Foreword from Sorare CEO and co-founder Nicolas Julia:
Last month, we celebrated the fifth anniversary of Sorare.
Over that span, we’ve grown from a team of two working out of an apartment with a single football partner, to a global workforce collaborating with over 400 partners across Football, the NBA, and MLB.
In 2023 alone, we partnered with the Premier League, launched a virtual cash wallet, revamped our web and mobile platforms, and rewarded winners of top competitions with once-in-a-lifetime experiences — like meeting Zinedine Zidane.
Over the last five years, several core beliefs continue to guide us:
Belief in Sorare — More than ever we believe in the need for a platform that empowers sports enthusiasts to elevate and own their fandom, rising from spectators on the sideline to general managers in the (virtual) front office.
Belief in owning our digital lives — We believe in the power of melding blockchain technology and digital collectible cards to create a revolutionary fantasy sports experience, where you can truly own your game by collecting, buying, selling, and competing with digital player cards.
Belief in our community — We believe in fans experiencing the thrill of sports like pro general managers, building their legacy week over week and season over season, and unlocking the one-of-a-kind experiences that only come from playing Sorare.
We’re appreciative of the lessons learned and excited for the opportunities ahead. (Here’s my “State of Sorare” update.) Heading further into 2024, we’re focused on enhancing our core products and expanding upon them: We’re soon launching a mobile-first, head-to-head game mode (more on that below).
We have much room to grow and improve, and greatly value your feedback as we continue to build better, together. Many thanks for being part of the Sorare community!
Nicolas Julia
This past year was significant for Sorare. Below is a recap of key launches and features:
- Launched our Premier League partnership along with a brand spot and special contests, including the current PL Winter Competition with $500,000 in total cash prizes
- Implemented Cash Wallet, a virtual wallet system that offers a secure, seamless way to transact in both fiat money (cash) and Ether (ETH). It’s now easier for Managers to buy and sell player cards, as well as deposit and withdraw cash.
- Rolled out 3D digital player cards with Augmented Reality interactivity. To celebrate, we launched a global contest that rewarded Managers for showcasing their 3D cards.
- Overhauled our web and mobile experiences to make them more engaging and easy to navigate. The updates, rooted in research and Manager feedback, included:
Enhanced app — Launched an updated design with new features including Instant Buy, allowing Managers to purchase new Limited Cards right in the app; Market Notifications, keeping Managers informed of their auction status and offers; and Live, so Managers can follow their team performances in real time.
My Club — Introduced this personalized social profile to bring each Manager’s Sorare journey to life in a sharable way. It consolidates the key elements of your Sorare experience — stats, collections, achievements, progress — into one hub.
- Partnered with NBA and MLB stars to serve as Sorare ambassadors to participate in brand videos, digital content, and reward experiences
NBA: Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, Paolo Banchero, Mikal Bridges
MLB: Julio Rodriguez, Juan Soto
- Launched editorial partnerships with MLB journalist Jon Morosi and NBA Twitter guru Rob “@WorldWideWob” Perez, to provide player picks and run custom Sorare leagues
- Rolled out the Collection Game, providing Sorare Managers the ability to gain scoring bonuses by assembling Collections of their favorite teams and players
- Introduced Special Edition cards: Auctioned NBA Draft Special Edition Cards, and released our first MLB Special Edition Cards (Postseason Edition and Awards Edition)
- Speaking of NBA rookie cards: The 2023–24 Victor Wembanyama Unique Card sold at auction for $110,000, the highest price paid thus far for any Wemby collectible
- Debuted the Soraries, a social-driven, Manager-voted football awards campaign culminating in the creation of Special Edition Cards for the Sorarie winners; and Year on Sorare, providing Managers with a custom recap of their annual highlights by sport
Where would we be without our Managers? To celebrate the Sorare community, here’s a rundown of some of our favorite Manager-focused social media posts and content over the past year. (Related: We’re rolling out a new content series this year spotlighting inspiring Manager stories.)
Football
MLB
NBA
This year will be pivotal for growing and evolving the Sorare experience and our products — and for expanding our community of passionate sports fans.
We already released Manager ID, a way for each Manager to show off their accomplishments and journey on Sorare. And we continued our efforts to improve the mobile experience by launching a new Android app, enabling Android-based Managers to fully navigate their Sorare journey — compose lineups, bid on auctions, etc — from the palm of their hand.
Plus, we’re soon launching Sorare Rivals, an epic head-to-head fantasy football game — playable each matchday — where Managers showcase their lineup strategy and tactics against friends and foes.
And that’s just the beginning. For now, we encourage you to read Nicolas’ recent X post that outlines a variety of forthcoming plans.
