At least five Champions League football teams have begun accepting cryptocurrency payments for tickets and merchandise this season, according to sponsorship disclosures and club announcements reviewed by SourceRated. The move reflects both clubs’ desire to attract tech-savvy fans and cryptocurrency companies’ aggressive sports marketing strategies.
FC Barcelona became the latest elite club to partner with a crypto platform in August 2023 through its official fan token program. Other early adopters include Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), which has accepted Bitcoin since 2018 through partnership with crypto platform Socios.com. Manchester City followed in 2021 with Ethereum payments for NFT collectibles.
“We’re seeing two distinct models emerge,” said a sports marketing analyst at Deloitte who requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. “Either direct crypto payments through club shops, or fan token ecosystems that create new revenue streams.”
Industry experts note the partnerships carry risks. Cryptocurrency values remain volatile, and some fan groups have protested what they see as commercialization of supporter culture. UEFA regulations currently don’t address crypto payments specifically, leaving clubs to navigate compliance issues independently.