KARIM VIRANI JOINS SOCIOS.COM AS COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR FOR THE UK
QUICK TAKE
- Virani will lead on UK growth for blockchain-based fan engagement and rewards platform Socios.com.
- The UK is key to Socios.com’s global expansion plans for 2021. Virani’s knowledge of the UK sports industry and the English Premier League in particular will be invaluable as the company increases its roster of UK based partners.
- Since launching in late 2019, Socios.com has partnered with 20 major sporting organisations including FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.
- Socios.com offers engagement opportunities for fans of its partner clubs through Fan Tokens — digital assets that provide voting rights, VIP rewards, exclusive club & sponsor promotions and the opportunity to connect in chat forums.
- Fan Tokens have achieved average daily trading volumes of $25M and generated $30M in revenue in just over 12 months, creating a new high potential income stream for partner clubs.
- Socios.com employs 80+ staff in locations across the globe, a number set to double in 2021 as the company enters a period of hyper growth.
LONDON, January 08th 2020: Fan engagement and rewards platform Socios.com have appointed Karim Virani as their Commercial Director (UK). Virani was formerly Chief Commercial Officer for English Premier League club West Ham United.
Socios.com are now increasing their focus on the UK sports industry and are looking to add a host of UK based sporting organisations to their roster of partners in 2021, including English Premier League clubs.
Mr Virani said: “I am incredibly excited to be joining the Socios.com team. In my opinion, recent events have cemented the company’s position as one of the most interesting and forward-thinking fintech businesses around today — especially in the sports industry. The ambition and scale of our UK plan is tremendously exciting and I am delighted to be given the opportunity to be leading our efforts in driving this forward.”
Alexandre Dreyfus, CEO of Chiliz and Socios.com said: “We are delighted to bring Karim on board. Karim’s expertise and knowledge of the UK sports sector will be invaluable as we look to partner with UK-based sporting organisations and grow our footprint in the UK.
“Building a significant UK presence is one part of the global expansion plans for 2021 and beyond that will allow us to cement our position as the world’s leading fan engagement and rewards platform.”
Powered by the Chiliz blockchain infrastructure, Socios.com is a fan engagement and rewards platform that allows fans to engage with their favourite teams through digital assets known as Fan Tokens. Supporters can use Fan Tokens to vote in exclusive club polls, connect with fans around the world in chat forums, earn VIP rewards and experiences and gain access to exclusive club and sponsor-related promotions.
Socios.com launched in late 2019, with Juventus fans becoming the first of any in the world to influence their club using blockchain technology when using the app to vote on a new goal celebration song at the Allianz Stadium. 20 leading sporting organisations have now partnered with Socios.com to increase fan engagement, including leading football clubs such as FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético de Madrid, A.S Roma, Galatasaray, Trabzonspor, Istanbul Basakeshir, CA Independiente and Universidad de Chile. Leading esports organisations Team Heretics, O.G, Team Alliance and NAVI have also joined the Socios.com roster, while the company has signed a global fan engagement partnership with MMA giants UFC. Fellow MMA organisation the Professional Fighters League (PFL) will launch a Fan Token in early 2021.
Fan Tokens have achieved average daily trading volumes of $25M and generated $30M in revenue in just over 12 months, creating a new high potential income stream for partner clubs.
Hundreds of thousands of fans have downloaded the Socios.com app since launch, with supporters using the app to engage with their teams in countless polls. Notable examples include fans of Cypriot club Apollon Limassol choosing the entire first team for a clash with a local rival and their home and away kit, Galatasaray fans choosing a new stadium entrance anthem, PSG fans choosing a unique message for the captain’s armband and FC Barcelona fans voting on a unique piece of fan designed artwork to be placed at the heart of the Camp Nou home dressing room. Fan Token holders have also enjoyed a host of digital and real-life rewards, including behind the scenes VIP matchday experiences prior to the pandemic, appearing via video link on the LED panels around the stadium, and, even asking the manager questions in live press conferences.
Chiliz, the blockchain fintech company that powers the Socios.com app was founded in 2018 after generating over $60M in private placement. The company has grown significantly since then and now has a global staff of more than 80 employees, bringing with them experience from a range of fields including sport, gaming, blockchain and payments. The company has a global presence with offices in Malta, France, South Korea, Singapore, Buenos Aires, Switzerland and Turkey.
-ENDS-
For Further Information:
Chiliz / Socios.com
Andrew Clarke — Head of PR
For more information please visit www.socios.com / www.chiliz.com
About Socios.com
Socios.com launched in late 2019. To date, 20 major sporting organisations, including FC Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain have partnered with Socios.com in order to launch Fan Tokens . Fan Tokens are digital assets that provide owners with engagement opportunities, such as voting rights, the ability to compete in leaderboards and forthcoming features including Chat and Games. Fan Tokens also enable holders to earn club-related rewards, as well as discounts and other benefits linked to their clubs and club sponsors — a USP boosted by the launch of the Socios.com ‘I Am More Than A Fan’ VISA Debit Card. Dozens more organisations from football and other sports are primed to launch Fan Tokens with many more IP holders set to join the Socios.com roster of partners which already includes MMA giants UFC and the Professional Fighters League (PFL). We expect Fan Tokens to become the next generation of transactional based engagement for sports fans.
