The world’s largest sports innovation platform (HYPE), which has 11 accelerator programs worldwide, has launched the world’s first sports-tech blockchain accelerator. The Israel-based organization will be seeking candidates from around the world.
The HYPE team behind the new sports sector blockchain accelerator include the former CMO of Adidas (Bernd Wahler), the VP of Washington Redskins and the Marketing Director of UEFA.
The organization is set to promote their twelfth accelerator at two boot camps. These interactive sessions will be run in conjunction with two partner firms: NYU Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport and ISDE Higher Institute of Law and Economics in Barcelona.
The focus of the blockchain accelerator program is sports technology, and the shifting nature of how global consumers interact with their favourite sports clubs and teams.
The upcoming events will involve thirty startups, and at the end of the process, a select group will participate in a three-month blockchain accelerator program which runs over the course of the summer of 2019.
Commenting on the initiative, Bernd Wahler says: “Our accelerators are at the heart of everything we do at HYPE. Sports has the unique ability to create magical moments for players and fans alike. Technology is changing the way we experience and share those moments and celebrate our sports heroes. HYPE is always on the lookout for innovators and entrepreneurs that can make a meaningful impact on the games we all grew up loving.”
The connecting together of sports and blockchain represents an emerging field for digital ledgers and cryptocurrencies. As an example, top Italian soccer club Juventus has launched an “Official Fan Token”, designed to connect the club with its fanbase. The token involves fans completing polls and ballots in return for tokens that can be spent on merchandise. Similarly, NHL’s hockey team Los Angeles Kings has unveiled an augmented reality platform for blockchain authentication. The platform enables people to authenticate the legitimacy of memorabilia.
