Unyfy, a web3-ready, no-code community and content platform-as-a-service developed by German startup Liquiditeam, allows sports teams such as the Bundesliga's Borussia Dortmund and other brands to easily launch their own interactive platforms, delivering increased fan engagement and new digital revenue streams.

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According to Thomas Euler, co-founder and CEO of Liquiditeam, sports teams are always seeking to create more avenues for fan engagement. Creating an emotional connection with fans and building loyalty to the team's brand is important, as loyal fans are more likely to purchase tickets or merchandise, driving the team's revenue and increasing the chances of sporting success, which, in turn, makes fans happier. The globalization of sports has allowed people to become fans of a sports team based thousands of kilometers away, through broadcast media and the internet. This means teams must look for ways to engage not only the fans in their immediate vicinity that can go to the stadium, but also those located far away.

Euler says that web3 technology is ripe for utilization in the sports industry, as it can provide a more authentic content and community experience for fans. Sports brands are now part of the creator economy, which also includes content creators such as streamers, writers, and vloggers, with whom they are competing for attention. All actors in the creator economy are facing a challenge regarding the ownership of data, because teams and creators are extremely reliant on the platforms they are on. They do not really own the digital fan relationship, which remains locked in these platforms. As a result, they miss out on various revenue opportunities..

In 2020, Liquiditeam launched the Unyfy technology, which now powers Borussia Dortmund's BlackYellow App, as well as platforms by a German first division basketball team, a professional basketball player based in the US, and others.

Unyfy lets brands start their own platforms to create a web3-enabled experience in mobile apps and on the web. This includes business tools for digital commerce, such as subscriptions and tokens that grant access to premium content, NFT-based digital goods, and money-can't-buy experiences. Users can also collect digital points for their activities such as creating user generated content or buying tickets. Those points can then be redeemed for virtual rewards, merchandise, and more. Teams can also incorporate their sponsors or advertising clients in the fan engagement equation and host sponsored fan activities such as polls and ask-me-anything with the athletes.

Sports teams can use Unyfy to create their own platforms and use web3 technologies such as NFTs - not as a speculative investment, but rather as rewards for fans, strengthening their connections with the team.

No coding is required for Unyfy, but brands can also integrate custom applications. It has various customization options which allows the platform to look and feel like an extension of the team's brand.

"Now that the big NFT hype is over, club executives understand that they need to do something that is more solid and provides value to fans. Mobile-native fans from Generations Z and Alpha want relatable, authentic content from creators they love, and we believe that web3 technologies are a means, rather than an end, to provide them with the experiences they seek. At the same time, it solves the platform ownership issue, empowering independent digital business models. Unyfy provides a quick and seamless way for sports teams to incorporate these innovative concepts into their fan engagement ecosystems," Euler says.