Instead, fans are being offered non-fungible tokens (NFT). The English Premier League, the most popular league in the world, has 20 different clubs; 17 of these clubs have signed deals with “fan token” firms (like Socios, for example). Under such deals, according to The Daily Mail U.K., “clubs now sell digital, tradable club-specific tokens that allow the holders to vote on minor club matters such as the color of the manager’s scarf.” Yes, the color of the manager’s scarf. A matter that occupies the minds of very few, if any, actual football fans. A spokesperson for the Football Supporters Association told the Mail that crypto-based “fan token partnerships are either trying to monetize trivial matters that could easily be solved with online polls of season ticket holders, or inserting financial barriers into genuine supporter engagement.” “Neither,” he believes, “is a good look.” Is he right?
