MeetKai, a pioneer in the events metaverse space, teamed up with entertainment, gaming, and NFT metaverse platform Meta-Stadiums to launch a world-first football experience. To successfully launch the platform, MeetKai and Meta-Stadiums partnered with football agency SLFC Soccer.
The platform also leverages virtual worlds to attend football matches as avatars to watch professional clubs and FIFA teams compete. As SLFC Soccer’s is a partner FIFA Licenced Match Agent, the platform will provide 150 live virtual football matches for roughly 137 FIFA teams.
With the new solution, sports brands can engage with their fans in new ways with spatial technologies.
Firstly, the multichannel solution works across VR headsets, web browsers, mobiles, laptops, and similar devices. People of all ages can attend to increase engagement among audiences.
Also, the partnership will see Meta Stadiums incorporate MeetKai’s online merchandising store technologies. With it, sports retailers can ship physical items directly to shoppers’ homes. It also allows people to watch matches concurrently and view digital twins of stadiums and their surrounding areas.
The platform will also host non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and other bespoke digital content to commemorate matches and key moments from the gameplay.
Virtual attendees can also sit in press or VIP sky boxes to simulate real-life match experiences or attend 5,000 matches archived on the server for continuous playback of previous matches.
Comments on Meta-Stadium Partnership
James Kaplan, Chief Executive and Co-Founder, MeetKai, explained that the collaboration aims to push the “boundaries of virtual experiences.”
He continued,
“Meta-Stadiums is not just a game-changer for soccer enthusiasts; it’s a game-changer for the future of entertainment and sports engagement. We are thrilled to offer fans a unique opportunity to connect with the sport they love in a completely new way”
For Delence A Sheares Sr, Chief Executive and President, Meta-Stadiums, his company’s goal was to “make the metaverse accessible for the entire world in a practical and user-friendly way with zero barriers to [entry].”
He added,
“Soccer is the #1 sport in the world connecting various cultures, regions, heritages, and nations. We are thrilled to bring forth a metaverse platform and experience which embraces the soccer culture alongside the delivery of superior technology”
Finally, Weili Dai, Executive Chairwoman and Co-Founder, MeetKai, said that her enterprise was “at the forefront of AI and [Metaverse] technology.”
She added,
“Joining forces with entertainment pioneer Meta-Stadiums Corp to create the first-ever soccer Meta-Stadium is a remarkable step towards the evolution of sports entertainment in the digital age. We’re thrilled to invite soccer fans all over the world to experience the first FIFA soccer experience of the MeetKai Metaverse, all from their browsers”
MeetKai-Charlotte Hornets Collaboration
The news comes after MeetKai debuted the National Basketball Association’s first-ever metaverse store. Working with the Charlotte Hornets, the XR firm launched a digital twin of the Hornets Fan Shop.
MeetKai’s Buzz City virtual shopping experience provided the NBA with a novel way to engage with its fans, where they can shop for clothing, souvenirs, and official NBA jerseys.
The virtual experience also commemorated the NBA team’s 35 years of history.
At the time, Fred Whitfield, President and Vice Chairman, Hornets Sports & Entertainment, said in a statement,
“As technology continues to evolve, it’s important that we meet our fans where they are, and this is a great opportunity to enhance that connection. The Hornets Virtual Fan Shop allows fans to enjoy the gameday shopping experience from anywhere, and we’re excited to offer this innovative new opportunity”
XR and the Sports Metaverse
Advancements in developing the sports metaverse have also allowed companies, sports associations, and players to interact with audiences via extended reality technologies.
The platform’s meteoric rise comes as companies like Improbable, Verizon, Nokia, Snap, Apple, and Meta launch their own virtual sports initiatives.
By unveiling next-level technologies like the Meta Quest 3, Apple Vision Pro, Improbable’s M² ecosystem, and many others, the XR community has empowered businesses with tools to transform the deployment of content, advertisements, and campaigns.
