Fan Controlled Football is a new league that allows fans to call plays during a football game. Recently, they added NFTs to the mix, entering the digital arena.
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs), along with cryptocurrency and the metaverse, are all the rage today. Most people associate NFTs with digital artwork, some of which sold for millions of dollars, but they have been used for other things as well. Smart contracts. Real estate. Private equity transactions. And there are even more applications of this technology that have yet to be explored because it’s still very new. One of the most unique ways we’ve seen NFTs used, though, is Fan Controlled Football, a new sports league embarking on its second season.
Fan Controlled Football (FCF) is a new way for fans to enjoy football. The rules are different, it’s 7v7 and there are no special teams, among other things. But the biggest difference is that the plays are called by the fans. Yes, you read that right, it’s a football league where fans have a say. The group first tested the theory of having fan involvement in 2017 using indoor football as a starting point, but made its formal debut in 2021. Owned by Fan Controlled Entertainment, the first season had four teams owned by some big names: Marshawn Lynch, Austin Ekeler, Dalvin Cook and Quavo, to name a few.
“The concept is to blend the best of the physical and the digital worlds,” said FCF CEO Sohrob Farudi, in an interview with GamesBeat. “It has live sports, real players, real coaches, a real league, but it is built for the digital age and the digital fan. Rather than focusing on the in-person experience, we’re focusing on the experience for people on mobile and on the web. And we wanted to make it interactive, we wanted to lean into gaming and esports.”
He added, “We wanted to create a way for fans to really feel empowered and feel their voices are being heard. We do that by letting them make decisions, everything from team branding names and logos and the player draft, where they pick the players they want on their team. And then they call plays in real time during the game.”
The second season begins in February, with four expansion teams added to the mix. The expansion teams are the Ballerz Collective NFT teams. The Ballerz Collective is “a collection of NFT avatars with never before seen utility. Imagine you could have a say in an IRL football team’s name, logo, jersey design and players. What if you could call the plays in real time? As part of the Ballerz Collective, all of this is a reality.” Fans who purchase an NFT will have a say in their team’s logo, jersey design and receive access to even more benefits. Just remember, when you join a team, you’re locked in!
This is, by far, one of the most interesting uses for NFTs we have seen to date. Is it necessary to use an NFT in this way? Nope. But it sure does make for a fun way to enjoy football, especially since their current season happens when no other football is being played. Getting fans involved in a football game is a fun way to encourage engagement and give people a real reason to pay attention to what is going on in the trenches. After each play, fans vote on what the next play will be. The play with the most votes is the play the team runs. With no special teams, a 7v7 setup on a 50-yard field and hour-long games, fans not only get a fast-paced version of the game they love, but they get to be involved.
“The successful strides that FCF is making within web3 are exciting … it’s a privilege to be involved,” said musician and FCF expansion team owner Steve Aoki, in a statement. “Really looking forward to building out our NFT community of passionate fans that’ll be calling all the shots for our team.”
What if you’re a fan who wants to be involved, but doesn’t want to go the NFT route? You’re in luck, the original four FCF teams do not utilize the NFT method. You can pick one of those teams as your own and still get involved without the cost of an NFT or learning about cryptocurrency in the process. It’s a very unique setup that seems to appeal to a wide variety of fans.
NFTs have many uses, and, as stated above, we have yet to discover all we can do with them. As consumers and businesses become more educated on NFTs, how they work and what they are currently used for, ideas for new products and new ways to use them will continue to pop up. It’s something every business leader should be educated about because the next innovation to use NFTs might be really useful for what their company does. And if it’s too complicated or too overwhelming or you simply don’t have the time, remember that there are always third-party businesses which specialize in this area. Contact those experts, let them advise you and educate you in a way that you understand and that makes sense. With new technology, it’s important to have an expert on your side.