In a recent episode of CoinGeek Conversations, Charles Miller sat down with Rafal Gelner, the co-founder and CEO of Zetly Fueling Sports, to delve into the exciting world of merging real and virtual experiences for sports enthusiasts, with a particular focus on football.
Zetly Fueling Sports is exploring various avenues to create immersive experiences for sports fans, incorporating elements like NFT gating and NFC (Near Field Communication), a wireless technology that enables devices like smartphones and contactless cards to exchange data when close together.
As Rafal explained: "let's say a user has a favorite jersey or sports jacket, that will be connected to the NFT. When the user goes into a match or an area where this can be scanned, you can have access to the areas to take part in reward programs". He emphasized the endless potential of this approach, comparing it to a ‘golden ticket’ that provides access to VIP areas and other club offerings.
Zetly is gearing up to launch a pilot sports metaverse in collaboration with Robert Rice’s Transmira and Omniscape. Transmira is creating digital replicas of entire stadiums through photography, allowing users to virtually explore these venues.
Zetly wants to make sports experiences more accessible to everyone. As Rafal noted, "Zetly gives access to the people that cannot afford to go to the real match or real stadium." Furthermore, users in the virtual realm will have the unique ability to interact with those attending the real event, and vice versa. This bridging of the physical and digital worlds enhances the sense of community for sports enthusiasts” and "if you've got a family member or a friend who's actually at the game, you can sort of be there with them - or at least see them."
Rafal envisions the metaverse expanding not only within the stadium but also encompassing an entire city, making the digital twin concept a tourism attraction. As he explained, Zetly's all-in-one platform will include NFT gating, utilities, sports quizzes, and support for sports clubs to tokenize and engage their fans.
BSV (Bitcoin SV) is Zetly’s blockchain of choice. For Rafal, BSV’s enterprise-level capability and ability to scale exceptionally allows for fast and cost-effective transactions. This choice to build on BSV not only guarantees streamlined transaction handling but also positions Zetly to easily accommodate substantial growth and adoption.
Rafal was enthusiastic to share news that Zetly will showcase their innovative solutions and pilot program in Seville, Spain, this month. This opportunity will give them substantial exposure to some of the world's largest and most renowned sports clubs.
However, Rafal acknowledged a challenge in blockchain education. "People like the idea but they don't understand blockchain," he noted. To bridge this knowledge gap, he emphasized the need for education and awareness, especially within the sports community.
Rafal Gelner's vision for Zetly Fueling Sports aims to engage sports fans through tokenization while giving a full-on immersive experience to users in the real and virtual worlds. With a focus on BSV's capabilities and a commitment to user-friendly subscription models, Zetly aims to revolutionize the way sports enthusiasts experience their favorite events. As Rafal says, "the sky's the limit," and Zetly is well on its way to soaring high in the world of sports technology.