By George Ward
The rapid rise in metaverse adoption and virtual reality technology has been the driving force behind the popularity of the Web3 ecosystem. Accordingly, the crypto exchange and Web3 firm, OKX, has launched an immersive metaverse football fan experience dubbed the “OKX Collective.”
The “Train Like Dias” Partnership
OKX announced that it had started collaborating with Ruben Dias, the Manchester City football player and one of the platform’s ambassadors. The partnership named “Train Like Dias” will allow football fans to view the player’s favorite training sessions and techniques virtually.
In addition, participants would also have access to coaching and other tips in the game of soccer. However, the metaverse experience is open to fans of the OKX Collective.
According to the firm’s global chief marketing officer, Haider Rafique, the new immersive virtual experience would help connect fans and show what the Web3 technology can do. The OKX official noted that the metaverse’s possibility is vast and limited by users’ imaginations.
The crypto firm also hinted at future Web3-content featuring other players like Ilkay Gundogan, Jack Grealish, and Alex Greenwood. Manchester City is one of many top football teams to venture into the virtual ecosystem.
FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and others have been in the metaverse since last year. Furthermore, sports teams have continued to explore the metaverse through marketing to connect with their fan base globally.
Football clubs can add more depth and content to their marketing strategy with the metaverse. Sports brands, through the metaverse, have created an immersive experience to connect with their fans by organizing virtual tours, meeting with favorite athletes, and enjoying other exclusive perks.
Linking The Physical With Digital
Following Facebook’s rebranding to Meta, interest in the virtual space has continued to gain traction, with several firms restructuring their operations to begin the next phase of their business. Therefore, the metaverse has been the medium that will be utilized to connect Web3 space with physical reality.
Nevertheless, interest in the metaverse has recently declined, with Disney reportedly closing its virtual reality department. This came nearly a week after rumors revealed that the famous metaverse developer, Animoca Brands, has cut funding for its metaverse projects by $200 million.
But the platform later came out to debunk the rumors. Since last year, Meta has recorded massive losses in its multiple metaverse units, with billions of dollars down the drain after a promising start.
The tech firm reportedly incurred about $14 billion loss from its Reality Labs subsidiary as Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse dream continues to cost the Meta group vast amounts of dollars. Despite the gloom, the South Korean government recently announced the launch of a metaverse fund to accelerate the metaverse initiative within the country.
Furthermore, South Korea’s automotive maker Nissan reportedly filed several Web3 trademarks and metaverse trial sales.