The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Near Foundation have unveiled an unprecedented technological collaboration aimed at harnessing the potential of the NEAR Web3 ecosystem. This partnership aims to significantly enhance cricket aficionados' experience and engagement with the sport on a global scale.
Through this collaboration, the Near Foundation is slated to serve as ICC’s Official Blockchain Partner until the culmination of 2025. This strategic alliance is geared towards bolstering fan engagement, penetrating novel audience segments, and bestowing lasting value upon the fans.
In a bid to kickstart this partnership, a pre-match strategy challenge will be initiated, leading up to the eagerly awaited ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, set to commence on 5 October in India. This challenge, powered by NEAR’s avant-garde Blockchain Operating System (B.O.S.), promises cricket enthusiasts an unparalleled opportunity to pit their cricketing acumen against fellow fans, showcasing their profound grasp of the sport.
The challenge invites users to deploy strategic insights to craft triumphant combinations spanning cricket’s cardinal dimensions - batting, bowling, and fielding. Intriguingly, real-time match events directly influence fans’ scores, with a leaderboard chronicling their achievements. Weekly victors stand to gain enticing rewards, ranging from match tickets, exclusive gatherings, CWC merchandise, and much more, further intensifying fans' connection to the sport.
Opting for the B.O.S. ensures that ICC reaps the advantages of one of the globe's most scalable, secure, and community-centric blockchains, guaranteeing unmatched performance apt for any Web3 initiative. This paves the way for ICC to curate experiences that foster a profound connection between a vast global fanbase and heighten their interaction with ICC spectacles, cherished teams, and adored players.
Upon the conclusion of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, both parties are committed to jointly crafting enduring Web3 applications. These initiatives aim to applaud and incentivize unwavering loyalty to the sport, ensuring that fervent fans are continually rewarded with exclusive access and prized memorabilia. The comprehensive array of web3 tools offered by B.O.S., coupled with its seamless integration capabilities, aligns perfectly with ICC’s aspiration of conceptualizing a fan passport. This innovative proposition would allow fans to immortalize their cherished memories and actions, providing an unassailable record of every interaction, be it virtual or tangible.
Finn Bradshaw, the Digital Maestro at ICC, voiced his enthusiasm, “Our alliance with the Near Foundation marks a momentous juncture in our journey to deepen fan engagement globally. The boundless possibilities that novel technologies present to enrich our fans' experience fills us with anticipation.”
Echoing this sentiment, Chris Donovan, the visionary CEO of the Near Foundation, expressed his excitement, emphasizing the monumental significance of this association, “This collaboration underscores our burgeoning reputation as the premier blockchain technology partner in the sports arena. Given cricket's vast appeal, the Near ecosystem is poised to captivate hundreds of millions of aficionados. Our mission to champion the cause of an open web aligns perfectly with introducing them to avant-garde Web3 applications. We remain resolutely committed to making sports more inclusive and riveting for all.”
