If scanned by a mobile phone, the chip offers its user access to a content area which will be filled with exclusive behind-the-scenes videos and near-live match highlight clips during the EHF FINAL4 Men 2022.
Furthermore, a digital twin of the EHF FINAL4 merchandise shirt will be stored as NFT (non-fungible token) on the blockchain, turning the entire project into the first NFC-NFT use case in European club handball.
In a second step, the digital twin enables the possibility to build the bridge to the metaverse for European handball as an owner’s avatar would be able to wear the shirt in the virtual world.
Matthias Mayrhofer, Director Partner & Brand for EHF Marketing, said: "With this exclusive merchandise range, we are bringing the EHF FINAL4 experience closer than ever before to our fans. They can literally take it wherever they go – physically and virtually in the metaverse. Exploring the options that NFTs and the metaverse offer is key for the positioning and further development of the EHF FINAL4 and the entire EHF Champions League."
The NFC-NFT merchandise range is only available at the EHF FINAL4 Men 2022 and cannot be bought online.
Further on the topic, EHF Marketing organises an invitation-only ‘European Handball Brunch’ on Saturday morning at LANXESS arena where a master class about NFT and metaverse in the context of European handball will be held.
The EHF FINAL4 Men is the final weekend of the EHF Champions League and the undisputed highlight of European club handball. At the 2022 edition on 18-19 June, the 13th overall, Telekom Veszprém HC of Hungary will face Lomza Vive Kielce of Poland in the first semi-final on Saturday (18 June at 15:15 hrs CEST), while THW Kiel of Germany take on defending champions Barça of Spain in the second semi-final.
The venue, Cologne’s LANXESS arena, is expected to be sold out with 19,250 spectators attending the matches.
