Manchester United defender Phil Jones has become the latest high-profile sportsperson to enter the metaverse. Jones, who has been on the club’s books since 2011, has joined forces with Web3 firm Antourage to develop an exclusive metaverse members project dubbed Red Lion Sports Club (RLSC). The venture will function as a kind of gated online community, where holders of special NFTs can congregate to play games and interact, view exclusive content, enter competitions and support worthy causes. Designed by noted augmented reality creator Doddz, only 4,000 algorithmically-generated Red Lion member NFTs will be released on the Solana blockchain, at a cost of two SOL (around $250 at current prices). A New Model for Fan Engagement Scheduled to launch in the coming month, , Red Lion Sports Club will focus on major sports events such as Premier League games, the NBA playoffs, Formula 1’s British Grand Prix and golf’s British Open, with fan-influenced content and mini-games devoted to the various sporting occasions. “Over the past six months I’ve been researching and learning about Web 3.0 and the potential of the metaverse,” revealed Jones, who has won Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League trophies while making over 100 appearances for United. “The idea behind the Red Lion Sports Club is to enable a new way of engaging with fans that promotes a genuine sense of community rooted in mutual respect for other members. RLSC will be a ven...
