Two teams from the top flight division of Brazilian domestic football, Corinthians and Atletico-PR have signed a partnership deal with a blockchain startup Inoovi which is behind the ‘sports’ token IVI. In a post on Youtube, Atletico's president has unveiled the new partner, calling the company an “innovation in Brazil’s sports market”.
According to Inoovi website, IVI token holders will be able to make use of VIP facilities of the clubs and also meet players during private events, alongside many more perks and discounts. Portaldobitcoin has revealed further details of the deal, whereby Atletico PR will have a 12 month period to utilize IVI token to pay off financial obligations such as wages and fees. The logo of the company will appear on the clubs shirt while the club will also receive a small sponsor fee, according to the club president.
“Cryptocurrencies have been gaining value and we have no doubt about that. I, in particular, will be part of [those who] purchase this currency as an investment for my personal savings and recommend it to everyone,” said Mario Celso Petraglia.
Alongside Atletico, Corinthians is also set to partner up with Inoova, and a few other clubs from Ukraine and Turkey such as Besiktas, Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Shaktar Donetsk are also in talks with the company.
Following the announcement, the price of the IVI token has spiked from $0.1 to around $1. However, it cannot be found on the most popular cryptocurrency exchanges and is not listed on some of the stats websites such as Coinmarketcap.
However, the two clubs are not the first to become involved in crypto. Argentinian star Lionel Messi and one of the world's most famous English clubs, Arsenal are already on board the blockchain train. Insider.Pro has compiled the list here.