Everton and Fancurve offer digital shirt NFTs to use in the metaverse

• Fancurve raised USD 6.25 million in seed funding earlier this year
• The shirts will be based on original designs rather than replica kits

Everton and fashion-focused non-fungible token (NFT) startup Fancurve are creating digital shirts that fans of the English football club can wear alongside their digital avatar in the metaverse.

The partnership is Fancurve’s first in the Premier League and builds on a similar arrangement it announced earlier this year with Spanish football outfit Real Betis – its first club deal of any kind.

The ‘unique, photo-realistic custom collections’ are presented as high-end digital collectibles, designed by Fancurve’s in-house team of 3D fashion designers, with influences drawn from Everton’s history.

By using original designs instead of replica kits, Fancurve will be able to offer more unique items of varying rarities, while avoiding the challenges of using third-party intellectual property rights. It also ensures that the NFTs are not dated by specific seasons.

The shirts will be sold exclusively on Fancurve’s online platform and there is no need for an understanding of cryptocurrency or related technologies. Aiming to make it as easy to buy a digital jersey as it would be a physical one from the official club store, Fancurve accepts debit and credit card payments.

Partner clubs have the ability to add utility to their NFTs, while fans are free to trade their collectibles via Fancurve or on third-party platforms. However, the company stresses that the goods are not made for speculation.

“We are proud to partner with such a renowned Premier League club as Everton, with its fanatical fan base and rich history,” said Chris Cook, senior vice president of partnerships at Everton.

“We strive to be the largest and most innovative digital wearable platform for sports fans worldwide and we see this partnership as one that can help Everton and its community grow as we explore web 3.0 football fandom together.”

“We are very pleased to welcome Fancurve to our growing partnership portfolio and are excited about the innovative opportunities that this partnership will bring for the club and our supporters,” said Richard Kenyon, Commercial and Communications Manager at Everton.

Fancurve raised US$6.25 million in seed funding in April, with investors including soccer platform OneFootball and former German internationals André Schürrle and Mario Götze.