Innovative partnership between FIBA and Bitci set to elevate fan experience

FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, and Bitci have announced an innovative new global partnership for the period 2021-2023. Bitci will serve as a new Global Partner offering innovative products to the global basketball community.

FIBA has identified blockchain technology as a new and unique way for fans to interact and engage with the sport. This technology also aligns perfectly with one of FIBA’s strategic priorities for 2019-2023, which is to enlarge the FIBA family by expanding its partners and embracing new ideas.

The global partnership will provide Bitci with key commercial rights across all FIBA competitions, including the FIBA Continental Cups for both men and women, FIBA Youth World Cups, the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 and FIBA’s pinnacle event, the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2023. Specific rights for these events include premium brand visibility on the court and exclusive Presenting Sponsorship Rights for selected FIBA qualifying competitions.

The partnership goes beyond branding elements and will allow Bitci to develop and launch a dedicated FIBA fan token for FIBA’s global fan community. The aim is to provide fans with a voice, giving them the opportunity to vote on various competitions, participate in polls, have access to promotional licensing products, and get special access to tickets and behind the scenes activities.

In addition to the FIBA fan token, both parties will also explore the opportunity to develop specific Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), a digital collectible for fans, which will comprise of memorable moments from the FIBA archive. Collecting such special moments securely and exclusively will give fans a unique opportunity to be part of basketball’s history.

Andreas Zagklis, FIBA Secretary General, said: “We are excited to enter this new partnership with Bitci. FIBA is committed to enlarging the basketball family and offering innovative opportunities to our members and fans. We are confident that Bitci will deliver first-class products through the blockchain, with a dedicated FIBA fan token and the joint development of NFTs. Technology is a key driver in basketball and working with Bitci will further enhance our footprint as well as our direct interaction with fans.”

Altan Tan, CEO of Bitci, said: “Bitci is honored to enter into this ground-breaking partnership with FIBA. We have been expanding our partnerships globally this year but partnering with FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, is a game-changer for us. It proves Bitci’s commitment to the world of sports by offering secure services in the blockchain industry. We will work diligently to create a unique FIBA fan token that will have a strong and sustainable value for the fans. The future will prove that FIBA has selected the right partner in the blockchain industry.”

This agreement was brokered by FIBA Marketing, the strategic partnership between FIBA and Infront.