Where does Chiliz see the most untapped potential in the sports sponsorship space today?

The collapse ofi the crypto market fiollowing FTXʼs collapse in 2022 led to the withdrawing and restructuring ofi many sports deals in the space. However, the return ofi the bull market fiollowing recent regulatory movements in the US has reignited the relationship between sports and crypto, with organizations and teams looking to tap into its undoubted potential once again.

The rise in crypto-sports partnerships this year has signalled a growing maturity in the industry with organisations now starting to realise the long-term potential ofi Web3 beyond short-term sponsorship deals. The 2021–2022 cycle was driven largely by hype and rapid experimentation. Now, however, crypto sponsors are seeking fior more sustainable relationships and see the value ofi crypto as an entirely new product category in its own right to generate revenue and meaningfiul fiorms ofi engagement.

2. With major names like Gate.io–Red Bull Racing and Coinbase–Aston Martin leading the way, where does Chiliz see the most untapped potential in the sports sponsorship space today?

The most exciting opportunities exist in engaging with global fian bases. Our global fian report revealed that 86.7% ofi soccer fians have some level ofi interest in a club overseas. Major sporting leagues around the world hold massive untapped potential to engage with their fians meaningfiully and directly through Fan Tokens. Regardless ofi whether it’s fiootball in Europe, basketball in America, or baseball in Japan, fians want to fieel closer to, and indeed part ofi, their team.

3. How are crypto partnerships moving beyond branding into reshaping clubs’ and leagues’ financial strategies, particularly in terms of recurring revenue and fan monetization?

No product category should just look at visible assets on shirts. Our Fan Token model is a great example ofi how sports clubs are deepening their relationship with crypto — going beyond traditional transactional sponsorship deals.

Since launch in 2019, Fan Tokens have transfiormed club revenue models generating over €500M fior the sports industry; enabling clubs to develop new and bespoke revenue streams whilst fiostering closer connections with their global audiences.

Fan Tokens are therefiore not just a money play. They represent a new product category supported by engagement and monetisation strategies overseas to ultimately help sports organisations plan fior the long term — rather than relying solely on traditional matchday income and TV revenue.

4. Can you share an example of a partnership that illustrates how Web3 is helping sports organizations plan more sustainably for the long term—not just chase short-term liquidity?

PSG in particular have taken their Web3 involvement to the next level. Last year the club became a validator on Chiliz Chain where they pledged to use 100% ofi validator revenue generated to conduct regular $PSG Fan Token buybacks firom the public marketplace. The unique initiative enables PSG to regularly refiresh its Fan Token reserves, whilst building a selfi-sustainable Fan Token digital economy and engagement with its Web3 fianbase in the process.

Whilst PSG lead the way in terms ofi Web3 innovation, clubs like Juventus, FC Barcelona, and Manchester City still continue to utilise Fan Tokens beyond fian voting to deliver season-long perks and exclusive experiences, creating consistent value, not just short-term price spikes.

The equity case fior Fan Tokens is strong too and itʼs a big driver fior revenue, fiitting nicely alongside the tangible utility the assets can provide. Fan Token daily trading volumes regularly exceed €200M demonstrating how through efifiective communications in the secondary market, weʼve given investors a real reason to purchase tokens, even ifi they are not necessarily hard core fians.

5. Weʼve moved from speculative NFT drops and one-off sponsorships to more strategic, utility-driven integrations. How is Chiliz helping partners make that transition?

Many Web3 projects have fiailed, perhaps because they have prioritised novelty over utility. Chiliz ensures clubs fiocus on real-world applications: whether through fian voting, exclusive rewards, or deeper engagement experiences. Instead ofi fiorcing clubs into predefiined Web3 models, we work alongside them to develop solutions that genuinely enhance fian interaction.

6. Are teams and leagues now more Web3-literate than they were during the initial bull run, and what role does Chiliz play in educating and guiding them through adoption?

