LaLiga club Valencia CF has unveiled its new-look jersey, which will be sponsored by the Chiliz-owned Socios.com fan engagement platform as part of a new sponsorship tie-up.
Under the terms of the deal, Valencia will launch the Spanish team’s $VCF fan token, which will replace bookmaker Bwin in prime position on the club’s playing shirts for the duration of the 2021/22 season.
As part of the deal, supporters who purchase the fan token via the Socios.com mobile application will be able to influence day-to-day decisions within the club by voting in polls on in-stadium designs, celebration anthems, club mottos, player challenges and shirt designs.
Alexander Dreyfus, Chief Executive of Chiliz and Socios.com, noted: “When Valencia take to the pitch with their $VCF fan token proudly on display from the front of their shirt for the first time it will be the most visible milestone yet in our rapid evolution and further confirmation of the increasing influence fan tokens and the Socios.com platform are having across the global sports industry.”
Furthermore, the collaboration will produce unique experiences for fans of the LaLiga club, including the opportunity to meet past and present players, with the aim to ‘revolutionise the participation of fans through technology and innovation’, according to Valencia President, Anil Murthy.
In becoming the first club to ink a main shirt sponsorship with Socios.com, Valencia joins the platform as the 38th overall partner.
Chiliz’s Socios.com platform already features fan tokens from the likes of LaLiga rivals FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, along with Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and AS Roma, with fan tokens generating more than $150 million in revenue for clubs in 2021, according to the company.