Manchester United launch fantasy game

+ Youtube release must read report on 'fandom'

Author

John Grabowski
August 06, 2024

SEG3 fam,

Edition #21 is here in the midst of Paris 2024.

Today’s report comes a few days after a Sunday in which many of us watched the best two set tennis match in memory, an incredible 4th round of the golf, and perhaps the Greatest 100m Race of All Time™️. Although this edition doesn’t go into the excellent use of graphics to illustrate the 100m race (those in the UK can enjoy the graphics here), there is still plenty of worth news and updates to share.

This week, the SEG3 Report covers Manchester United and the combined launch of Player Trading Cards and Fantasy United. We also cover the launch of Fnatic Plus, a new subscription membership program by the esport giants.

The must read article is YouTube’s ‘Culture & Trends’ report on fandom, loaded with stats you will immediately be adding to your presentations and proposals.

Contents

Let’s get into it…

Manchester United launch their own club fantasy football game

Manchester United has launched an innovative digital collectible initiative for the 2024/25 season, combining Player Trading Cards and Fantasy United. Fans can collect trading cards featuring first-team players from the men’s squad, available in Classic, Rare, and Ultra-Rare editions. These hand-drawn cards, updated with real-time stats, can be used to form five-man squads in a new Web3 fantasy football game.

Fantasy United allows fans to compete in mini-leagues using their Player Trading Cards to earn points based on real-life performances of Manchester United players, starting with their Premier League opener against Fulham. Throughout the season, fans will receive updates on popular player selections and strategies from United legends and fantasy football experts. The game also features legends leagues where fans can compete directly against former Manchester United players. Devil-holders, who own the original digital collection, received early access to the cards, which are now available to all fans in packs of seven for £3.

This collaboration with Tezos builds on previous successes, such as ‘The Devils’ digital collection and free hand-drawn collectibles available at home games, which have fostered a vibrant community with nearly 100,000 Discord members. The Player Trading Cards initiative aims to deepen fan engagement through dynamic collectibles and fantasy gameplay. Club officials emphasise the unique opportunity for fans to collect, compete, and enhance their connection with the team, while highlighting the importance of understanding the risks associated with purchasing digital collectibles.

Why you should care?

This sounds fun!

This is a solid evolution of Web3 gaming and a compelling, easy-to-understand project from the club. Over 11 million people play Premier League fantasy football globally, and millions more play other forms of fantasy sports. The concept of picking players and scoring points based on their weekly performance is easily understood and embraced by United's audience.

Taking an accepted and understood game format and applying new creativity in the form of hand-drawn cards, a collectible aspect, and embedded first-party data capture is a smart and cohesive evolution of United's partnership with Tezos. The accessibility of the 7-card packs, priced at £3 each, should appeal to the fan base while generating incremental revenue. While it is technically possible to buy just one pack and play, some fans will inevitably collect dozens.

The one major miss here? Rolling out this project only for the men’s team feels like a missed opportunity to celebrate the FA Cup-winning women’s team on an equal platform to the men. Including the women's team in Fantasy United would enrich the game with a more diverse pool of players and introduce players from the women’s team to more casual fans. Oh well, there’s always next year.

YouTube release 2024 Culture and Trends report on fandom

Rather than trying to summarise the good work (and fun graphics!) of the good folks at YouTube, we encourage you to give the report a read. It’s 10 pages, and loaded with stats that you can pull straight into your decks!

Enjoy!

Fnatic launch Fnatic Plus, a subscription membership program

Fnatic, a European esports organisation, has launched a new subscription service called Fnatic Plus. This service offers subscribers a variety of perks, including monthly prize draws, a 15% discount at the Fnatic shop, and access to exclusive events. Additional benefits include exclusive merchandise, early access to new product launches, and unique customisation options within Fnatic’s mobile app. Fans can subscribe to the service for €4.99 on Fnatic’s website.

The membership programme was announced on August 1st via a video on Fnatic’s social media, featuring members of the organization outlining the service’s benefits. Founder and CEO Sam Matthews emphasized the initiative’s goal to strengthen fan engagement and support the team’s growth. The service aims to build a stronger connection with fans, enhancing their overall experience and involvement with the team.

Fnatic Plus merges many perks from a previous membership programme launched with Crypto.com in 2022, which used blockchain technology and NFT keys. Existing Pioneer and Core members will retain their special roles and badges, with Pioneer key holders continuing to receive a custom jersey annually. The launch of Fnatic Plus coincides with Fnatic's 20th anniversary, during which the organisation has expanded into new esports titles and secured partnerships with companies like Steelcase, Pot Noodle, and Betify.

Why you should care?

Membership programs are generally good business, and the Fnatic Plus program seems to offer solid value in this space. By comparison, memberships to certain Premier League clubs only grant access to a season ticket waitlist or a ballot system for unsold tickets. 

Community is one of the strongest drivers of fan behaviour, and for those who are already Fnatic fans, a fee of €5 for access to exclusive events might be easy to part with.

Interestingly, membership models like this are an area where the UK and Europe are both commercially and organisationally ahead of their peers in North America. Perhaps Fnatic Plus provides a blueprint that teams in other leagues may start to follow.

In other news…

A quick round-up of other stories we found interesting this week!

Working on anything cool, or have a press release you would like us to cover? Send it in for the chance for it to be covered in next week’s edition!