{"id":8635,"date":"2022-02-22T04:02:07","date_gmt":"2022-02-22T04:02:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nftandcrypto-news.com\/crypto\/manchester-city-to-build-etihad-stadium-in-the-metaverse\/"},"modified":"2022-02-22T04:02:08","modified_gmt":"2022-02-22T04:02:08","slug":"manchester-city-to-build-etihad-stadium-in-the-metaverse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nftandcrypto-news.com\/crypto\/manchester-city-to-build-etihad-stadium-in-the-metaverse\/","title":{"rendered":"Manchester City to build Etihad Stadium in the Metaverse"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Premier League champions Manchester City and their new partner Sony have begun building a virtual replica of the Etihad Stadium which will be the team\u2019s central hub in the Metaverse.<\/p>\n

Etihad Stadium is the home of Manchester City, England\u2019s top soccer team at the moment. The team announced on Feb. 18 that it had signed a three-year agreement with Sony, which will provide virtual reality experts to use image analysis and skeletal-tracking technology from subsidiary Hawk-Eye.<\/p>\n

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Manchester City is developing the metaverse’s first football stadium#Crypto<\/a> #Metaverse<\/a> #Blockchain<\/a> #Football<\/a> #ManchesterCity<\/a> #CryptoNews<\/a> #CloutNews<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/nhpUmYixkO<\/p>\n

\u2014 Clout News (@CloutNewsMedia) February 21, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Manchester City hopes fans will enjoy all the benefits of having a virtual stadium. Although Covid restrictions are still hampering travel options for some, the ability to watch games in an immersive Metaverse setting could be a relief to fans itching to get a taste of a game setting again. <\/p>\n

The team is tearing down geographic barriers for fans who want to be part of a live or recorded match by beginning construction of the virtual Etihad Stadium. City Football Group\u2019s chief marketing officer Nuria Tarre told Inews on Feb. 18 that:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole point we could imagine of having a Metaverse is you can recreate a game, you could watch the game live, you\u2019re part of the action in a different way through different angles and you can fill the stadium as much as you want because it\u2019s unlimited, it\u2019s completely virtual.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Sony\u2019s Hawk-Eye subsidiary has long been dedicated to enhancing sports for viewers and officials. It helps officials make in-game judgments in real-time with specialized replay technology. Its visualization applications will be used to recreate the dimensions of Etihad Stadium in the Metaverse.<\/p>\n

Related: Former Manchester United players to launch soccer-centric DAO<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Cointelegraph wrote on Jan. 23 that \u201cincreased interactivity and ownership of virtual items\u201d were particular assets to having a base in the Metaverse. Man City may be jumping on both of those opportunities to give fans around the world more accessibility to the team and stadium.<\/p>\n

Man City\u2019s foray into Web3 and the Metaverse could be of interest to Liverpool FC. The Reds may follow suit in order to boost revenue, according to ECHO, a Liverpool news outlet.<\/p>\n

Rivals Manchester United have also pushed into the Web3 ecosystem with a new partnership with Tezos (XTZ), announced on Feb. 10. Tezos will be the team\u2019s official crypto and training kit partner, and may also help develop digital merchandise.<\/p>\n