Italian soccer club AC Milan has renewed its partnership with BitMEX, a cryptocurrency exchange that became the team’s first-ever jersey sleeve sponsor in 2021. The extended agreement now positions BitMEX as AC Milan’s premium partner in addition to being their official cryptocurrency trading partner. BitMEX’s logo has been featured on the game-day sleeves of both the men’s and women’s team kits since the initial deal was made. AC Milan introduced its first NFT collection in collaboration with design studio Fansea, offering fans the opportunity to purchase a 3D image of Milan’s jersey for €45 ($50). The proceeds from NFT sales support Fondazione Milan, the club’s charitable arm that aids causes such as the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and UNICEF in South Sudan. BitMEX is reported to pay €5 million ($5.6 million) per year to sponsor AC Milan, although the terms of the new deal have not been disclosed. Italian clubs AS Roma and Inter Milan previously had sleeve sponsorships with blockchain company DigitalBits, but these deals were terminated due to the company’s failure to make payments to the clubs. In other European soccer news, cryptocurrency exchange OKX expanded its sponsorship with Manchester City, while FC Barcelona recently launched a limited-edition NFT art auction in partnership with World of Women. Socios, a fan token platform, has partnerships with teams in England’s Premier League, Spain’s LaLiga, and Italy’s Serie A.
