Serie A is the first football division that enters the Metaverse and changes the way fans around the globe can view and experience soccer matches.

Italy’s top football division has entered the increasingly popular virtual reality space, offering fans the opportunity to watch the match between Milan and Fiorentina in the Metaverse.

The match was broadcast on Sunday, May 1, in the “Serie A room” of the virtual platform “The Nemesis” and it was accessed only by fans from Africa and the Middle East. Milan and Fiorentina become the first two teams to face each other in a match in the Metaverse, and their fans were able to interact with the different functions presented in the room during the match.

“We have chosen to be the first to broadcast a football match on the Metaverse because we believe that the frontier of technological innovation is decisive for a modern league like Serie A,” said Lega Serie A administrator Luigi De Siervo.

“The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) represent a strategic area for us due to the dominant presence of Generation Z and the particular receptivity to new developments.”

To access the match and live the first Metaverse experience fans needed to acquire NFT tickets. Serie A offered 10,000 NFT tickets for free for Calcio fans.

Within the Metaverse, fans got access to augmented match data, could share the match with remote people they care about, and comment on goals, missed chances, woodworks, and tricks.

This was just the start

As stressed by Serie A, this was just the first step of a collaboration with Blockchain technology firm ConsenSys and video gaming platform The Nemesis. ConsenSys is a market-leading blockchain technology company. As the company points out, from developer tools to enterprise solutions, ConsenSys is building Ethereum blockchain infrastructure and applications for new economic systems that are more open, efficient, and secure. The Nemesis is an online platform that provides a glimpse into how the web will evolve in the coming years. Virtual reality, 3D experiences, casual games, and blockchain technology come together in the Nemesis which creates a 360-degree environment for users to interact with and explore.

The league disclosed its plans to enter the fast-changing digital world, by broadcasting more and more matches on the Metaverse soon. Serie A has also announced that it is willing to be a pioneer by making use of the recent technological developments which are paving the way for revolutionary new broadcasting possibilities.

Fans rushed to express their excitement on social media for this new Metaverse experience.

Manchester City to enter the Metaverse

Manchester City is also preparing to take the big step in the world of Metaverse, and it has already implemented the transfer of “Etihad Stadium” to the virtual environment of Facebook.

In collaboration with “Sony”, the City Stadium is expected to come to life in Metaverse. Using image analysis and motion sensors from Hawk-Eye, the developers will pass all the stadium data into virtual reality, creating the club’s main place in Mark Zuckerberg’s virtual universe and allowing thousands of fans from all over the world to watch the match from home as if they were in Manchester.