The K League, Korea’s top-tier professional football competition, has entered a multi-year strategic partnership with SportFi pioneer Chiliz that will open up a new array of opportunities for their millions of fans to connect and engage with the league, including the chance to access officially authenticated game-scored balls.
The K League is the top football league in Asia according to the International Federation of Football History & Statistics. This multi-year partnership will see it joining the Chiliz Chain ecosystem, where the biggest properties in global sports and the boldest developers in the blockchain space are shaping the future of the industry, cementing its product and brand globally.
Known as the sports blockchain, Chiliz Chain is the first layer-1 protocol specifically designed to meet the needs of the sports and entertainment industries.
The agreement includes integrating ‘K League Fantasy’ to the Chiliz Chain. ‘K League Fantasy’ is the league’s official fantasy game, in which fans can create their own lineups by collecting player cards and compete against other users based on the points assigned to each player card.
This landmark partnership, presented today in Seoul, will also see the K League become the first sporting organization to be a node validator for the Chiliz Chain. This first-of-its-kind agreement shows the deep depth of this strategic partnership and the commitment of both companies to open up a new era in fan participation for K League’s millions of followers through blockchain technology.
As a node validator, K League will play a crucial role in maintaining the network’s integrity, security, and governance through verifying transactions and voting on proposals on the chain.
Chiliz, which recently celebrated its sixth anniversary, is a partner to over 100 leading sporting organizations worldwide, all of which rely on the company’s blockchain technology to engage with and reward their global fan bases.
Its partner roster includes UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup champions Manchester City, París Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, Arsenal FC, Fluminense and Flamengo, amongst other global football giants, not to mention the UFC (mixed martial arts), the Davis Cup (tennis), Formula 1 teams, esports clubs, and more.
Chiliz is also an official partner of Lega Serie A, Italy’s top-tier professional football league. As part of this agreement, Lega Serie A fans have the chance to bid for some of the balls used during the league’s main fixtures every week. These balls are removed from the pitch after a goal is scored and authenticated using Chiliz’s blockchain technology.
The latest organization to partner with Chiliz is Son Heung-min’s current club and Premier League giant Tottenham Hotspur.
Yeonsang Cho, General Secretary of the K League, said: “At the K League we pride ourselves to be at the forefront of innovation, especially when it comes to providing our fans with the best possible experience. We’re aware of the multiple ways that web3 technology can help us improve our offering. We are delighted to be partnering with the pioneers and leaders in this space, and look forward to working together to enhance the experience of our fans and grow our brand globally.”
Alexandre Dreyfus, Founder and CEO of Chiliz, said: “Korea has been a key country for us since the foundation of Chiliz. We have a huge community here, that’s why we’ve been following the K League for a long time now. It’s grown a lot in recent years, but we believe that it has potential to grow even more, and we’re delighted to contribute to this growth through this strategic partnership that will allow the league to reach a much wider and global audience.”
