train Like Dias” collaboration is a prime example of the opportunities that the metaverse can offer. It allows fans to connect with their favorite players in a virtual space and experience training techniques that may have previously been inaccessible. The potential for Web3 to create immersive experiences is vast, and OKX’s latest move in the space is a testament to the technology’s capabilities.

Since OKX’s partnership with Manchester City, the company has been working to establish a stronger presence in the metaverse space. The collaboration with Dias is just the first of many future offerings the platform has planned, and fans can expect to see more Web3-content from other players on the team.

However, recent events surrounding metaverse development have been a mixed bag. While South Korea has launched a “Metaverse Fund” to accelerate initiatives in the country, Disney reportedly scrapped its metaverse division, and Animoca Brands was rumored to have made cuts to its metaverse fund. Despite these setbacks, OKX remains committed to exploring the possibilities of Web3 and providing fans with immersive experiences.