Sorare Signs NFT Partnership With Bundesliga

The top dog of the European soccer non-fungible token (NFT) industry is adding Germany’s Bundesliga to its growing list of partners.

With the latest deal, fans, collectors and fantasy soccer players will be able to play and trade with NFTs from the Bundesliga (first division) and Bundesliga 2 (second division).

After announcing a partnership with Spain’s La Liga on Sept. 9 to make NFTs of all its players, Sorare now has deals with two of the world’s “Big Five” soccer leagues, which Sorare estimates have more than 3.5 billion fans worldwide. Sorare already has NFT partnerships with many of the world’s top soccer teams.

The Bundesliga, Germany’s top soccer league, generated $4.5 billion in revenue during its 2020-21 season, more than Major League Baseball over the same period.

Last month, Paris-based Sorare raised $680 million in a Series B funding round at a $4.3 billion valuation. That occurred on the same week that rival NFT developer Dapper Labs, which has a separate contract with La Liga to create NFT collectibles, completed a $250 million funding round at a $7.6 billion valuation.

Sorare said in a press release that the partnership with La Liga will bring video content to its platform for the first time in the form of “NFT Moments.” The Moments are reminiscent of Dapper Labs’ popular NBA Top Shot product, which is centered around collectible basketball highlight videos.

“The Bundesliga is one of the best leagues in the world, home to some of the most exciting clubs and footballers on Earth,” Sorare CEO Nicolas Julia said in a press release. “We are very proud to partner with them to launch our first NFT Moments.”