When blockchain fiirst entered the sports world, many clubs saw it as experimental rather than a viable component fior their business strategies. Fast fiorward to 2025 and there is a noticeable shifit

— clubs are now onboarding their own Web3 personnel and dedicated in-house teams. Todayʼs clubs arenʼt just curious about Web3, theyʼre actively exploring how blockchain can enhance their business strategy, viewing it not as a fileeting tech experiment but as a powerfiul and inevitable tool to elevate fian engagement. Chiliz helps bridge this gap by turning curiosity into confiidence, ensuring clubs arenʼt just adopting blockchain. Theyʼre leveraging it with a purpose and a long-term vision.

Integration marks the next stage in the Web3 journey fior many ofi our partners and we work hand-in-hand with them to help them through the process. Clubs like PSG and Atletico de Madrid have already started exploring past a transactional relationship and are actively looking into embedding Fan Tokens deeper into their own fian ecosystems.

7. How are fan tokens and blockchain-based experiences evolving in 2025? Are we seeing real utility and retention, or is it still mostly about novelty and hype?

Web3ʼs long-term success depends on whether it delivers real utility, not just novelty. Fan tokens have evolved beyond initial excitement, and theyʼre becoming integral to club and fian engagement. Whether itʼs allowing fians to shape club decisions, access VIP rewards, or take part in exclusive digital experiences, the real challenge now is unlocking their fiull potential by integrating them deeply into fian ecosystems, rather than treating them as standalone assets.

8. What innovations are you most excited about when it comes to leveraging blockchain to deepen fan engagement or introduce new ownership/economic models in sport?

Blockchain is rewriting the playbook on fian interaction. The next wave ofi innovation lies in personalised digital experiences, where fians can own, trade, and interact with club-issued digital assets. Weʼre seeing exciting developments in dynamic digital collectibles, enhanced voting tools, and even blockchain-powered memberships that reward loyalty over time.

Weʼve only just scratched the surfiace with Fan Tokens too. Up until now, Fan Tokens have been used as a primary means to engage and reward fian bases and they have more than shown the real-world impact they can have. However, in November last year we launched a new decentralized iteration ofi their home on the Socios.com wallet. This new opportunity not only gives Fan Token holders access to a host ofi new platfiorms, services and experiences, but ultimately, brings them closer to developers and our community to help explore the next generation ofi innovative use cases fior the product.

9. As competition increases, what differentiates Chiliz from other crypto players entering the sports vertical, especially in an era of more strategic and compliance-conscious deals?

In a competitive Web3 landscape, what sets Chiliz apart isnʼt just our technology but rather our longevity in, and understanding ofi the sports industry. Unlike platfiorms that fiocus solely on crypto trends, we tailor our solutions to match how clubs operate. Our approach is collaborative rather than prescriptive, ensuring clubs see blockchain as an extension ofi their existing strategies, rather than something they need to adapt to firom scratch.

Our roster ofi 70 leading sports clubs including fiootball giants PSG, Manchester City and Barcelona, just to name a fiew, is unparalleled in the industry. The fioundations we laid signing partners in 2019-2021 has set us apart firom the competition and we continue to make roads in driving innovation alongside them.

10. Looking ahead to the next 1218 months, how do you see the intersection of Web3 and sports evolving—will we see mass adoption, deeper utility, or perhaps regulatory challenges reshaping the space again?

Blockchainʼs role in sport is at a crossroads. Are we heading toward mass adoption or another wave ofi regulatory hurdles? The next 12–18 months will determine whether clubs take fiull

ownership ofi their Web3 strategies, embedding fian tokens and digital assets as core engagement tools, or whether external pressures slow down integration. The clubs that double down on real-world utility and long-term fian value will be the ones shaping the next chapter ofi sports.

The opening up ofi the US crypto market once again no doubt presents real tangible opportunities to sports blockchain operators like Chiliz. With the 2026 World Cup in North America fiast approaching, the company is actively looking into a return to the States having exited the country in 2024 due to regulatory reasons.