The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) will be issuing over one million tickets for the UEFA EURO 2020 set to kick off in June via a new blockchain-powered mobile application. UEFA is utilizing blockchain technology for ticket distribution to ensure accountability and transparency in preparation for the tournament.
UEFA to Sell 1 Million EURO 2020 Tickets Via Blockchain App
Per the announcement, Europe’s football governing body plans to deploy a blockchain-based mobile app for selling tickets to this Summer’s EURO 2020. Football lovers across the continent will have the option of purchasing stadium passes right from their smartphones rather than having to endure long lines.
An excerpt from UEFA’s announcement reads:
“The ability to deliver mobile tickets to fans close to matchday will considerably enhance the fan journey, as fans will no longer be required to visit ticket collection points to exchange ticket vouchers.”
Furthermore, upon receiving the tickets, fans get to access the stadium on match day through QR codes which are activated once fans turn on their Bluetooth on approaching the stadium. The use of QR codes will solve the issue of ticket duplication and replication.
UEFA is also utilizing blockchain technology to distribute tickets to ensure that entry into the stadium is seamless and safe. Also, employing DLT will help in greatly reducing the presence of paper tickets.
The first instance of delivering tickets to fans’ mobile phones occurred during the UEFA Nations League finals held in June 2019. At the time, more than 11,000 tickets were distributed to fans via their mobile phones.
Fans who purchased their tickets will get to download the new DLT-powered app from May 2020 on both Android and iOS platforms. Supporters will also get their tickets via the app at most seven days before the match, with UEFA seeking to issue more than one million tickets to buyers across the 51 matches.
Back in December 2019, the European football body signed a deal with AlphaWallet, an Ethereum-based mobile wallet platform, to tokenize about 20,000 VIP tickets for the EURO 2020 tournament. Tokenizing the tickets will promote efficiency, reduce prices, and effectively verify tickets.
UEFA joins the list of organizations that have adopted digital technology for real-world use cases. On the other side, the introduction of mainstream mobile apps has proved problematic for non-financial use cases. One such case is the botched Iowa caucus voting process by the Democratic Party in the U.S.
Increasing Crypto Adoption in Sports
The rate of blockchain and crypto adoption in the sports sector is steadily rising. As previously reported by Blockonomi, the top Spanish football team, Barcelona FC, partnered with the sports engagement platform, Chiliz, to launch the club’s fan token. The introduction of the $BAR tokens is said to increase fan engagement.
Juventus FC, also partnered with Socios.com to introduce their own fan tokens, the first of its kind in the world. According to the club, the digital tokens will give supporters the chance to pick the goal celebratory song.
There was also a partnership between Socios Galatasaray, the Turkish football club, to launch the club’s fan token.
Crypto has also enjoyed some level of adoption that does not involve the creation of fan tokens. English Premier League Club, Watford FC, signed a sponsorship contract with Sportsbet.io which saw the bitcoin logo appearing on Watford’s jersey sleeves.
Yeni Malatyaspor, Turkey’s professional soccer team, also inked a sponsorship deal with BtcTurk, the country’s crypto exchange platform. Furthermore, Rimini FC, an up and coming Italian football club, became the first club to be purchased with crypto.