AC Milan scores a partnership with Web3 esports game MonkeyLeague

As sports teams worldwide are delving into Web3 in search of revenue sources or as a way to connect to their fans, Italian football (soccer) team AC Milan is also one of those making moves in the sector.

The Italian Serie A champions announced a partnership with MonkeyLeague, a Solana-based strategy football game, making them the club's official NFT Gaming Partner.

In MonkeyLague, players build and manage teams of MonkeyPlayer NFTs and use them to compete against others in multiplayer matches and tournaments to win MonkeyBucks ($MBS), the game's native cryptocurrency and game crypto collectables, as rewards.

As part of the deal, MonkeyLeague will introduce a new collection of AC Milan branded in-game NFTs, including new MonkeyPlayers, skins, and stadiums. The assets will be available for auction on Magic Eden from October 6.

Key AC Milan footballers will also help playtest the game to give feedback on how to improve the game, and participants in the auction will also stand a chance to win player-signed jerseys as part of the partnership.

'We are thrilled to kick off this partnership with MonkeyLeague, a collaboration that allows us to strengthen our positioning in the field of digital innovation,' commented Casper Stylsvig, Chief Revenue Officer of AC Milan. 'We are particularly proud to be the first football club to partner with MonkeyLeague, bringing this game to our supporters around the world and offering them a new innovative way to engage with their favourite team.'   

The partnership expects AC Milan to sponsor several MonkeyLeague esports tournaments where the best gamers from around the world compete for exclusive rewards, including tickets to watch the Rossoneri's big games at its stadium.

The Milanese club has had previous involvements with Web3, launching its fan tokens with Socios.com. It also recently partnered with Bitmex, a cryptocurrency exchange platform, which is now the team's first official sleeve partner.

Photo: MonkeyLeague