NFT Ticketing May Gain Adoption Quicker In France After UEFA Championship Fiasco

French authorities take note after phony tickets and gatecrashers spoiled the UEFA Champions League final experience for many of the soccer fans in Paris in May 2022.

The disorder before the UEFA Champions League final game might result in the widespread adoption of nonfungible tokens (NFTs) for ticketing at sports events in France. The nation previously said that it wants to use NFT tickets in the 2023 Rugby World Cup and 2024 Paris Olympics.

Mass ticket faking was one of the causes of the chaotic scene witnessed at the May 28 soccer championship. It then turned into a huge embarrassment for the nation after police used tear gas to restore order and the match between Real Madrid and Liverpool FC was delayed.

Michael Cadot, French Government Olympics envoy, submitted a comprehensive report to the Office of the French Prime Minister in the past week that recommended steps to help prevent disorder at sporting events in the future, including the universal use of nonfungible token (NFT) ticketing.

Cadot was quoted as saying in the report:

“Implementing the new ticketing system well in advance of the rugby even and Olympics would make it possible to prefigure the planned systems and to break in the working methods, as well as the reflexes of multi-actor management to face difficulties.”

France Champions NFT Adoption

The French network predicts issuing nontransferable digital-only tickets using QR codes and blockchain technology. Tickets would then be distributed by SMS not long ahead of events and activated within a security zone that is around the venue.

Prevention of selling fake tickets and ticket scalping is one of the major benefits that may come with NFT ticketing, since it increases security at events and profits for their sponsors. Other functions, like VIP area access or receipt of souvenir items, may be programmed into NFT tickets too.

Ticketing is just one of the ways that NFTs have of entering the sporting world. NFT collectibles have formed part of many teams’ marketing strategies since 2020 and seem to be gaining popularity. They could even be programmed to feature fan engagement tactics including voting and access to physical collectibles.