The esteemed French football club, Paris Saint-Germain, is delving into the intersection of art, AI, and sports. Fans will have the opportunity to claim NFTs via Crypto.com.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the renowned French football club, is venturing into the realm of artificial intelligence (AI) and exploring its application in art to provide fans with unique digital pieces.
In a statement released this week, the club disclosed its collaboration with Artistic Director Benjamin Benichou for this season to craft an exclusive collection of match posters in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) using AI. PSG is also partnering with the exchange Crypto.com, their sponsor, for this endeavor. Benichou, utilizing the burgeoning AI technology as part of his creative process, designed the poster series for the club, inspired by seven key matches of the season. The artist created a total of 1,970 different versions, out of which only seven were ultimately selected to be released in the NFT series.
“When you explore the potential intersection of such an inspiring brand like Paris Saint-Germain and a powerful tool like artificial intelligence, the creative possibilities become boundless. This initiative paves the way towards a new territory of artistic and creative expression where art meets technology,” emphasized Benichou. The seven posters will be showcased during the upcoming matches of the season, starting with the game on September 24 against Olympique de Marseille in the French football league, Ligue 1.
The NFT collection will be available for free on the NFT platform of Crypto.com on the respective match days. Account holders who are eligible will have the chance to claim the posters.
Meanwhile, collectors who gather all seven NFTs from the series will qualify to enter a contest with the opportunity to win a “special experience” at the last match of the season, as stated by the club. This project is the latest indication of the opportunities emerging from the convergence of art, emerging technologies, and sports. In 2020, the club launched its fan token, and in 2021, named Crypto.com as its first commercial partner in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. The club had also hinted at its foray into the metaverse and NFTs in 2022.
Other well-known professional football clubs like AC Milan, Manchester United, and Barcelona have unveiled their own NFT collections, and football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo launched NFTs in partnership with Binance.