Global technology company FanCraze has been announced as Betway SA20’s ‘Official Digital Collectibles Partner, in a multi-year partnership that will take the league into the Metaverse.
The collaboration makes SA20 the first cricket league to launch digital collectibles in their inaugural season.
SA20 and FanCraze will launch official digital player cards, giving fans an opportunity to collect their favourite players, play games, trade with other fans and unlock unique experiences.
Betway SA20 League Commissioner, Graeme Smith said: “We are an innovative and digitally-led league, so it makes sense for us to partner with a brand on the forefront of technology. We want to give our fans an all-round immersive experience on and off the field and we hope this partnership will take our offering to the next level.”
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The partnership will see the league leveraging FanCraze’s extensive digital collectibles world, which features a portfolio of more than 50 000 players. Current franchise players in the league will also benefit from the association and revenue streams, and fans will be able to purchase official league collectibles on www.fancraze.com.
South African Cricketers Association CEO, Andrew Breetzke, has hailed the landmark deal.
“SACA has had extensive engagement with Betway SA20 on the introduction of a number of exciting commercial initiatives – all of which will benefit the league and the players,” he said. “This partnership between SA20 and FanCraze will further enhance the reputation of the SA20 as a leading league in the world and open up additional revenue streams for players.”
SA20 joins the International Cricket Council, Cricket West Indies, the Asian Cricket Council and a number of teams, leagues and cricket stars in the FanCraze stable.
Anshum Bhambri, CEO, FanCraze said: “FanCraze is thrilled to partner with the inaugural SA20. With the launch of SA20 Player Cards and an innovative gaming experience for fans, FanCraze continues to solidify our position as the market leader in cricket digital collectibles. We cannot wait to unlock even more categories of collectibles, games, and multi-modal digital experiences as we evangelise the Web 3.0 space for cricket audiences around the world.”
In other SA20-related news, the league has concluded a broadcast deal with Australia’s Foxtel.
That means the league is being broadcast in Sub-Saharan Africa through SuperSport, India through Viacom 18, the UK through Sky Sports, and now Australia through Foxtel.
Foxtel is home to Australia’s leading sport and entertainment products, including Australia’s international cricket matches, the Big Bash League, Australia Football League, and the National Rugby League.
