Australian Open Joins the Metaverse, Partners with Decentraland, Launching ‘Art Ball’ NFTs

January 10, 2022 Blockchain, Crypto, Digital Assets, Tokens, CBDCs, Metaverse, NFTs, Enterprise, FinTech and Alternative Finance, Fintech International, Innovation and Resources, Stories No comments

CryptoPotato | Dimitar Dzhondzhorov | Jan 9, 2022

Australian Open teamed up with Decentraland to hold this year's tournament virtually, too.

One of the world’s biggest tennis tournaments – the Australian Open (AO) – is entering both the NFT and Metaverse side of the cryptocurrency industry.

This year’s championship will also be held in Decentraland — a leading virtual reality platform. At the same time, fans will be able to participate further by buying non-fungible tokens linked to live match data.

AO Dives into the Metaverse

As Omicron cases in Australia surge, the organizers of the Australian Open decided to grant greater access to both international spectators and even locals who are concerned to attend matches in person.

See: CEEK presents H&M’s metaverse concept store

As such, the tournament will also take place in Decentraland. There, visitors will be able to observe the main stadium Rod Laver Arena, explore restaurants, and of course, watch tennis matches.

“With this next wave of technology, global tennis fans will have the opportunity to be part of the 2022 Australian Open in a way never before available,” said Craig Tiley, the AO Tournament Director.

Additionally, the organization will release a collection of 6,776 non-fungible tokens, called “Art Ball NFTs.” Each collectible will correspond to a winning shot from all matches from the 2022 championship.

Owners will also receive an airdrop with footage of the point, virtual wearables, and other benefits in the future. Should one of the 11 championship points land on the plot, the holder of the connected NFT can claim and get the physical tennis ball from the match used in the game in a specially handcrafted case.

The non-fungible tokens will be tracked by the same technology employed to judge the matches’ in-game points.

See: NFTs and The Metaverse for Marketers

The “Art Ball NFTs” will go on sale on January 10, while the AO Decentraland event goes live on January 17, the same day when the physical tournament begins.

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