The cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com has announced the company has partnered with the Angel City Football Club (ACFC) as the ACFC’s official cryptocurrency and NFT partner. The deal follows a slew of sports-related partnerships Crypto.com has made this year, including acquiring the naming rights agreement to the former Staples Center home of the Los Angeles Lakers, and partnering with the largest mixed martial arts promotion company, UFC.
Crypto.com Partners With Angel City Football Club
On December 21, the digital asset trading platform Crypto.com revealed it has partnered with the Angel City Football Club (ACFC), the 11th member of the National Women’s Soccer League. The expansion team is based in Los Angeles, California, and the team is expected to start playing in 2022. A myriad of high-profile owners co-own the team, including Serena Williams, Mia Hamm, and Natalie Portman. The team will be LA’s first women’s professional soccer team since the Los Angeles Sol ended in 2010.
Crypto.com inked a long-term partnership with ACFC and sources familiar with the matter told Bitcoin.com News that the deal will be around four years in length. The “four-year deal [is] roughly worth seven figures per annum,” the source explained to our newsdesk. Crypto.com says the deal is an effort to “foster financial education, independence, and financial empowerment.” The press announcement mentions how Web3 and cryptocurrency can bolster these goals.
“Key to Angel City’s goal to drive equity for women is to empower them with the tools and resources to be financially independent,” ACFC’s co-founder and president Julie Uhrman said in a statement. The ACFC executive added:
Given the speed with which Web3 and cryptocurrency is changing our world, we want to ensure that women are being brought along on the journey as investors and creators. Partnering with Crypto.com was a natural fit given their leadership in the space and mission to level the playing field with crypto. We are excited to work with them to educate our community and players on crypto and allow our players to use the power of NFTs to connect with and create a deeper relationship with their fans.
Crypto Companies Flock Toward Athletes and Sports
Crypto.com’s partnership with ACFC follows the company’s purchase of the naming rights to the Los Angeles Lakers’ arena and it is now called Crypto.com Arena. The exchange says the move with ACFC aims to continue the company’s prominence in LA. The company has also partnered with the popular mixed martial arts promotion company UFC, and did a commercial with celebrity actor Matt Damon.
Crypto.com is not the only company making headway into the sports industry as FTX has announced numerous partnerships with athletes and sports organizations this year. On Monday, FTX said it signed a partnership with Monumental Sports Entertainment (MSE), which gives it exposure to four professional sports teams. Leading digital asset manager Grayscale partnered with the New York Giants in May and last month, a baseball team in the Australian Baseball League, Perth Heat, inked a deal with the crypto firm Opennode.
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