WAGMI United and adidas Team Up to Explore the Future of Sport Through Innovative Web3 Partnership

The brands' new NFT collection will be released on July 6 and will bring together football fans across the world like never before

WAGMI United devil Scorch on red background

LOS ANGELES, Monday June 27, 2022— WAGMI United, a new brand dedicated to bringing Web3's most innovative ideas and passionate communities to the world of sports, today announced a new partnership with adidas, a global leader in the sporting goods industry. The partnership will see the two brands team up first at WAGMI United's Crawley Town FC for a new NFT collection — to be released on July 6 — that will enable fans to play a personal role in shaping the future of a professional sports team like never before.

In April 2022, WAGMI United completed its pioneering purchase of Crawley Town Football Club in League Two of the English Football League — becoming the first Web3 group to own a major professional sports team and embarking on a journey to make Crawley Town "the internet's team." To that end, WAGMI United plans to build a global digital community of fans around the club and empower them with a real voice in team decision making. The NFTs, designed and produced in partnership with adidas, will play a key role in turning that idea into reality.

In addition to gaining access to club perks and redeeming physical and digital merch items created by adidas, WAGMI United NFT holders will also be able to vote on key issues facing Crawley Town FC. For example, club co-chairmen (and WAGMI United co-founders) Preston Johnson and Eben Smith have already committed to let fans — including NFT holders — decide whether they keep those roles if the team does not earn promotion to League One by the end of their second full season in charge. This first-of-its-kind decentralized governance model will empower fans to play a hands-on role in determining the club's success — making this a deeper and more interactive sports experience than ever seen before.

While the NFTs will certainly provide a chance for new international fans to connect with the club and play a role in shaping it, WAGMI United is also keen to give long-time, local Crawley Town FC fans a bigger voice in their club than they've previously had. This will include the creation of a fan council that will meet regularly with the new owners to offer feedback and ideas and take a hands-on role in helping to implement them.

"There are some traditional sports teams that claim to be 'community owned.' But what do fans actually get? A piece of paper they can frame on their wall? We think they deserve more than that," said Preston Johnson, co-founder of WAGMI United. "We want Crawley Town FC to be a community club that reaches anyone with an internet connection. Doing that right means giving our fans a real voice in real decisions that actually make a difference on the field and meaningfully contribute to writing the next chapter in the club's storied 125-year history. So if you've ever wanted to have a say in how your favorite team is run, this is your chance. This is your club."

"In 2021, we began our journey into new digital spaces, leading the way for our creators, athletes and fans, with confidence as we headed together into the metaverse." said Erika Wykes-Sneyd, VP Brand Communications adidas Originals. "This partnership with WAGMI United opens fresh possibilities in sport for fans to go from being supporters to having a true stake in a team, all with the ambition to build a deep sense of community and belonging around the beautiful game."

"Our partnership with WAGMI United has given us an opportunity to work with Crawley Town FC. We're excited to be providing adidas products for the club, to be part of their community and to support their future endeavors in the game," said Nick Craggs, General Manager adidas Football.

Alongside Johnson and Smith, WAGMI United has assembled a powerhouse ownership group. Many members have had a hand in creating and popularizing many of the most successful NFT projects to date — and their shared belief that building a digital-first community around a sports team represents the logical next step for Web3's continued expansion has brought them all to WAGMI United. The group includes:

  • Gary Vaynerchuk a.k.a. Gary Vee — Chairman of VaynerX and influential tech and NFT thought leader
  • Sean Gearin a.k.a. Gfunk — Founder and CEO of Pixel Vault, creators of PUNKS Comic and MetaHero Universe
  • gmoney — Renowned NFT cultural influencer, educator and community leader
  • Erick Calderon a.k.a Snowfro — Legendary NFT artist and founder/CEO of Art Blocks
  • Jacob Martin — Founder of 2 Punks Capital and one of the premier legal minds in Web3
  • Influential creators and collectors in the NFT space — such as @hunterorrell, @tonyherrera and @andy8052.

Through this new partnership, adidas will become the official kit manufacturer and apparel partner of Crawley Town FC — the first time the brand has entered into such a partnership with a League Two club. The expertise across WAGMI United and adidas will create new possibilities in both football and community building. Given Crawley Town's ambitions to rise up and challenge the giants of the sport under WAGMI United's ownership despite being one of the smallest clubs in the entire 92-team English Football League, the partnership is a true embodiment of adidas' "Impossible is Nothing" ethos.

Visit WAGMI United online at wagmiunited.com and follow us on Twitter at @WAGMIUnited.

WAGMI United x adidas x Crawley Town logos

About WAGMI United

WAGMI United — which stands for "We're All Gonna Make It," a popular mantra of hope and solidarity in the cryptocurrency and NFT communities — is a new brand dedicated to bringing Web3's most innovative ideas and passionate communities to the world of sports. Founded by Preston Johnson and Eben Smith, WAGMI United seeks to reimagine how professional sports teams are owned and operated — building communities of passionate fans and empowering them to take a personal stake in telling their team's story and shaping its future. WAGMI United has taken the first step on this journey with its pioneering purchase of Crawley Town Football Club.

About adidas

adidas is a global leader in the sporting goods industry. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, the company employs more than 61,000 people across the globe and generated sales of €21.2 billion in 2021.

CONTACT

Steve Pierce
press@wagmiunited.com